MORE GREAT IDEAS TO AVERT THE IMPENDING DISASTER.

A firm in Iceland is pioneering cutting-edge technology that turns CO2 into stone – promising a boost to the global fight against climate change and its devastating consequences. Carbfix takes the greenhouse emissions from industrial plants and dissolves them in water, which is then injected deep underground into porous rock formations such as volcanic basalt, where it mineralises, filling the voids. The company describes the technique as “Mother Nature’s way” of carbon storage, providing a safe and permanent natural depot for the polluting gas. Carbfix is now looking to significantly expand its operations highlighting the potential worldwide. Carbfix’s head of business development Kristinn Ingi Larusson described the process as “relatively straightforward and simple”. Mr Larusson pointed out basalt, one of the three “ingredients” needed along with CO2 and water, made up 5% of the world’s landmass and 70% of the ocean floor. He said: “The simple analogy is you are using the water as the means of transport. “Water is the train and the CO2 is simply the passenger on the train. “The water carries on, but the passenger jumps off the train and stays in the bedrock.” Holding up a piece of bedrock following the process showing white dots, Mr Larusson said: “These are actually solid carbons that have been mineralised and will stay there forever. With this method you avoid the danger of raw CO2 gas buried underground escaping in the case of earth tremors as indicated elsewhere on this site, search Lake Nyos.