Turning greenhouse gas into energy

Turning greenhouse gas into energy

May 14, 2008

The global warming picture is a nasty one—droughts and floods, rising temperatures, rapid increases in Arctic and Antarctic ice melting, hurricanes, tornados, and monsoons.
Many scientists believe the wild weather variations that trigger these events are caused by a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO2).

But amidst all the doom and gloom, the International Test Centre for CO2 Capture (ITC) at the University of Regina is exploring ways to slow down the rise in emissions released through human activity.

Drawing scientists and researchers from the private and public sectors in Saudi Arabia, Europe, the U.S., and elsewhere, the ITC has approximately a dozen participating organizations researching new technologies to capture CO2.

So how exactly will CO2 capture work for both environment and industry? The answer lies in finding an economical solution that will turn coal into a viable, clean power source.

With further technology development, coal-fired plants could soon define a whole new level of clean energy. As a controlled source of CO2, coal-fired power plants, could ultimately lead to other economic and environmental benefits such as converting CO2 into “green” fuels such as ethanol, methanol, and biodiesel.