Ashley,
If you can be certain the CO2 you're burying is permanently gone it certainly could help, but you'll use a great deal of energy collecting and storing it. Wouldn't it be far better to use that energy to grow algae, plankton, or something that would create O2 and food for other plants and animals.
Many people may not want to eat algae, but I'd bet cattle, sheep, etc would be perfectly happy if it were properly integrated into their feed.
My point is I'd rather find a positive way of turning all this CO2 into an asset rather than simply spending tremendous amounts of money and energy to remove it from the atmosphere and store it. I have a feeling that with a little work we can complete the entire cycle by turning the plant and animal wastes back into fuel which yes, results in CO2, but now we're using it to create food, oxygen, and once again fuel. How much could we eliminate our need for petroleum products if we used nearly all our wastes to become energy producers.
I certainly don't know the answer, but I wonder how much CO2 we'd eliminate if everyone in the world continued watering their lawns and gardens, but didn't trim a thing. Our homes would certainly look terrible, but the planetary benefit might be noticeable. I really don't know the difference it would make, but clearly all these plants would be converting more CO2 into growing the plants in a carbon form, and free oxygen. I'm certainly not saying it would solve the problems, but like sprinkling iron filings all over the ocean, in a CO2 crisis it could help.
I'm not suggesting we do these things, but I am suggesting we find ways to use CO2 rather than burying it in some inert form.
Gary |
