An Answer to Global Warming?

A team of scientists from Columbia University have discovered that the mineral peridotite absorbs carbon dioxide. When CO2 comes into contact with the rock it is converted into a solid mineral (often calcite).

The findings could have an enormous impact on the fight against Global Warming the world over. The geologists that discovered the naturally occurring process have also found that it can be supercharged by a million times to convert carbon dioxide into minerals deep underground, which is convenient as the majority of peridotite is found deep within the crust of the Earth, where it is actually the most commonly occurring mineral in the mantle of our planet. Preliminary estimates find that approximately 7% of all the CO2 emitted on earth due to human activity, could be safely stored by using such method.

It stands to reason that in order to realistically deal with a problem as large as Global Warming a variety of strategies will be required. While cutting down on fossel fuel consumption and saving energy are unquestionably cornerstones in building a sustainable future, CO2 reduction strategies like the one described above should be given serious consideration as well.

You can takepart in learning more about other Global Warming fighting strategies by logging onto We Can Solve It.

LINKS:

ENN: Scientists say a rock can soak up carbon dioxide

Green Car Congress: In-Situ Carbonation of Peridotite Offers Large Scale Capacity for Permanent Storage of CO2

Yahoo News: Scientists say peridotite rock can soak up CO2