CraigM
4431
Let’s say they scaled it to do 1000 tons a day.
That is, very roughly, 907185 kg. Carbon has a density of 2260 kg/m^3. So that translates into 401.4 m^3. Which is, in turn, 14175 ft^3 a day.
This is the equivalent to about 42% of the volume of the Eiffel Tower. We would need 100,000 of these per day. Picture the volume of 20,000 747’s per day. That’s the scale we are talking.
Ho-leee shit.
*all calculations done at the nominal density of pure carbon at normal graphite densities of 2.26 g/cm^3
Might as well make diamonds, so it will pay for itself then.
CraigM
4433
Which has a density of 3.5 g/cm^3 as opposed to the 2.26.
And manufacturing diamond on that scale would crash the global diamond market which is fueled by cartel like behavior to enforce artificial scarcity by DeBeers and such.
ShivaX
4435
Diamonds are nearly worthless though. Still, we could use them in industrial purposes at least, I guess.
Timex
4436
Carbon nanotubes is what you want to make.
Tim_N
4437
The sad thing is that this is sounding like a more realistic solution than, say, not burning any frackin coal.
Well we have to be politically realistic! I’m sure the CO2 will accommodate us.
Matt_W
4440
Actually new coal starts have been declining year over year for a few years now. China and India are scaling back construction of new plants and delaying or cancelling construction in progress.
This doesn’t mean less coal plants. Just slower growth of coal plants. Total coal demand continues to rise, especially due to these two countries.
China expects to peak in a decade or so, I guess India has decades more energy demand growth ahead.
MikeJ
4442
We are reducing the rate at which we increase the rate at which we are screwing the planet. Progress!
I think it goes further than that. Older coal plants aren’t being replaced, so we are trending downward.
And in the US coal plants have been converted to nature gas plants.
Carbon emissions set to hit record high
https://physicsworld.com/a/carbon-emissions-set-to-hit-record-high/
Global emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels and industry are projected to rise by more than 2% in 2018, to a new record. The increase is mainly due to sustained growth in oil and gas use, according to the Global Carbon Project.
“The 2018 rise in fossil CO2 emissions place us on a trajectory for warming that is currently well beyond 1.5 °C,” says Corinne Le Quéré of the University of East Anglia, UK. “It is not enough to support renewables. Efforts to decarbonise need to be expanded throughout the economy.”
Emphasis mine. It’s all well and good that natural gas has replaced coal, but oil and gas are still fossil fuels, and we still consume too much. That’s why IMO fracking is undesirable (and in North Dakota, they actually flare off so much natural gas it looks like this:
Another reason to hate corporate America.
Thank you for posting that amazing speech.
KevinC
4449
She’s awfully talented for such a young crisis actor, amirite??
Timex
4450
I’ve heard that Sweden has been taken over by the Muslim terrorists.
