Turn It Into Rock

The green house effect is a very important factor of life. The carbon dioxide absorbs the infrared light reflected from the ground. Other gases such as water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone join to help the green house effect. This delicate balance has been maintained up until the industrial revolution. During this period humans begin burning fossil fuel to satisfy their luxuries. This is when the green house effect will ultimately doom the earth. Humans do not want to surrender their luxuries, so they find ways to eliminate the carbon dioxide by-products.

One of the ways is to turn the carbon dioxide into rock. This is done by injecting the CO2 into a rock called peridotite which has minerals that react with the CO2 turning it into a solid magnesium carbonate. Such rocks are found in vast amounts in Oman that could store 10 percent of all the carbon emitted by humans in a year. A pipe line or trucks will carry either gas or liquid CO2 into the site. Normally, this reaction would be too slow, but this process could be made use of because of the high pressure involved. Columbia University’s geochemist Peter Kelemen says "Right now we’re working on finding that sweet spot where the system is self-sustaining." Another way of eliminating the green house gas is to inject the carbon dioxide into volcanic basalt 1800 feet under ground. Pressure keeps the gas dissolved and from leaking into the atmosphere. Eventually, the Carbon dioxide bonds with the rock to form a solid carbonate.

I believe that these ideas are indeed crucial to our survival. A combination of these techniques and us humans using less energy will help stabilize the earth. I think that we must give up some luxuries; we cannot depend on these methods alone. We have to cut back, and watch our carbon spending, along with the help of the scientists.

http://discovermagazine.com/2009/dec/10-forget-putting-co2-under-rock-let.s-turn-it-into-rock