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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Giant trees 'to clear excess CO2' | Giant trees 'to clear excess CO2' |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The scientist who coined the term "global warming" in the 1970s has proposed a radical solution to the problem of climate change. | The scientist who coined the term "global warming" in the 1970s has proposed a radical solution to the problem of climate change. |
| Wallace Broecker advocated millions of "carbon scrubbers" - giant artificial trees to pull CO2 from the air. | Wallace Broecker advocated millions of "carbon scrubbers" - giant artificial trees to pull CO2 from the air. |
| Dr Broecker told the Hay literary festival in Powys: "We've got an extremely serious problem. | |
| He added: "It's a race against time and we are just sort of crawling along at a slow pace." | He added: "It's a race against time and we are just sort of crawling along at a slow pace." |
| He said some 20 million of the scrubbing devices would be required to capture all the CO2 currently produced in the US. | He said some 20 million of the scrubbing devices would be required to capture all the CO2 currently produced in the US. |
| Looking at countries like Germany and here in the UK the will is developing Dr Wallace Broecker | Looking at countries like Germany and here in the UK the will is developing Dr Wallace Broecker |
| But he told the festival: "Okay, you say that's enormous, but we make 55 million cars a year, so if we really wanted to we could. Over 30 or 40 years we could easily make that number." | But he told the festival: "Okay, you say that's enormous, but we make 55 million cars a year, so if we really wanted to we could. Over 30 or 40 years we could easily make that number." |
| After addressing the festival, Dr Broecker told the BBC News website that 60 million of the devices would be needed worldwide at an estimated cost of $600bn (£303bn) a year. | After addressing the festival, Dr Broecker told the BBC News website that 60 million of the devices would be needed worldwide at an estimated cost of $600bn (£303bn) a year. |
| The towers would be about 50ft high and 8ft in diameter, and use a special type of plastic to absorb the CO2. | The towers would be about 50ft high and 8ft in diameter, and use a special type of plastic to absorb the CO2. |
| The gas would then be either liquefied under pressure and pumped underground or turned into a mineral. | The gas would then be either liquefied under pressure and pumped underground or turned into a mineral. |
| Political will | Political will |
| Dr Broecker said the most likely location for the towers would be desert areas of the planet. | Dr Broecker said the most likely location for the towers would be desert areas of the planet. |
| However, he admitted that such a project faced an uphill struggle. | However, he admitted that such a project faced an uphill struggle. |
| "If I were a betting man I would bet against it because I don't know if we have the political will to do it," he said. | "If I were a betting man I would bet against it because I don't know if we have the political will to do it," he said. |
| "But looking at countries like Germany and here in the UK the will is developing." | "But looking at countries like Germany and here in the UK the will is developing." |
| He said the challenge was to get rapidly developing countries such China, India and Brazil behind the idea. | He said the challenge was to get rapidly developing countries such China, India and Brazil behind the idea. |