Freeman Dyson’s Answer To Global Warming

Well this is very interesting, very interesting indeed.

First off, let me just explain to those of you who Freeman Dyson is. He was one of the youngest people on the staff of the Manhattan Project, and although a brilliant nuclear physicist, the bulk of his work has been in astrophysics. He’s also the father of Esther Dyson.

He also came up with this brilliant and simple answer with what to do about global Warming AND what do do about petroleum shortages.

To paraphrase:

All plants absorb C02, that’s what they do, that is what they breath in. All plants then convert this C02 into becoming a bigger plant, they use it to grow things like leaves and bark etc..

So, we map the plant genome (a project which is currently underway and about 40% finished), and produce genetically engineer plants that do two things:

1 – absorb more C02, and

2 – convert that C02 into a more useful byproduct then wood or leaves.

Think along these lines: imagine a plant that will take in about 50% more C02 than normal, and as a result, makes a bark that is sweeter and can be turned into cellulosic-based ethanol.

You will have a plant that takes pollution out of the air, and, as a byproduct, produce the fuel we put in the tanks of our cars.

Not only does this mitigate 2 huge problems (global warming and fuel supply shortages), but it also makes the world’s fuel needs more of a closed loop system akin to how water is used.

And it’s renewable.

Filed Under: Car News