I know it is the Christmas season but these are not the artificial trees that we buy and hang energy consuming lights from….these trees can be used to clean the CO2 from the air we breath……NO!  Really!

I recently had a discussion with a good friend, Quin of Quintessential Havoc (go to blogroll and visit…a very thoughtful blog) about these trees that could be made that would help eliminate the CO2 from the air……at first I thought he was pulling my leg…..but on further examination I found the rest of the story…….

I found this on the company that is pioneering the technology:

A new kind of tree could cool the planet by removing a major greenhouse gas from the planet’s atmosphere.

What researchers are calling artificial trees, actually towers filled with various materials that adsorb carbon dioxide from the air, could play a major role in reducing climate change — if they prove profitable.

GRT’s artificial tree is based on an environmentally friendly resin, originally developed by Klaus Lackner, a professor at Columbia University in New York. The alkaline resin reacts with acidic carbon dioxide, holding it in place. After one hour exposed to the air, the resin is completely saturated with CO2.

Dry resin soaks up the CO2. Adding water releases the CO2, which is then captured and stored. Drying the resin again restores its abilities, a cycle that can be repeated indefinitely.

GRT plans to sell the purified CO2 to a range of buyers. Oil and natural gas companies are probably the biggest customers for the artificial trees. Petroleum companies pump CO2 underground to raise the pressure and force oil to the surface. Greenhouses could pump in extra C02 to help plants grow. Fizzy soda drinks and sanding auto parts also require concentrated CO2.

Another use for the artificial trees would be in the cap-and-trade carbon credit system. The idea is that companies that produce CO2 would pay another company, like GRT, to get rid of it. The most likely place to put the C02 is in the salt-lined caverns that once held oil, a process known as carbon sequestration.

This is my apology to Quin for thinking he was blowing smoke up my butt…..

Quin I appreciate the heads up on this fascinating subject….