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Carbon dioxide capture from open air using covalent organic frameworks

nature.com

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Re: Carbon dioxide capture from open air using covalent organic frameworks

#3
post #2

I think such an appliance had already been invented. They are called "trees". All they need to do their work is corporations leaving them alone.

Old trees don’t capture much CO2. It’s only young, growing trees that have a meaningful impact. Need a lot more than fewer corps

Re: Carbon dioxide capture from open air using covalent organic frameworks

#4
Before anyone points out that trees already handle this, let me clarify:

We need to pursue all available options simultaneously to effectively combat climate change. This includes:

    Reducing reliance on carbon-based energy to lower emissions.
    Implementing carbon capture and long-term storage solutions to remove excess CO₂ from the atmosphere.

Re: Carbon dioxide capture from open air using covalent organic frameworks

#5

Before anyone points out that trees already handle this, let me clarify: We need to pursue all available options simultaneously to effectively combat climate change. This includes: Reducing reliance on carbon-based energy to lower emissions. Implementing carbon capture and long-term storage solutions to remove excess CO₂ from the atmosphere.

+ it can be worked out based on photosynthesis efficiency and available surface area that we would need ~4 earths of trees to handle current human CO2 production rate

Planting trees is nice and should be done but isn’t a solution for drawdown

Re: Carbon dioxide capture from open air using covalent organic frameworks

#6
post #3
post #2

I think such an appliance had already been invented. They are called "trees". All they need to do their work is corporations leaving them alone.

Old trees don’t capture much CO2. It’s only young, growing trees that have a meaningful impact. Need a lot more than fewer corps

And any operation of planting and cutting to drawdown CO2 must bury or properly process the biomass to actually put co2 somewhere

Else it is an open cycle where co2 in == co2 out

Re: Carbon dioxide capture from open air using covalent organic frameworks

#7
post #3
post #2

I think such an appliance had already been invented. They are called "trees". All they need to do their work is corporations leaving them alone.

Old trees don’t capture much CO2. It’s only young, growing trees that have a meaningful impact. Need a lot more than fewer corps

It's crazy how fast poplars grow in temperate climates. And absorb excess nutrients and contaminants.

Would love to see huge fields of them grown, then harvested, and the product turned to lumber and other longer-term carbon storage. Even composted or biocharred and the carbon amended into top soils (yes it won't stay there forever, but...) Assuming the process can be done without emitting more CO2 than is captured.

Re: Carbon dioxide capture from open air using covalent organic frameworks

#8
post #6
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Old trees don’t capture much CO2. It’s only young, growing trees that have a meaningful impact. Need a lot more than fewer corps

And any operation of planting and cutting to drawdown CO2 must bury or properly process the biomass to actually put co2 somewhere Else it is an open cycle where co2 in == co2 out

Great thing about wood is you can build almost-permanent structures with it?

And the remaining biomass (leaves, bark, etc.) is fine to compost and re-enter the carbon cycle.

Also it's clearly not an open cycle, not in temperate climates. The accumulation of carbon in top soils etc. is one of the things that kept CO2 in balance for millions of years prior to us pulling it out of the ground. Peat bogs being another key one.

Yes, it can't keep up with us. But it's not an open cycle. (It is in the tropics, though)

Re: Carbon dioxide capture from open air using covalent organic frameworks

#9

Before anyone points out that trees already handle this, let me clarify: We need to pursue all available options simultaneously to effectively combat climate change. This includes: Reducing reliance on carbon-based energy to lower emissions. Implementing carbon capture and long-term storage solutions to remove excess CO₂ from the atmosphere.

Fully agree. In my college ecology course, my professor stressed that sequestration/capture, while not ideal, will likely be crucial as our production of greenhouse gases outpaces the rate of absorption by plant biomass and ocean algae.
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