Scientists say a rock can soak up carbon dioxide

[dannyboy]

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A rock found mostly in Oman can be harnessed to soak up the main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide at a rate that could help slow global warming, scientists say.

When carbon dioxide comes in contact with the rock, peridotite, the gas is converted into solid minerals such as calcite.

Geologist Peter Kelemen and geochemist Juerg Matter said the naturally occurring process can be supercharged 1 million times to grow underground minerals that can permanently store 2 billion or more of the 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide emitted by human activity every year.

Their study will appear in the November 11 edition of the Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Sciences.

Peridotite is the most common rock found in the Earth's mantle, or the layer directly below the crust. It also appears on the surface, particularly in Oman, which is conveniently close to a region that produces substantial amounts of carbon dioxide in the production of fossil fuels.

the rest here. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081107/sc_nm/us_climate_rocks)

[wileE]

But won't converting all that CO2 to calcite increase the mass of the earth? If that happens, we will really have an obesity problem.

What happens if too much CO2 is absorbed? Instant Ice Age!!!! Science must be stopped.

[berzerker]

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A rock found mostly in Oman can be harnessed to soak up the main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide at a rate that could help slow global warming, scientists say.



Great. Another Middle Eastern export... can't we find the solution to one of our problems in Wichita, or something?

[dry-gulcher]

Umm...Do you people know what mollusks are? Seashells,all of them are created when the mollusk takes the CO2 that is dissolved in the water combines it with calcium salts and secretes it's shell. The animal eventually dies and it's shell sinks to the pile of other dead seashells, corals, starfish ect. This all gets compacted into the rock we call limestone.
All parties have been getting along fine with this for the past 550 million years
or so while the earth also has been much warmer most of that time.
Then along came Al Gore and he screwed up all this harmony by convincing all of you people that level of CO2 in the atmosphere is bad.
There is a word for people who fell for the manmade global warming hoax:GULLIBLE.

[juggles]

Umm...Do you people know what mollusks are? Seashells,all of them are created when the mollusk takes the CO2 that is dissolved in the water combines it with calcium salts and secretes it's shell. The animal eventually dies and it's shell sinks to the pile of other dead seashells, corals, starfish ect. This all gets compacted into the rock we call limestone.
All parties have been getting along fine with this for the past 550 million years
or so while the earth also has been much warmer most of that time.
Then along came Al Gore and he screwed up all this harmony by convincing all of you people that level of CO2 in the atmosphere is bad.
There is a word for people who fell for the manmade global warming hoax:GULLIBLE.

Do you person know what ocean acidification (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080521105251.htm) is?

[juggles]

So my question is how do we get the rocks to stay up in the atmosphere where all the CO2 is?

[twentyshots]

man, what can't rocks do?

[dry-gulcher]

So my question is how do we get the rocks to stay up in the atmosphere where all the CO2 is?
Maybe I should not agitate you ppl by answering this but here it goes. The CO2 gets dissolved in the water from the atmosphere along w/ the oxygen and nitrogen by wave action, then the reef-biulding organisms make their calcareous shells from the CO2 and calcium salts. They die, their shells get compacted into the rock we call limestone (CaCO3) and dolomite (CaMgCO3).
Far more of Earth's CO2 is trapped in the limestone, is why it's not toasty warm like on Venus which has no limestone.

Here's the part your not gonna like: We do put the rocks back in the atmosphere by mining the limestone. We crush these aggregates bake them and make cement.
That puts a hell of alot of CO2 back in the atmosphere. Why the enviros have not tried to trash the cement industry like they are the coal industry I do not know?

Allow me to use this opportunity point out that I am probabily the only person on these boards producing "green" energy.
You see in N.C. they mandated that by 2011 10% of all electricity must come from "renewable" sources.
Waterfalls count.
The hydro-gererator I stuck in "that river" behind the house gets me about 1,500$ per month (they pay me .17cents per Kw hour vs the .06cents it costs to make from the coal/nuke) plants.They charge this program to the saps who do not make electricity on their elect bill as "purchase surcharge".

The ironic part of all this is that Barack sez he's gonna give tax break for all this! Gosh Barry! The system already paid for itsself in the 1st 6months. You betcha!

[dry-gulcher]

man, what can't rocks do?
Not a lot they can't do, for example: my avatar is on of those mollusks (fossilized version) that soaks up the CO2 out of the air.
It is an ammonite called Didymoceras stevensoni I dig these things up in South Dakota and sell them to the Euorpeans. They all know each other and ask me for 1st pick. I promise each 1st pick as long as they bring my fine wines from their respective countries, France, Spain, and Germany.

This all works out great as long as they all don't show up at the same time.

Anyone up for a group hug?

[juggles]

Maybe I should not agitate you ppl by answering this but here it goes. The CO2 gets dissolved in the water from the atmosphere along w/ the oxygen and nitrogen by wave action, then the reef-biulding organisms make their calcareous shells from the CO2 and calcium salts. They die, their shells get compacted into the rock we call limestone (CaCO3) and dolomite (CaMgCO3).
Far more of Earth's CO2 is trapped in the limestone, is why it's not toasty warm like on Venus which has no limestone.

