Is Carbon Capture the Silver Bullet for Climate Change?

In our tech-driven world, the emergence of the online casino South Africa is the single largest boon for the gambling industry.  Across markets and geographies, technology is the unstoppable force powering innovation…

That said, is it up for the biggest challenge yet?  Can carbon capture and sequestration reverse the effects of climate change?  The good news is carbon capture is happening, as we speak.

What is Carbon Capture?

Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is a process whereby harmful carbon dioxide emissions that emanate from sources like factories, coal-fired power plants, etc, is safely captured and stored so that it cannot enter our atmosphere.

Innovative companies have devised ways of capturing CO2 and storing it deep underground.  Some techniques rely on extracting the gas from the ambient air.  Others trap the emissions at the source, preventing the gas from ever entering the atmosphere.

Carbon Capture – No More Futuristic Fantasy Than Springbok Casino

Carbon capture and sequestration may seem futuristic – but when weighed up against other innovations, it is more than fitting of our high-tech 21st Century.

After all, it wasn’t that long ago the thought of driverless cars, landing on Mars and playing games remotely at Springbok Casino, the best online casino South Africa, was considered more fantasy than fact!

More Needs to Be Done Than Re-Forestation

We know that coal-fired power stations and fossil fuel burning industrial processes are adding untenable levels of carbon dioxide to the Earth’s atmosphere.  In order to mitigate the effects of rising greenhouse gases, more needs to be done than rewilding and re-forestation.

What is the best way to save the planet?  By extracting the single-most damaging element from the atmosphere before it can cause harm.  In real terms, that means capturing carbon emissions in sufficient quantities so as to stop temperatures from rising.

Two Existing Carbon Capture Technologies

Chemists and scientists have come up with two viable technologies – carbon capture and storage (CCS) and direct air capture (DAC).  CCS captures CO2 directly from power plants and emission-spewing industries.  DAC effectively filters the air around us, separating out the carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere.

If all of these techniques can be used in union – including Carbon Capture, reforestation and the likes – we might have a real shot at reversing some of the seemingly irreversible damage that has been done to Mother Earth.  Doing so will solve one of our biggest threats – and we all know that carbon emissions rank tops among the worst.

How Effective are the Carbon Capture Technologies?

As both CCS and DAC are still in the early stages of development, it is hard to say.  That said, estimates are that around 130 million tons of CO2 can be captured and stored per year using CCS technology.

Similarly, proponents of DAC claim that as much as 10% of all CO2 could be removed from the atmosphere, provided sufficient units are rolled out on a global scale.  That is a grand reduction!

How Does Carbon Capture Work?

That depends on the technique used.  The DAC process involves purifying the ambient air by capturing the CO2 on a solid sorbent or liquid solvent.  In the former process, air is funnelled across a solid material which absorbs the CO2.  The material is then heated to separate the carbon dioxide, which is stored as a gas.

When a liquid solvent is used, the CO2-rich air chemically reacts with the solvent to form calcium carbonate and water.  The solution is first filtered to separate the two elements.  Thereafter, the calcium carbonate is heated to release the CO2, which is compressed and stored.

The CCS method captures carbon at the site of emission, either pre- or post-combustion.  When the flue gases or emissions are released, the CO2 is separated out using similar solid sorbent or solvent based processes outlined above.

How is CO2 Safely stored?

Now to the really interesting part – the safe storage of CO2.  At this point in time, there are five kinds of sites that can provide safe and sustainable permanent storage for carbon dioxide – organic rock shales, basalt formations, saline formations, oil and natural gas reservoirs and unviable coal seams.

The problem with many of these carbon sinks is they have to be capped in order to keep the CO2 from escaping.  At high concentrations, carbon dioxide is lethal to animals and humans.

Harnessing the Natural Powers of Mineralisation

One Icelandic company has come up with a solution based on the natural processes of mineralisation.  Their technique involves mixing carbon dioxide with water and pumping the solution into basaltic rock formations located 800 to 2,000 metres underground.

The highly acidic carbonated water reacts with the underground rocks which release calcium, magnesium and iron into the water stream.  Over a period of two years, the elements combine with the dissolved CO2 to form carbonates which penetrate the fissures and seams in the existing rocks.  This in turn forms a permanent carbon-based storage solution!

Now, that is almost as clever as the people who pioneered the # 1 online casino South Africa, better known as Springbok Casino!

Cost is a Key Factor in the Mass Roll-Out of Carbon Capture Tech!

Is carbon capture the silver bullet for climate change?  Perhaps… but only when coupled with other carbon-guzzling projects.  The biggest hurdle that has to be overcome is the cost – not only in terms of equipment and infrastructure but in the amount of electricity required to enable the processes.

The burning question is… should cost come into things when the Earth as we know is under threat?  That is for you to decide.

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It would be great if these decisions could lie in our hands as the solutions to Earth's problems seem so simple c yet frustratingly and painstainkingly slow to take effect.  Right now the best we can do as individuals is to reduce our own carbon footprint until grand-scale solutions start working.  Every bit helps!

We also suggest that you sign up at Springbok Casino – the top ranked online casino South Africa – for a bit of clean, CO2-free fun.  While you're at it, claim a free bonus and play the best RTG online casino games on your desktop or phone, right now... and yes – it's a low carbon footprint activity!