4 ms·

How do we move around in a zero-carbon world? (Aug 24th 2020)

6 points by hkh 6y ago

timwaagh 6y ago
things like drag imply energy will be needed to transport people. The only solution that seriously tries to make some gains there is the hyperloop. I have doubts about the biofuels for the simple reason that fields which produce them can probably be used to produce food as well. Also whether they are CO2 neutral is questionable as they typically store less carbon when the plants are small after harvest, compared to permanent forests or algae. Increasing populations imply the food will be seen as more vital. maybe if we crack the energy puzzle in a space efficient matter hydrogen can be used in planes and the like eventually.
barney54 6y ago
There is no mention of hydrogen fuel cells which can be co2-free. I like the idea of electrofuels But we have a long, long way to go (as well as a long way to go on competitively-priced green hydrogen).
8bitsrule 6y ago
Gates: "To prevent the worst effects of climate change, we need to get to zero net greenhouse gas emissions in every sector of the economy within 50 years. " Hmmm ... If the best we can hope for is avoiding the worst, Bill, maybe we should consider setting our sights higher. Not all of us can live underground, like you'll be.
credit_guy 6y ago
> The carbon dioxide this process uses is captured directly from the atmosphere, so burning electrofuels doesn’t add to overall emissions. The US Navy has a patent to scrub the CO2 from sea water [1]. They claim it is much more efficient than to scrub it from the atmosphere [2]. [1] http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=9719178&OS=9719178&RS=9719178 http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=H... [2] https://www.nrl.navy.mil/news/releases/nrl-receives-us-patent-carbon-capture-device-key-step-synthetic-fuel-production-seawater https://www.nrl.navy.mil/news/releases/nrl-receives-us-paten...

6 points by hkh 6y ago

things like drag imply energy will be needed to transport people. The only solution that seriously tries to make some gains there is the hyperloop. I have doubts about the biofuels for the simple reason that fields which produce them can probably be used to produce food as well. Also whether they are CO2 neutral is questionable as they typically store less carbon when the plants are small after harvest, compared to permanent forests or algae. Increasing populations imply the food will be seen as more vital. maybe if we crack the energy puzzle in a space efficient matter hydrogen can be used in planes and the like eventually.

barney54 6y ago

There is no mention of hydrogen fuel cells which can be co2-free. I like the idea of electrofuels But we have a long, long way to go (as well as a long way to go on competitively-priced green hydrogen).

8bitsrule 6y ago

Gates: "To prevent the worst effects of climate change, we need to get to zero net greenhouse gas emissions in every sector of the economy within 50 years. " Hmmm ... If the best we can hope for is avoiding the worst, Bill, maybe we should consider setting our sights higher. Not all of us can live underground, like you'll be.

credit_guy 6y ago

> The carbon dioxide this process uses is captured directly from the atmosphere, so burning electrofuels doesn’t add to overall emissions. The US Navy has a patent to scrub the CO2 from sea water [1]. They claim it is much more efficient than to scrub it from the atmosphere [2]. [1] http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=9719178&OS=9719178&RS=9719178 http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=H... [2] https://www.nrl.navy.mil/news/releases/nrl-receives-us-patent-carbon-capture-device-key-step-synthetic-fuel-production-seawater https://www.nrl.navy.mil/news/releases/nrl-receives-us-paten...