With wars being waged, gas prices on the rise and the environment taking a hit, many people believe the future depends on finding forms of alternative fuel beyond traditional gasoline. But a couple of scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory don’t quite agree. They are currently developing a new way of making gasoline that removes harmful carbon dioxide from the air in the process.
Scientists F. Jeffrey Martin and William L. Kubic Jr. are working on a concept called “Green Freedom™” wherein a power plant would transform carbon dioxide into fuel. According to the duo, the process is actually pretty simple: air is blown over a potassium carbonate liquid solution, which absorbs the carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is then extracted from the solution and used to make methanol, gasoline or jet fuel. The general idea is to cancel out the amount of carbon dioxide vehicles give off by removing the same amount from the air to make the next batch of fuel.
Carbon dioxide is widely believed to be the leading cause of global warming. The compound is produced when carbon is burned off of fuel and it reacts with oxygen. Because of our heavy use of fossil fuels, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been increasing since the industrial revolution. Carbon dioxide absorbs heat energy and causes the atmosphere to get warmer. The destruction of forests (where trees naturally consume carbon dioxide) also has contributed to the increase in air pollution. But Martin and Kubic Jr. believe their invention may help curb the carbon dioxide problem. They also think it could help curtail America’s dependency on foreign oil.
Though the concept is still being developed, the scientists have yet to produce even a small-scale prototype. According to their analysis, a plant that would employ their process to turn carbon dioxide into gas would cost about $5 billion to build, and, most likely, have to be nuclear-powered. To actually eliminate U.S. reliance on foreign oil altogether would probably require thousands of plants to be constructed across the country. Another snag is that the scientists say the process would only be economically viable once gas prices hit $4.60 a gallon – though that’s probably not too far in the future.
But, while most are looking to alternative sources of energy, like solar or wind power, Martin and Kubic at least believe they are taking a different approach – one they see as slightly more feasible. Other methods of fueling vehicles, like hydrogen power, electricity and biofuels, all currently have limitations or require the country to drastically change the way fuel is produced, stored and distributed. Meanwhile, gasoline is an almost ideal fuel – with the exception of its carbon dioxide emission (19.4 pounds of emissions per gallon). This new concept would counteract the harmful emissions, while still allowing gas to be delivered to consumers as usual.
