1. Sustainability Problem: Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere
The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere has been rising rapidly. After five years of growth rates exceeding 2 parts per million (ppm), the atmosphere now contains over 400 ppm of CO2. This explosive growth makes it decreasingly likely that climate change targets can be met.
Category: Waste
Sources:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/atmospheric-carbon-dioxide-hits-record-levels/
https://climate.nasa.gov/climate_resources/24/
2. Technology: NanoCO2 Harvesters
Source: “3 ways nanomaterials can combat pollution”, Greenbiz (https://www.greenbiz.com/article/3-ways-nanomaterials-can-combat-pollution)
- This article discusses the use of nanomaterials – materials composed of particles thousands of times smaller than the diameter of a human hair – to clean up the environment
- Specifically, nanoCO2 harvesters are nanomaterials that can absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and convert it into useful products
- For example, scientists developed a nanoCO2 harvester that uses water and sunlight to transform CO2 into methanol, which can be used for a range of purposes, e.g., as engine fuel
- The main issue to solve at this moment is making the nanoparticles economically viable
- Other applications for nanomaterials exist and include using them to clean up water by absorbing and converting pollutants such as dyes and heavy metals or to accelerate anaerobic digestion for transforming organic waste into biogas fuel and solids
Tags: #sustainability #climatechange #co2 #nanomaterials #pollution
3. Stakeholders
The key stakeholders for the nanoCO2 harvesters would be industrial facilities managers. They would have to be convinced that using these nanomaterials is superior to using current pollution management processes and to switch over to this new technology.
Regulators are also stakeholders because they need to understand how this material behaves and affects the environment and health. If the material is safe, they could work on making the use of this material mandatory for the production of certain materials.
4. Technology Deployment
- Commission and analyze studies to test for the effect these nanomaterials have on the environment and health
- Build relationships with facilities managers and regulators
- Set up pilot programs with a few facilities
5. Comment on Another Post
I commented on “Circular Mushroom based products”
A TED talk on this technology made the additional point that this production technique supports local and distributed manufacturing. The agricultural waste to which the mycelium is added can vary depending on where production takes place and which agricultural waste is prevalent there. This simplifies the supply chain of creating the material and reduces the carbon footprint associated with securing and transporting the necessary inputs.
Source: https://www.ted.com/talks/eben_bayer_are_mushrooms_the_new_plastic?language=en#t-326671
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