UCSD

Harnessing Solar Energy to Split Carbon Dioxide

I am not a fan of the super-expensive, speculative, high tech “solutions” some people propose for dealing with global warming. I believe there are two obvious, relatively inexpensive and logical solutions we should be focusing on: alternative energy and trees (reforestation and preservation of forests). These two solutions use existing technology or near-future technology at relatively low prices and can help local economies.

But sometimes the more speculative solutions are worth considering at least as supplemental to the obvious solutions.

This comes from the September 2007 issue of the UCSD Alumni magazine. It appears that a UCSD chemistry professor, Clifford Kubiak, has an innovative solution to excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere: harvest it for industrial use. This has also been covered in Technology Review. Kubiak is developing a technology that uses solar energy to split carbon dioxide molecules into carbon monoxide and oxygen. The carbon monoxide would then be used in industrial processes like the production of plastics. There is already a good demand for carbon monoxide in industry, so the market already exists. Today, carbon monoxide for industry is produced from natural gas. One use of carbon monoxide is making artificial fuels, including artificial gasoline. This is being billed as a way to store solar energy: capture solar energy, split carbon dioxide, use the carbon monoxide to synthesize fuel, use the fuel for energy. One problem with this is that then you release the carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere, but it is still better than making the fuel from oil and then releasing new carbon dioxide into the air.