Carbon Capture Beyond 2020: Basic Research Needs

The problem of thermodynamically efficient and scalable carbon capture stands as one of the greatest challenges for modern energy researchers. The vast majority of U.S. and global energy use derives from fossil fuels, the combustion of which results in the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. These anthropogenic emissions are now altering the climate. Although many alternatives to combustion are being considered, the fact is that combustion will remain a principal component of the global energy system for decades to come. This book explores today’s carbon capture technologies which are expensive and cumbersome and energy intensive. If scientists could develop practical and cost-effective methods to capture carbon, those methods could alter the future of the largest industry in the world and provide a technical solution to one of the most vexing problems facing humanity.