Artificial forests

2001/04/19 Imaz Amiano, Eneko - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Kimika
• Klima
• Ingurumena

Last week we commented that the United States decided to stay out of the Kyoto agreement and since then Australia has followed the same path. This news is also related _to CO2 and comes from the United States, although we do not know if it can be considered.

Since forests do not absorb the amount of CO2 _generated by humans, researchers at the Los Alamos research center propose the use of artificial screens. A solution of calcium hydroxide would be placed in the sieve. The solution _would absorb CO2 and generate solid calcium carbonate. The heating of this calcium carbonate would mean _the extraction of CO2 to which magnesium silicate would be added to obtain a solid and inert substance. _{It would generate} a stony appearance formed by CO2 and magnesium silicate and would be stored in warehouses.

Since air circulation is global, the sieve would continuously filter new air and not always from the same place, thus increasing the efficiency of the sieve. The sieve absorbs 20 to 30 _{times more CO2 than natural forests, equivalent to 7 gigatons of CO2 per 200,000 km2} per year.

As we have said on other occasions, wouldn't it be better to generate less garbage than to clean the generated garbage? Keep in mind that 200,000 km2 are ⁴⁴⁷ x 447 km and that all this should be sewn with calcium hydroxide.