tooo3m

Regarding "a tool that can pull CO2 out of the atmosphere". This is known as Direct Air Capture (DAC), and there are a number of technologies which have demonstrably succeeded in this goal. There are many publications on the topic, for instance: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00173

And of course all plant life has been doing this for a fair while!

The challenge is that thermodynamics tells us we need a minimum amount of energy to take diffuse CO2 and concentrate it for storage. Existing technologies require much more energy this theoretical minimum requirement. If we solve the energy problem through abundant renewable energy; we can extract CO2 at some reasonable rate per year. That's if sufficient land, resources and engineering effort are allocated to that purpose. Most climate change mitigation scenarios require this at scale towards the middle of the century (for instance RCP2.6).

One technology to watch for is humidity-swing direct air capture (HS-DAC). It can use wind and sun to provide much of the energy, rather than high-exergy fuels or electricity. But the engineering designs for the facilities which would support this process are still in the early phase.

As it stands - public understanding and support for this type of technology is fairly low. Even many environmentalists oppose it's implementation, under the impression that it detracts from the focus on reducing ongoing emissions. This is true, Carbon Capture and Storage (including DAC) is inevitably used as an excuse by fossil fuel companies to continue emitting. Nonetheless, the concentration of atmospheric CO2 will not significantly reduce by itself, even if industry does approach zero-emissions. Hence my belief is that we should continue research into this area, alongside the (even more vital) energy transition.

Edit: extra detail and restructure

Hi Peter, Have you heard of the scientific field of Industrial Ecology?

"Industrial ecologists are often concerned with the impacts that industrial activities have on the environment, with use of the planet's supply of natural resources, and with problems of waste disposal. Industrial ecology is a young but growing multidisciplinary field of research which combines aspects of engineering, economics, sociology, toxicology and the natural sciences."

I believe the methodologies and research results from the field are the foundation needed for the Global Redesign Institute. Would be great to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for the response Peter. I hope to work towards improving the communication of IE science to a wider audience including TZM.

Regarding "I'm sure they're privy to the fact..." ... you'd think so right? Many individual academics are aware, or even contributed towards the scientific basis for those reports. However the field as a whole appears to have somewhat of an ongoing identity crisis. It started as "Industry's answer to the environmental challenge". And naturally industry leaders are not keen to embrace research results which oppose their basis of legitimacy.

This document from the International Society for Industrial Ecology provides a concise overview of some perspectives on the field: www.is4ie.org/Resources/Documents/ISIE%20Booklet%203-16-15.pdf

Cool, glad to hear it! As for resources - I'm actually a little disappointed by the quality of the communication and accessibility of the concepts discussed in IE. This is a problem I intend to begin addressing myself. Also thinking of presenting to the TZM community on this topic in the next year or so (lots to learn first...)

The Journal of Industrial Ecology publishes many relevant & fascinating academic papers, if you're into reading original science. Some specific researchers I'd recommend are Edgar Hertwich (for high level synthesis) & Chris Davies (for vision in how the web and digital tools can enhance the field).

Hi MeshuggahIsLife, Regarding the technical side - are you familiar with the science of Industrial Ecology? I believe it's the academic community that starts to address these resource dynamics, through their tools of Material/Substance flow analysis, Environmental Input Output analysis, and Lifecycle Assessments. The field lacks the social vision, but may have the vital first steps from a technical perspective. I'm hoping Peter will answer my question on this also.