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Unfortunately, you can't just magic something from a waste product into a resource, particularly something like CO2, due to the second law of thermodynamics. C

Unfortunately, you can't just magic something from a waste product into a resource, particularly something like CO2, due to the second law of thermodynamics. Carbon fixation is endothermic. It requires a lot of energy, and very specific conditions. Organic carbon fixers (plants & algae) are by far the most efficient way to turn CO2 into something useful, but they require sunlight, and there's only so much of that to go around.

ejolto 6y ago
CO2 is used in greenhouse farming to increase produce yield. The CO2 gets turned into vegetables. Unfortunately the CO2 will eventually be released again, after the vegetables are eaten.
zoomablemind 6y ago
> Unfortunately, you can't just magic something from a waste product into a resource That's a semantics game... First thing that comes to mind is manure, turned from literally waste into fertilizser. It may not be a high demand resource, but with a utility nevertheless.
- zoomablemind 6y ago
  As a followup, here's an example of applying artificial photosynthesis process capturing CO2 and resulting in acetate. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2015/04/16/major-advance-in-artificial-photosynthesis/ https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2015/04/16/major-advance-in-artif...
pfdietz 6y ago
> Carbon fixation is endothermic The reaction of CO2 with silicates (to make silica and carbonates) is exothermic. This is why Earth is not Venus, with all the CO2 in the atmosphere.