Recently
researchers have been working on a method to obtain renewable fuel from landfills.
Landfills produce a large amount of methane due to the presence of microbes
living in the waste. Methane is a main greenhouse gas that contributes to
global climate change. Scientists have been working on reacting carbon dioxide
with methane to produce hydrogen. Hydrogen, when burned, produces water vapor,
unlike the carbon dioxide producing burn of fossil fuels. The hardest part of
this conversion process has been finding a stable catalyst that can resist
being contaminated by carbon. A perovskite-type
oxide supported on ceria, a component found in ceramics, has been found
as the solution to the catalyst hunt. So far the test have only been held in
the laboratory, but with the promising catalyst, researches plan to test it on
a larger scale soon. Technologies like this hold much promise for the future
and our abilities limit our harm to the environment. Commercialization of this
product may cause problems later down the road. Creating a cheap fuel source is
the true challenge, we have the resources and the technology to do so, the real
hurdle to cross is achieving a widespread impact on society. If fossil fuels
are to be retired then major changes are going to have to happen in all facets
of life. Trying to find a smooth transition to clean energy will take far too
long, allowing irreversible damage on our environment. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140812121636.htm
I find it interesting that landfills, something with a rather negative connotation, may be linked to a cleaner environment. I feel as though this could be a real breakthrough in reversing the harmful 'time-bomb' effects that landfills can create. I did have a quick question though Brice, what do you mean when you say that commercialization of the catalyst would cause problems down the line? When I think of it being commercialized, I think of more widespread usage which in turn would lead to a more cleaner environment, if the claim is true.
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