Can we reverse global warming by taking away the greenhouse gasses?

Question

I was wondering we have so many harmful gasses in our atmosphere and is there something will I guess suck it up or dissolve the gasses? I know we can reduce it but what about eliminating it?

Answer 1

Amines and carbonate solutions are used industrially to remove CO2 (the principal greenhouse gas) from gases. They could equally be used to remove CO2 from air. The CO2 could be then permanently removed from the atmosphere in a number of ways (see carbon sequestration http://cdiac2.esd.ornl.gov/ )

However the concentrations of CO2 in gases vented by industry are much higher than the 375 ppm approx present in the atmosphere and it would be more efficient to tackle the problem at this stage.

Answer 2

Yes we can , but this would take a long term effort on a scale which has not been seen before. It means that this world's nations would all have to cooperate on terraforming , or I should say, re-terraforming the Earth. It would require global forestation for one. For two, it would require a rethinking on how we build buildings and energy infrastructure. We would have to have a sustained push to require all buildings to use Geothermal and PhotoVoltic systems wherever practical. We would have to reinvent the meaning of practical. Right now it costs about $80,000 in full for a solar array which would generate enough power to be "Practical" in the State of New Jersey where I live. This is before government rebates. Rebates brings that price tag down 65% to about $25,000. Now I ask you, who has an extra $25,000 to invest in a solar array when you have a morgage, a car payment, credit cards, and just the normal cost of living with two kids? Yes the array would pay for itself in about 7 years, but most people cannot look that far into the future for such a venture. If this is to go folward on any great scale, which it must if it is to achive its intended goals, then it must be something which is government mandated. This can start with mantating Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems and Solar Arrays on ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION BOTH RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL. This will take time to come about. This will have many benificial effects. One, Energy independance. We currently use coal and gas fired plants to generate most of our electrical needs. This would slowly shift to solar arrays generating most of our electrical needs as this is implimented. We would save money on construction of new plants. Build energy security by decentralizing our electrical production (every building would become a mini electrical power plant). And we would reduce our dependence on a limited energy supply (fossil Fuels of all types). As electric vehicles become more prevlant, our need for gasoline would be reduced, both by the use of solar electric and Ethanol for the fuel we do need. Gasoline need could be reduced by 85% if al vehicles were converted to Ethanol burning. This woudl further require more crops to be grow to produce the Ethanol, which would further consume more CO2 from the air and put more O2 into the air as the crops use photosynthesis. Obviously, this would require large investments in infrastructure. This will take time. The Earth did not get in this shape overnight. Turning it around wil take decades. It can be done, but over a lifetime of sustained effort or more.

Answer 3

I believe there are 3 machines (maybe more but not that much) throughout the world that actually do this. I can't remember what they are called and if I'm even thinking of the right thing.

Answer 4

we wouldnt have to if we werent cutting down thousands of acres of rainforest,or any forest for that matter, because the plant life on this planet naturally uses greenhouse gases out of the air and replaces it with oxygen

Answer 5

yes, but how?, that would be like trying to lower the oceans water level by removing water, where would you put it?