[MD] CO2 catcher

[Squonkriff at aol.com]

Hi Jos,
I linked three things together:
1. Trees.
2. Plenty of trees (making sure they are effective because slow)
3. Population control.
 
If the population is significantly within our ability to allow the trees to  
do their important work then a balance may be achieved?
 
It seems to me Branson is the consummate self-publicist and has once again  
done a fine job.
By the way, did anyone notice Branson's cameo in 'Casino Royale'?
One blink and you miss it.
 
Love,
Mark
 
In a message dated 13/02/2007 15:13:05 GMT Standard Time,  
Jos.Laycock at OFFSOL.GSI.GOV.UK writes:

Hi Ian  et al

I actually think Branson has a point

Seems to me that  although trees are evidently effective CO2 traps they don't 
do it all that  fast. Whilst it may be very nice eco warrior rhetoric to say 
"plant a million  trees" we would have to plant trees at a faster rate than we 
are burning  fuels, and given the growth rates involved compared to the rates 
of combustion  (in which I include respiration) it just isn't going to work. 

If we  accept that the tiger economies will continue to expand their 
industrial  programs and that the rest of us just cant galvanise ourselves to really 
try  at all, then we have to come up with a technology based fix, even if its 
only  a contingency. Its no good being personally green and publicising green 
issues  whilst we watch the planet burn around us. Not to say that these 
endeavours  are not worthwhile, but Branson is quite right that we need a 
serviceable plan  B that can be brought to effect more quickly.  

Looking at it in  terms of energetics: You put energy into low energy waste 
substrates to yield  high energy fuels, allow the reac to run the other way and 
you get lots of  waste and lots of energy evolved. Our problem is our overall 
energy  requirement, trying to drive low energy state waste products back 
into fuels  just increases our overall energy needed. 

My solutions would be to  either use GM biological processes to do the redux 
bit through photosynthesis  but in some highly catalysed industrial way, where 
the system is able for  example to operate way outside of the conditions 
normally required for life  (and thus much faster), or
massively increase the amount of energy we  generate through nuclear, solar, 
wind and geothermal to the extent that there  is a sufficient surplus clean 
energy generated which we are able to "spend" on  carbon absorption factories.  

This sounds heretical and  completely counterintuitive, but we must fix the 
problem now at the same time  that we address its causes.