Categories
BW Member Blog

A modest proposal (No, not THAT propsal!)

Been thinking about posting this for awhile. Decided to pull the trigger.

I have a possible solution to two issues in the news.

First, I have a Chemical Engineering degree and did that for 3 years and then I was a programmer(4 languages)/systems programmer/Dasd (storage) admin/DBA in IDMS database for over 20.

“Problem # 1: Too much CO2 in the atmosphere.
Yes, I know, it’s garbage but work with me here. Two ways to solve that. One: stop burning hydrocarbons and coal. Two: take the CO2 out of the air and ” sequester” it.

Problem #2: Eventually we will run out of oil.
Yes, I know, its going to quite awhile, but again, work with me here.

We have the technology to take CO2 out of the air and combining it with water to make just about any hydrocarbon we want. (And coal)

(Note: we already get CO2 out of the air in fairly large scale to produce, among other things, dry ice, CO2 fire extinguishers and CO2 for carbonating carbonated beverages)

Its not a physics  problem. Its an engineering problem. Its been done for quite a few compounds. ….. In the lab.

Example alkylation. We can make high octane gasoline from other hydrocarbons. And do it a lot on large scale now.

Just scale it up. And if we are missing some intermediate hydrocarbons, just put human thinking, necessity and $$$ together, and I’m sure we can find a way.😊

Would we have to build factories?

Yup. Engineering problem, remember?

Big problem: Energy. Takes a lot. Estimated 6 to 10 times the energy to produce gasoline (taking in all the steps)that you get burning it.

Where do we get that kind of energy?

Nuclear, baby! Also not a physics problem.

So we remove CO2 from the air and produce hydrocarbons.

And coal? Well, pretty much. Worked in a refinery that took heavy hydrocarbons, and in effect removed the carbon to produce gasoline and “petroleum coke”. Essentially carbon, i.e coal.

Win win!😊

9 replies on “A modest proposal (No, not THAT propsal!)”

The fly in your ointment is costs. If what you’re suggesting can produce, say, gasoline for $3 a gallon then you’re competitive and have a shot at going somewhere. If not, then not.

The problem with “green” energy is that it costs a multiple of cheap hydrocarbon energy in the form of gas and petroleum. The problem would be the same, I think, the way you’re suggesting it be tackled.

That’s why the Left is trying to make gas and oil derived energy more expensive. If gas and oil are cheaper than “green” energy then the way to make the two competitive is to increase the price of oil and gas. At least as far as Leftist thinking goes. It’s not surprising that they would have everything topsy-turvy. Hell, why ruin a perfect record?

Your scheme faces the same problem.

Now, if you could find a way to do it competitively you might have something.

We have the technology to take CO2 out of the air and combining it with water to make just about any hydrocarbon we want. (And coal)

(Note: we already get CO2 out of the air in fairly large scale to produce, among other things, dry ice, CO2 fire extinguishers and CO2 for carbonating carbonated beverages)

The Law of Unintended Consequences will rear its ugly head. Once someone figures out how to do this efficiently, it will be over done and plants will die from lack of CO2. Once the plants die, there will be a reduction in O2, and the mammals, fowl and reptiles will die (for those unsure, we are mammals).
Now a reduction in animal life will actually excite the Malthusian Leftists, who think the real problem is too many people.
So I fear that they will embrace this idea.
BTW – I used to sell big compressors for Air Separation plants. Very cool (literally and figuratively) facilities.

Of course it’s a silly question. It’s a useful silliness in that it mocks the tyrannical leftists and their insatiable lust for power and control of things that they cannot control. The mockery must continue.

The same mocking question can be asked of any government regulation. All such things are usurpations of individual autonomy to centralize power in feeble and doomed-to-failure attempts to satiate politicians’ lust

Leave a Reply