ad info

CNN.com
 MAIN PAGE
 WORLD
 ASIANOW
 U.S.
 LOCAL
 POLITICS
 WEATHER
 BUSINESS
 SPORTS
 TECHNOLOGY
 NATURE
 ENTERTAINMENT
 BOOKS
 TRAVEL
 FOOD
 HEALTH
 STYLE
 IN-DEPTH

 custom news
 Headline News brief
 daily almanac
 CNN networks
 CNN programs
 on-air transcripts
 news quiz

  CNN WEB SITES:
CNN Websites
 TIME INC. SITES:
 MORE SERVICES:
 video on demand
 video archive
 audio on demand
 news email services
 free email accounts
 desktop headlines
 pointcast
 pagenet

 DISCUSSION:
 message boards
 chat
 feedback

 SITE GUIDES:
 help
 contents
 search

 FASTER ACCESS:
 europe
 japan

 WEB SERVICES:
 
NATURE

DOE begins push to capture CO2

Wind and other forms of renewable energy alone won't be able to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Department of Energy   

April 13, 1999
Web posted at: 10:30 AM EST





The U.S. Department of Energy released a 200-page "working draft" Monday on the emerging science and technology of carbon sequestration — the capture and secure storage of carbon dioxide emitted from the combustion of fossil fuels.

The report is meant as a starting point for government, industry and academia to begin setting priorities and identifying specific directions for research and development activities that could extend over the next quarter century, according to an Energy Department news release.

Sometime in late May or June, after the major players have had an opportunity to study the working draft, DOE will hold a workshop to develop a joint government-industry-academia roadmap for future carbon sequestration research and technology development.

"We are starting with a bold vision of what might be possible by 2025 — a safe, predictable and affordable way to prevent carbon dioxide from building up in the atmosphere," said Energy Secretary Bill Richardson. "These research paths could provide new options for the world to respond to climate change concerns."

"Carbon sequestration is a whole new area of energy-related research," said Richardson. Our efforts to this point have primarily been to identify the scope of possibilities. But even at this early stage, we recognize the potential of carbon sequestration to provide a fundamentally new approach for dealing with climate change."

If we continue along our current path, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global emissions of carbon dioxide could more than triple during the coming century (from 7.4 billion tons of carbon a year in 1997 to 26 billion tons a year by 2100).

Carbon sequestration techniques are important, according to DOE, because other options for reducing carbon dioxide, such as wind, solar and other renewable energy options, alone will not sufficiently reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon sequestration is also low in cost, the agency said.

Research needs, according to the report, are in the areas of technologies for separating and capturing carbon dioxide from energy systems and sequestering it in the oceans, in geologic formations and in terrestrial ecosystems such as forests, vegetation, soils and crops. The report also discusses advanced options for chemically or biologically transforming carbon dioxide emissions into environmentally safe and marketable products.

The working draft was developed jointly by the DOE Office of Science and Office of Fossil Energy. They were assisted by the national laboratories, the Federal Energy Technology Center and experts from academic and industry groups.

Copyright 1999, Environmental News Network, All Rights Reserved



RELATED STORIES:
Study links solar activity to Earth's climate
Global warming may increase ozone hole


RELATED ENN STORIES:
Pollution credits: the science isn't in yet
Carbon storage key to fighting global warming
Global warming could benefit farmers
Nature's yearly gift to humanity: $2.9 trillion
The need to reforest the Earth

RELATED SITES:
Carbon Sequestration: State of the Science
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

 LATEST HEADLINES:
SEARCH CNN.com
Enter keyword(s)   go    help

Back to the top   © 2001 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.