Here's the part your not gonna like: We do put the rocks back in the atmosphere by mining the limestone. We crush these aggregates bake them and make cement.
That puts a hell of alot of CO2 back in the atmosphere. Why the enviros have not tried to trash the cement industry like they are the coal industry I do not know?

Well, you inspired me to do a little internet digging. From what I gather, concrete production accounts for about 7% of CO2 emissions, the third largest source in the US. Significant, but probably not our biggest problem. Also, about half of the CO2 released in making concrete is from the fossil fuels used to heat the limestone, the other half is released in the calcination process. So I'd say addressing fossil fuels has the potential to make concrete production greener. That said, I don't know if there's an alternate energy source that would generate enough heat to work in concrete production.
According to one concrete industry friendly site, most of the CO2 released due to calcination is reabsorbed by the concrete over it's lifetime. Seems a little dubious to me.
And I found several projects that would make concrete greener, including different mixes and processes to lower the temperature at which it's produced and concrete that would absorb CO2.


Allow me to use this opportunity point out that I am probabily the only person on these boards producing "green" energy.
You see in N.C. they mandated that by 2011 10% of all electricity must come from "renewable" sources.
Waterfalls count.
The hydro-gererator I stuck in "that river" behind the house gets me about 1,500$ per month (they pay me .17cents per Kw hour vs the .06cents it costs to make from the coal/nuke) plants.They charge this program to the saps who do not make electricity on their elect bill as "purchase surcharge".

The ironic part of all this is that Barack sez he's gonna give tax break for all this! Gosh Barry! The system already paid for itsself in the 1st 6months. You betcha!

Bully for you. And I mean that sincerely. Lacking a river in my backyard, hydro is not a good option for me.

[wileE]

man, what can't rocks do?
They are almost as versatile as beer.

Lacking a river in my backyard, hydro is not a good option for me.
Ditto. Solar is about the only way to get the green energy for us and that is still waaaaaaaay too expensive.

Hmmm. Maybe I can instlal hydro generators in the downspouts so I can generate energy when it rains! That would work great in the spring!

[Yale Delay]

I predict the pet rock will make a huge come back

[dry-gulcher]

They are almost as versatile as beer.


Ditto. Solar is about the only way to get the green energy for us and that is still waaaaaaaay too expensive.

Hmmm. Maybe I can instlal hydro generators in the downspouts so I can generate energy when it rains! That would work great in the spring!
Point #1 is quite true, I even like to sip a beer or five while reviewing my rock collection. I think i'll do that now!
Point #2 they actually make such a mini divice that runs on wastewater from a house to the sewer. It just won't give you the 10,000 kilowatts I get.:p

[wileE]

Point #2 they actually make such a mini divice that runs on wastewater from a house to the sewer. It just won't give you the 10,000 kilowatts I get.:p
I may have to check that out. I'm sure it could get converted to work on downspouts.

[taylor]

so people who live in glasshouses should throw stones at greenhouse gases?

[miami2112]

Ditto. Solar is about the only way to get the green energy for us and that is still waaaaaaaay too expensive.

imagine, if you would, no iraq war and all those funds devoted to producing cheap solar power. we made it to the moon with a smaller commitment.

[classicgrrl]

We
Bully for you. And I mean that sincerely. Lacking a river in my backyard, hydro is not a good option for me.

ditto. and where does all this limestone rock talk put me seeing as my house is built on the stuff along with my topsoil?

in fact, my entire property block is on top of limestone. price hill used to be a limestone quarry. we keep finding fossils in the back yard.

how do I get in on this rock money business?

[patio]

I always knew rock would save the world...

[dry-gulcher]

I may have to check that out. I'm sure it could get converted to work on downspouts.
Go to nooutage.com to see many of the different gizmos they have. I got the canyon ind setup, both there is a screen covering the penline feeding into the system so as not to grind up Nemo... I may be an ecobully but I am not totally heartless.

[dry-gulcher]

I may have to check that out. I'm sure it could get converted to work on downspouts.
But it will only generate anything while it's raining.

ditto. and where does all this limestone rock talk put me seeing as my house is built on the stuff along with my topsoil?

in fact, my entire property block is on top of limestone. price hill used to be a limestone quarry. we keep finding fossils in the back yard.

how do I get in on this rock money business?
Glad you axed c-grrl,
All the big rock money is all in AMT (American Mineral Treasures) sites. The nearest to cincy is the Findlay Arch District, where this 52 year-old grade school teacher "Gail" busted into a truck-sized cave of celestine in, ironically, a limestone quarry!
She's still rollin in it.
Those fossils you keep finding made the limestone you have in Priceless Hill.
The best chance you have for valuable fossils are the trilobites.
There is supposed to be a book coming out about these fossils by one David Meyer at UC, but as per usual with those Bearcat types I am sure there is considerable foot-dragging.