Nongovernmental valorization of carbon dioxide.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is considered the largest contributor to the greenhouse gas effect. Most attempts to manage the flow of CO2 or carbon into our environment involve reducing net emissions or sequestering the gas into long-lived sinks. Using CO2 as a chemical feedstock has a long history, but using it on scales that might impact the net emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere has not generally been considered seriously. There is also a growing interest in employing our natural biomes of carbon such as trees, vegetation, and soils as storage media. Some amelioration of the net carbon emissions into the atmosphere could be achieved by concomitant large withdrawals of carbon. This report surveys the potential and limitations in employing carbon as a resource for organic chemicals, fuels, inorganic materials, and in using the biome to manage carbon. The outlook for each of these opportunities is also described.
Petersen
Gene
G
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd, Golden, CO 80401, USA. gene_petersen@nrel.gov
Viviani
Donn
D
Magrini-Bair
Kim
K
Kelley
Stephen
S
Moens
Luc
L
Shepherd
Phil
P
DuBois
Dan
D
D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis*; D003625:Data Collection; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D010944:Plants; D012987:Soil; D014197:Trees
D012987:Soil; D002245:Carbon Dioxide