Possible, but expensive

A new study by the American Physical Society shows that it's technologically feasible to take CO2 out of the atmosphere but to do so will cost at least $600/ton, 7.5 times more expensive than capturing emissions from power plant smokestacks.

Meanwhile, a team of leading researchers from some of Australia's top universities and research institutes will join forces to develop new ways to capture and transform carbon dioxide. The team will explore how smart materials, called metal-organic frameworks (or MOFs) can be used to capture and concentrate CO2 with minimum energy requirements.

These materials are capable of absorbing large amounts of CO2 into nanometre-sized holes within their structures, leading potentially to the efficient separation of this gas from power station flue gases.

The team will also look at how MOFs can be used to convert CO2 into useful substances, including feedstocks for agriculture, hydrocarbon fuels and precursors to complex metal oxides for use in solar cells.

Never say die! What perhaps we are forgetting is that fossil fuels will not last forever. Already peak coal is on the near horizon. Does it make sense to invest so much money on something short-lived?