Algae colonies to prevent warming of the Earth

1998/07/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ingurumena

The chemical engineers at the University of Louisiana have proposed a solution that would reduce the warming of the Earth: create habitacles for algae colonies by sinking large cement balls into the sea. Algae absorb carbon from the atmosphere and turn it into sediment, which would destroy hundreds of kilograms of carbon dioxide each year in case of colonies on sea coasts.

Researchers have managed to chemically neutralize cement in order to live algae there, and consider that to absorb all the CO2 generated in the United States in a year would require a billion and a half balls of 3 meters in diameter. For the moment, a system of emission reduction of thermal power plants has been created in which it is sufficient with the direct emission to the sea, to an area of algae colonies.