Iceland discovers way to trap CO2, could save the world from global warming

Method of trapping CO2 is simple and effective -- but expensive.

Scientists in Iceland have found a way to save the world from carbon dioxide by converting the compound into rocks that can be buried deep underground. If the process can be made inexpensive, it could be a tool we use in the fight against global warming.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - Carbon dioxide gas is responsible for the heating of our planet. As human activities release more CO2 into the atmosphere than nature can consume, the chemical becomes increasingly abundant and causes the planet to heat up.

Unfortunately, carbon dioxide is the most common byproduct of our energy production, and so far there has been no safe and reliable way to capture and store all of that CO2. But now, a team of scientists from Iceland believe they have solved the problem.

Scientists believe they can pump a mixture of carbon dioxide and water into the rocks of Iceland, about a third of a mile deep. The mixture reacts chemically with the basaltic rocks under the ground and turns into limestone.

Scientists have known this method would work for a long time.  The chemistry is simple and it has been tested in the lab. What they did not know is how quickly it would work. Many speculated that it could take hundreds or thousands of years. The experiment in Iceland showed it could take as little as two years.

After two years, 95 percent of the CO2 was captured in new rocks.

Unfortunately, capturing CO2 is expensive, and it is even more expensive to inject it deep underground. If we want to use this method, the costs associated with it will need to come down.

Despite its expense, it may still be cheaper than letting global warming continue unabated.

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