To rein in global warming, scientists believe it will not be
enough to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions: we will also need to remove CO2
from the atmosphere.
Soils are an important reservoir for carbon, as they contain
nearly double that found in the atmosphere and vegetation combined.
Agricultural practices have degraded soil carbon stocks, so there is a large
potential for atmospheric carbon to be sequestered in soils.
‘Artificial leaves’ are bringing us one step closer to cheap, renewable and commercially-viable fuels that could power your car, house or whole community, thanks to researchers at Monash University.
Professor Doug MacFarlane and his team at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science are using sun, water and CO2 to produce hydrogen and methanol fuels.
Their artificial photosynthesis takes its inspiration from the way plants convert sunlight into energy, and then recreates it in an industrial setting.
Life on land depends on plants. And every plant balances opening its pores to let in carbon dioxide for photosynthesis; and closing its pores to retain water.
Graham Farquhar’s work has transformed our understanding of photosynthesis.
His models of plant biophysics have been used to understand cells, whole plants, whole forests, and to create new water-efficient wheat varieties.
