Scientists say a rock can soak up carbon dioxide - Reuters

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Scientists say a rock can soak up carbon dioxide
Fri Nov 7, 2008 10:36am EST

By Timothy Gardner

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A rock found mostly in Oman
can be harnessed to soak up the main greenhouse gas
carbon dioxide at a rate that could help slow global
warming, scientists say.

When carbon dioxide comes in contact with the rock,
peridotite, the gas is converted into solid minerals
such as calcite.

Geologist Peter Kelemen and geochemist Juerg Matter
said the naturally occurring process can be
supercharged 1 million times to grow underground
minerals that can permanently store 2 billion or
more of the 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide emitted
by human activity every year.

Their study will appear in the November 11 edition
of the Proceedings of the Natural Academy of
Sciences.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE4A59IB20081107

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The article goes on to note that the U.S., China,
and India will have to find other ways to curb CO2
emissions.

[ashling]

1. another link

http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-tech-peridotite-rocks-can-convert-co2-to-marble-and-limestone/

[Ian David]

2. How long until we reach Peak Peridotite? n/t

[NickB79]

3. So it's a way to store 1/15 of one year's worth of CO2 emissions?

Somehow that doesn't inspire a lot of hope.....