| Each year the U.S. produces 25% of carbon | | | | and Penguins proves to be too expensive we |
| dioxide pollution from fossil-fuel burning which is an | | | | could always run with our cheaper version. |
| incredible percentage considering the U.S. only | | | | We could covert carbon dioxide to liquid CO2. We'll |
| comprises 4% of the world's population. The | | | | drill holes in the glaciers and fill the holes with liquid |
| largest source of this pollution in the U.S. is | | | | CO2. That will keep the ice from melting, and the |
| coal-burning power plants, with automobiles | | | | glaciers will keep the liquid CO2 out of the |
| coming in second. | | | | atmosphere. But, we have to hurry on this idea |
| Global warming is a major problem facing the | | | | before the ice melts! |
| environment - will the award of $25 million offered | | | | Our third suggestion is to find out where they are |
| by Sir Richard Branson encourage a prompt | | | | going to bury all the waste from the nuclear |
| solution? | | | | power they're going to be generating and bury |
| Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group Ltd. | | | | the CO2 in the same place. |
| launched the Virgin Earth challenge on February 9, | | | | Unfortunately, the operative words in the contest |
| 2007 at a press conference in London with | | | | are "commercially viable" which means you can |
| former Vice-President Al Gore, recently | | | | make money on the idea. Apparently we can't do |
| nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, at his side. | | | | anything about Global Warming unless we can |
| The announcement was made a week after the | | | | make money on it. What are we going to do |
| IPCC, United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on | | | | when there's no earth left to make money on? |
| Climate Change reported global warming is 90% | | | | The problem with carbon dioxide is its chemical |
| likely to be caused by humans, and temperatures | | | | breakdown. It is a colorless gas comprised of one |
| are predicted to rise by 1.1 to 6.4 degrees Celsius | | | | carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. It will not |
| by the end of the century. | | | | become a liquid unless pressure exceeds 5.1 atm's. |
| A 1.1 to 6.4 degree rise in Celsius certainly doesn't | | | | At temperatures below -78 degrees Celsius, |
| seem like much until you take into consideration | | | | carbon dioxide turns directly into a white solid |
| the fact the direct correlation between rising | | | | called dry ice. |
| temperatures and increased sea levels. The 1.1 to | | | | Dry ice is so cold it can cause frostbite if gloves |
| 6.4 rise in temperature equates to a 7 to 23 inch | | | | are not used when handling and storage is a |
| rise in sea level. | | | | problem due to the fact the dry ice continues to |
| The Virgin Earth Challenge will: | | | | produce carbon dioxide gas. |
| "award $25 million to the individual or group who | | | | Since CO2 can go from gas to solid without first |
| are able to demonstrate a commercially viable | | | | becoming a liquid, understanding the findings of |
| design which will result in the net removal of | | | | Robert Boyle and Jacques Alexander Charles will |
| anthropogenic, atmospheric greenhouse gases | | | | probably be the real key to finding a solution to |
| each year for at least ten years without | | | | global warming. |
| countervailing harmful effects. This removal must | | | | Although their discoveries were approximately 100 |
| have long term effects and contribute materially | | | | years apart, Robert Boyle, an English scientist, and |
| to the stability of the Earth’s climate." | | | | Jacques Alexandre Charles, a French physicist, |
| Coming up with a commercially viable design | | | | made important contributions to chemistry which |
| resulting in removal of greenhouse gases for at | | | | are now considered gas laws. |
| least 10 years, without harmful effects, while also | | | | Boyle's Law |
| contributing to the stability of the Earth's climate is | | | | If a gas is held at a constant temperature, the |
| not the type of solution you come up with over | | | | volume is inversely proportional to the pressure. |
| coffee and Danish while reading your Sunday | | | | Compressing a gas to half of its initial volume |
| paper. | | | | doubles its pressure. |
| Is the problem so complex that it will it take | | | | Charles' Law |
| years and years for groups of engineers working | | | | If a gas is held at a constant pressure, the |
| together on designs, blueprints, scale models and | | | | volume is directly proportional to the absolute |
| prototypes to come up with a viable solution? | | | | temperature. Heating a gas to double its original |
| The U.S. produces 25% of CO2 pollution from | | | | temperature doubles its volume. |
| fossil-fuel burning, an incredible percentage | | | | Source: Mircrosoft Encarta |
| considering the U.S. only comprises 4% of the | | | | Global Warming may be a complicated subject, |
| world's population. | | | | but the solution can easily be broken down into |
| The largest source of CO2 pollution in the U.S. is | | | | two parts: |
| coal-burning power plants producing 2.5 billion tons | | | | 1. Reduce the amount of carbon dioxide, CO2, |
| each year. Automobiles producing 1.5 billion tons of | | | | going into the atmosphere. |
| CO2 each year are the second largest source. | | | | 2. Come up with ways and means to capture |
| Companies that make dry ice (frozen C02) get | | | | CO2 that is already in the atmosphere. |
| paid by their customers. What happens to the | | | | Carbon sequestration (capturing carbon dioxide |
| market if tons and tons of dry ice are produced | | | | before it is emitted to the atmosphere}, is a |
| from the air and/or ocean? The price of dry ice | | | | program the Office of Fossil Energy, U.S. |
| drops to nearly zero and we still need someone | | | | Department of Energy has been working on |
| to pay for the cost of extracting the CO2 from | | | | during the past years with the goal of capturing |
| the air and/or water. | | | | 90% of CO2, with a 99% storage permanence, |
| Yes, we can make dry ice out of thin air and | | | | at less than a 10% increase in the cost of energy |
| reduce Global Warming, but who is going to pay | | | | services by 2012. |
| for it? | | | | Could it be own Department of Energy is well on |
| Once we have the dry ice we could ship it to the | | | | their way towards collecting the grand prize of |
| Polar Bears in Alaska and the Penguins at the | | | | $25 million dollars offered by Sir Richard Branson? |
| South Pole. They'll appreciate it because it will | | | | Their report on the subject would lead the reader |
| keep their ice from melting leaving them with no | | | | to believe they have all their ducks in a row. |
| place to go. Then all that's left is to figure out a | | | | Looks like the DOE is going to have some |
| way to pay for it because no matter how much | | | | competition as a copy of this article is being sent |
| the Polar Bears and Penguins appreciate it, they | | | | to Sir Richard Branson as our entry into the $25 |
| can't pay for it. | | | | million dollar sweepstakes. |
| If making dry ice and shipping it to Polar Bears | | | | |