New Tech

There are three HUGE new scientific breakthroughs that can take our primary waste greenhouse gas, CO2, and turn it into useful products, like low carbon synthetic gasoline and fertilizer. One from NETL uses ammonia scrubbing to remove CO2 from power plant and industrial exhausts and turns it into fertilizer. "Green Freedom" from the Los Alamos National Laboratory takes CO2 and converts it to synthetic gas and hydrogen---the fuel we need for fuel cells. Finally, the Noceres lab at MIT has used a process similar to photosynthesis to bind CO2 and release hydrogen---potentially providing a zero carbon source for hydrogen fuels. The future is close by---but the big question is---how to commercialize these important discoveries. It would seem that our government stops short---on one hand providing the funding for all this research, but not providing the marketing and development funding needed to deliver it practical in a reasonable amount of time. If even one of these three discoveries could be commercialized and distributed, it would make a quick and major impact on greenhouse gas emissions---but here we stand---waiting. Any insights or ideas?

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Permalink Reply by Michael Shawn Kendall on February 14, 2009 at 4:15am: Hi Anna,
Thanks for starting this discussion group! I hope there are lots of posts. I'm a tecno junkie, partly due to being an Electronic Technician.
Best Regards,
Mike Kendall; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Michael Shawn Kendall on February 14, 2009 at 9:00am: Anna, I'm curios how these processes work as far as how much energy it takes to provide the hydrogen byproducts. Also, Carbon dioxide does not have a hydrogen element in it. If there is a hydrogen byproduct is it CO2 being combined with water to get the hydrogen byproduct? I didn't take my high school chemistry class that seriously unfortunately and so my understanding is very rudamentary.
Best Regards,
Mike Kendall; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Anna von Reitz on February 14, 2009 at 9:43pm: The best way is to lock in and read about it first hand---Google Los Alamos National Laboratory and from there, you should see posts about the Green Freedom Project. Then Google Department of Energy, then Office of Fossil Fuels--you should see a post about the NETL's "Carbon Scrubbing" process winning an award. Last, but not least, Google MIT and go find Noceres Laboratory---there you will learn all about the photosynthesis process. These discoveries, taken together, can end our pollution problems to a very significant extent and pave the way to continue the benefits of hydrocarbon fuels without the nasty side-effects. Now the race is on to develop frugal and yet durable catalytic substrates for these reactions and to fill in the blanks for smart grids. As an electronics buff, you might really enjoy a discovery at Virginia Tech that allows low voltage electricity (50 v) such as is generated from solar panels to be stepped up to grid voltage with NINETY-SEVEN percent efficiency. Just Google V Tech and it should be posted. As you will note, with the exception of the carbon scrubbing process (which yields fertilizer) all these discoveries will play into commercializing fuel cells, too. It is all very exciting and an affirmation of American ingenuity and know-how.....hope you had a happy Valentine's Day and that all is full steam on the bonds-----Anna; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by jesse kucinski on February 15, 2009 at 1:58pm: Has anyone a comment about what if any of the alternative energy technologies HR 1 is goingto support? The bill is so difficult to navagate. In scrolling thru it, I found one thing on bicycles and another on small wind apparatus.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Liliane Stern on February 15, 2009 at 2:38pm: This is in response to Jesse Kuchinski. Look for the summary of HR 1 on the Internet, it gives you a better idea of what is in this Stimulus Bill. Reading the lengthy details is mind boggling. The summary is quite good.; ▶ Reply to This