Solving Excessive

CO2

Emissions

Ryan Kelly, Jay Nunamaker, and

Andrew Metzler

Table of Contents
Part 1: The Problem, Its Cause, And
The Impact
Part 2: The Solution
Part 3: The Opposition
Part 4: Conclusion

The Problem, Its Cause, And The Impact

Prior to advances in technology and a rapid increase in human
population, the planet was able to naturally regulate the level of

CO2

in the atmosphere. However, as the years went by the earth could no

longer keep up the balancing act. Beginning after the industrial
revolution the amount of
rocketed.

CO2

CO2 and other greenhouse gases sky

and other greenhouse naturally keep the suns heat in

so that life can survive. However, too high of a concentration leads to

increased temperatures, which makes life as we know it unsustainable.
This increased heat allows for plant growth at rapid rates. For
example, many bodies of water are now plagued by excessive algae
growth. The problem is further compounded when this plant growth
cannot be supported due to a lack of water in many places due to the
heat. This creates a domino effect. Climate change can be linked to
everything from species now being endangered to more extreme
weather throughout the world.
The amount by which atmospheric
staggering. Image 1 shows this change in
CO2

CO2

has increased is

CO2 levels over time.

levels have now surpassed 400 parts per million. Temperatures

have already increased by a degree Celsius, which is almost 34

degrees Fahrenheit. Image 2 shows how temperatures are now
generally well above average. If this trend continues, the results could

be catastrophic. To prevent another increase of 1 degree Celsius it is

estimated that we need to cut emissions by 7 billion metric tons by
2030. The need to address this problem is more important than ever.

The Solution
Although climate change is a result of all greenhouse gas
emissions, the solution to the problem needs to begin with decreasing
CO2

emissions first.

CO2

makes up 72% of the greenhouse gases

present in the atmosphere. The best and most simple solution to deal
with high concentrations of

CO2

and the resulting environmental

problems is to simply reduce the amount of

CO2

that we emit as a

result of our daily lives. This would include actions such as relying less

on fossil fuels for power and transportation, creating cleaner industrial

processes, and working to plant more trees that naturally reduce
CO2

atmospheric

levels. The problem is that many of these actions

require significant lifestyle changes and more importantly are very

capital intensive. Little progress has been made because humans are
slow to change their habits. But what if there was a solution that did
not require a change in lifestyle or reduction in consumption?
This is where the idea of

CO2

scrubbers comes in. They are

ideal because they would not necessarily require a major change in

lifestyle, although they would be most effective if paired with efforts to
reduce CO2

emissions. They could be eliminating CO2

humanity gets fully onboard with reducing emissions.

while

CO2

scrubbers

would buy humanity some time, and hopefully delay effects of climate
change until we find alternate energy sources that are more
environmentally friendly.
CO2

scrubbing technology stems from the nuclear age. As

nuclear powered submarines were introduced there was a need to

remove

CO2

from the air in the submarines. The technology is

relatively simple, so there is little that could go wrong. Scrubbers work

using fans and blowers to collect air and then through the use of filters,
chemical reactions, and other means the undesirable gases are
separated and stored. This removes a portion of the

CO2

from the

atmosphere, which can have drastic effects. A new twist on this

technology involves using algae, which is now abundant due to recent

warming trends. This technology looks promising because algae can
be used to absorb

CO2

from the air, and then the algae can be dried

and used as a biofuel. Essentially we can eliminate

CO2

while also

gaining an energy source.

One of the pioneering groups behind this technology is the
ALDADISK project. This group has made the process much more
efficient by working to capture more

CO2

during the process as well

as working on ways to scale the technology.

In 2010 a Swedish energy company began a pilot program with a
similar technology at a power plant in Germany. They are basically
redirecting the exhaust from the coal plant through tanks filled with
algae. As the exhaust passes through CO2

levels are reduced and

they are left with valuable biofuel. As every day passes this
technology seems more and more practical.
The Opposition
Although the technology has made rapid progress some are still
doubtful. Many oppose more mechanical means because it requires a
lot of energy. Essentially we use a ton of energy to remove from the
air what is there from creating energy. This is a valid point, which
makes the possibility of using algae a much more worthwhile pursuit.
The concerns associated with algae concepts is that they are
expensive, and that it would be very difficult to scale to a size that is

actually impactful. It is true that developing this technology would be

expensive, but when you consider that we have had cheap energy
through the use of coal and other dirty fossil fuels, we really are just
now paying for the results of the cheap energy we have enjoyed.
Regardless of the costs, it is necessary to have negative emissions to
negate the damage humanity has caused to the earth. Negative
emissions means that we are putting out more clean air than we are
polluting. The only way to achieve negative emissions is by using air
scrubbers and similar technology. As this technology is improved and
embraced by the public it will be much easier to scale and to have an
impact. Imagine a world where each family has their own

CO2

scrubber. Once the technology is perfected, it could be adopted

rapidly and on a large scale.
Furthermore many opponents fail to take into account the biofuel
that is created by using algae. Biofuel such as this is in many cases
just as efficient as coal and much cleaner. Additionally new technology
such as hydrogen fuel cars, improved solar capturing technology, and
wider use of wind energy are all working to reduce the need for energy
as we know it. The map below shows the huge amount of renewable
power plants now in use in the United States. This is a major
improvement from even as short as 50 years ago. If this trend
continues the demand for energy produced in the ways of today will
decline rapidly. Economically speaking, as the demand for these dirty

energy resources decreases, so will the price. The impending slump in

demand will more than offset the increase in energy costs required to
develop

CO2

capturing technology. The reality is that even if energy

has to be slightly more expensive, it will not matter because the

energy of today is becoming obsolete. Unfortunately the CO2

that

has resulted from out lifestyles is not going anywhere with out our
action.

Conclusion
In all honesty, we still do not fully understand how far reaching
the effects of pollution are. We do, however, know that the only chance
we have to prevent further damage is to change our behavior and rely

on technology. We have to be willing make sacrifices both financially

and in the way we live our life if we want to have an earth that is able
to be inhabited by future generations.

Sources
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scrubbing-carbon-dioxide-airtoo-expensive/
https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/images/science/KeelingCurvelarge.png
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/service/global/map-percentilemntp/201401-201412.gif
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/climate-weather/stories/co2-101why-is-carbon-dioxide-bad
http://phys.org/news/2013-03-algae-capture-co2.html
http://phys.org/news/2010-07-german-power-co2-scrubbing-algae.html
http://www.mapsearch.com/content/dam/mapsearch/siteimages/MAPSearch%20Renewable%20Energy.jpg
Cothran, Helen. Alternate Energy Sources. Farmington Hills:
Greenhaven Press, 2006. Print.
Curley, Robert. Energy: Past Present and Future- Fossil Fuels. New York:
Britannica Educational Publishing, 2012. Print.

Krueger, Lisa. The Energy Crisis. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press,

2010. Print