I have an idea?

Question

ok I know this may not make any sence but it did to me lol.

I know we have the tecknowledgy to create diamonds from scratch. Also we can collect microscopic particals from space. Now with that in mind my idea is: somehow extract the excess carbon that is in the atmosphere and create a way to heat and press it back into oil. I realise that my science may be off and the expense would be astronomicall to create such devices, however the long term benefits should out way the cost. Well thats my idea what do you think?

Answer 1

You will be delighted to hear that we are already starting to use your idea. It's a very good idea (although we are already starting to have some teething problems with it). The carbon is extracted from the atmosphere by plantlife that is then converted into biofuels. Oddly enough this is (by a more circuitous route) where the oil came from in the first place, it's just from much longer ago.

Answer 2

It's far-fetched. On the other hand, there may already be enough carbon dioxide in the air to destroy our civilization. In which case, notions like these become intensely interesting. I don't know about turning the carbon into oil, but another idea would be to capture it and put it somewhere remote, like the bottom of the ocean or on mars. There is a quick method for trapping carbon dioxide:

"The air is passed over an extraction agent, for example a solution of quicklime, the active agent in some cement. As the air passes over the extraction structure, the carbon dioxide in the air reacts with the quicklime and becomes converted to calcium carbonate (limestone), a solid that forms and falls to the bottom of the extractor"

Some uses of limestone are:

-The manufacture of quicklime (calcium oxide) and slaked lime (calcium hydroxide);

-Cement and mortar;

-Pulverized limestone is used as a soil conditioner to neutralize acidic soil conditions;

-Crushed for use as aggregate—the solid base for many roads;

-Geological formations of limestone are among the best petroleum reservoirs;

-As a reagent in desulfurizations;

-Glass making, in some circumstances;

-Added to paper, plastics, paint, tiles, and other materials as both white pigment and a cheap filler.

-Toothpaste

-Suppression of methane explosions in underground coal mines

-Added to bread and cereals as a source of calcium

As you can see, it can be used to manufacture quicklime, which suggests a perfect machine of sorts.

Answer 3

I suspect the energy required to perform this hypothetical process would require a lot of power... hence even more carbon in the atmosphere.

Growing algae likely is an easier way -- mostly solar energy goes in, the algae can be processed pretty efficiently into biofuels.  

I think your idea might be better than corn biofuels, but not as good as sugarcane or algae biofuels.

Answer 4

Why in the h**l would you need to do that when there is 100s of billions of gallons of oil in the earth!

the amount of carbon that would have to be collected from the atmosphere would have to be outragious.... itll never happen. just convert your car to run off of LP or water. much more eco friendly.

Answer 5

You'd have to burn a lot more oil to power your process than the amount of oil you could produce. The carbon you put into the atmosphere by burning the fuel to power the process would be far greater than the carbon your process takes out of the atmosphere. You need to learn about entropy.