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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Rock Storage

Green Minute Logo (The Spokesman-Review)
Jim Parks Creators Syndicate
Geologist Peter Kelemen and geochemist Juerg Matter have their eyes on a certain rock — a rock that has the ability to turn carbon dioxide into solid minerals. The rock, called peridotite, is prevalent just beneath the earth’s crust. The two scientists are envisioning a process to slow global warming by increasing peridotite’s CO2-transforming process a billion times and storing excess carbon dioxide underground. Many power companies are considering ways to siphon carbon dioxide off of their coal power plants and sequester it underground, but Kelemen and Matter argue that turning it into rock would be cheaper and safer, with less likelihood of leaks. They predict boring down into peridotite and injecting it with hot water that contains the CO2. The technology is promising, but there’s a snag: The scientists think they can store 2 billion tons annually, but every year human activity produces 30 billion tons.