Greenhouse Gas Reduction - Artificial Trees

A technology designed to mitigate climate change by removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere is through carbon capturing by artificial trees designed by Klaus Lackner. The aim of the technology is to copy real trees and extract CO2 from the atmosphere. The technology is not yet in full use but more in the developmental stages. Unlike other technologies which are more focused on removing CO2 from industrial plants, this technology aims to remove CO2 from the open air. The leaves of the trees are designed with size and shape to maximize the amount of air passing over the leaves as shown in Figure 1. The leaves are coated with an engineered fabric which attracts CO2 without harmful side effects. To collect the CO2 from the air, the tree as shown in Figure 2 , opens allowing air to pass through the leaves readily attracts the CO2. The leaves are then sprayed to wash the CO2 off the leaves for storage. The stored carbon can be transported for sequestration in an aquifer beneath a deep ocean, however this can have consequences. Such a technology will have both potential benefits and drawbacks which will determine its effectiveness and efficiency in the reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere. The obvious potential benefit of the artificial trees would be the reduction of the greenhouse gas CO2. The trees, when planted outdoors would also provide shade as real trees would. The potential drawbacks of the technology would most likely be associated with the storage of the collected CO2. Only so much carbon can be sequestered in a particular location before it becomes full and the potential for leaks is greatly increased. Leaks of carbon in the ocean can have a severe negative effect on the marine environment and consequently worsen the global problem. Another potential drawback of the technology is the use of an energy source. The developmental stage of the technology uses electricity which releases CO2 back into the atmosphere. This drawback can however be resolved by using a renewable source of energy with no emissions to the atmosphere. Support through funding may also be a major drawback for the development of the technology because it can be expensive to develop and test potential technologies. Depending on the number of artificial trees planted across the globe, the impact of this mitigation technology can be significant. Provided that a significant number of artificial trees are planted, the potential of the technology to have a significant impact in reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere can be great. If the number of artificial trees planted are not sufficient to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, it can still be beneficial by reducing the rate of increase. The success of such a technology is dependent on the support of governments and authoritative organisations to allow the technology to be used in their land.