New Technique Turns Ordinary Rocks Into Carbon-Capturing Machines

Of all the planet-warming greenhouse gases human activity releases into the atmosphere, carbon dioxide is the most significant emission. As such, experts have suggested that, in addition to drastically lowering our fossil fuel use, we should actively remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. What’s known as carbon capture technology, however, is usually expensive and/or energy-intensive, and necessitates carbon storage solutions. Now, researchers at Stanford University have proposed a surprisingly practical strategy: make rocks do it for us. They’re not kidding. Stanford chemists Matthew Kanan and Yuxuan Chen have developed a process that uses heat to transform minerals into materials that absorb CO2—permanently. As detailed in a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature, the process is practical and low-cost. Additionally, Kanan and Chen’s very helpful rocks could satisfy the needs of a common agricultural practice, hitting two birds with one stone. “The Earth has an i ... Read full article.