The idea of a synthetic tree to capture excess carbon dioxide from the air was announced in 2003. After years of work, physicist Klaus Lackner will present a public demonstration of the technology today (October 26, 2011) at the London headquarters of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Artistic Representation of a Synthetic "Tree Farm"Courtesy Institution of Mechanical Engineers

The prototype tree, which looks like a goal post with Venetian blinds, draws carbon dioxide (CO₂) out of the air like a plant, but unlike a plant, retains the carbon and does not release oxygen.

Klaus Lackner estimates that some 250,000 such trees, which potentially could be planted anywhere^*, even in desert regions, would be needed to soak up the CO₂ produced by human activity annually.

Live Webinar at 12:00pm Central Daylight Time, October 26, 2011 (duration 3 hours): Artificial Trees: Giving us the time to act?
Columbia University blogpsot: Artificial Trees: Giving Us Time to Act?



^* Well, not anywhere, as I later found out from the Environment 360 blog; the tecnology won't work in cold boreal regions or the humid tropics. And regarding the use of organic trees for carbon capture, see Chapter 31 of David McKay's Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air.

All tags

Tags : carbon capture artificial trees carbon dioxide

How would you tag this story?

My tags:

• Email