carbon dioxide

RICHLAND, Wash. – The pipes that rise from oil fields, topped with burning flames of natural gas, waste fossil fuels and dump carbon dioxide into the air. In new work, researchers have identified the structure of a catalytic material that can turn methane into a safe and easy-to-transport liquid.

Flaring oil platforms: Photo by Travelling Steve (CC)

The insight lays the foundation for converting excess methane into a variety of useful fuels and chemicals.    » read more »

April 15, 2008 -- AUGUSTA – Maine Governor John E. Baldacci today ceremonially signed LD 2126, An Act To Minimize Carbon Dioxide Emissions from New Coal-Powered Industrial and Electrical Generating Facilities in the State. Bill sponsor Rep. W. Bruce MacDonald (D-Boothbay) was in the Governor’s Office for the ceremony, as were other co-sponsors and supporters of the legislation.

A coal-fired power plant: Photo by Steev Hise (CC)    » read more »

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - The Wyoming Legislature has an opportunity to lead the nation in regulating long-term carbon capture and sequestration, Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal told the Joint Judiciary Interim Committee today.

The committee is considering legislation that would give the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality the authority to regulate the long-term storage of carbon dioxide. The ability to store that CO2 safely over the long term could be critical    » read more »

December 19, 2007 -- UPTON, NY - A detailed analysis of soil samples taken from a forest ecosystem with artificially elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) reveals distinct changes in the mix of microorganisms living in the soil below trembling aspen. These changes could increase the availability of essential soil nutrients, thereby supporting increased plant growth and the plants' ability to "lock up," or sequester, excess carbon from the atmosphere. The research will be published online this week in the journal Environmental Microbiology.    » read more »

Team to chemically transform carbon dioxide into carbon-neutral liquid fuels

December 5, 2007 -- ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —Using concentrated solar energy to reverse combustion, a research team from Sandia National Laboratories is building a prototype device intended to chemically “reenergize” carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide using concentrated solar power. The carbon monoxide could then be used to make hydrogen or serve as a building block to synthesize a liquid combustible fuel, such as methanol or even gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.    » read more »

Environmentalists Applaud Offsets of Carbon Dioxide and Mercury Emissions

Aug. 9, 2007 -- Houston – A precedent-setting agreement announced today paves the way for the permitting of a 303-megawatt power plant in return for the plant owner’s commitment to offset 100 percent of the plant’s mercury and global warming emissions.    » read more »

August 3, 2007 -- New York Governor Eliot Spitzer today announced that he has signed legislation designed to increase consumer awareness about greenhouse gas emissions. This law requires that automobile manufacturers affix a “global warming index” sticker to new cars and passenger trucks beginning in the 2010 model year, detailing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. New York is the second state in the nation to pass this innovative environmental legislation.    » read more »