CO2 from burning POD biomethane

The carbon dioxide from biomethane was removed from the atmosphere less than a year before burning the biomethane. This carbon dioxide is in a very quick and natural cycle: into the air, out of the air and into aquatic plants, from aquatic plants into biomethane, and back into the air. Biomethane does not change atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. Biomethane allows the opportunity of reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations if the carbon dioxide from biomethane power plants is captured and sequestered (which is possible for less cost than the sequestration now being discussed for some coal plants). [back]

CO2 from burning fossil fuels

The carbon dioxide formed by plants into fossil fuels was removed from the atmosphere over millions of years. Burning fossil fuels now increases atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations rapidly. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, a little bit in the atmosphere keeps us warm. A little more causes sudden Climate Change that is very bad for the economy (and people) and the other creatures of Earth. Capturing and sequestering the carbon dioxide from a coal burning power plant might neutralize the carbon dioxide exhaust from that coal, but can never remove the excess carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere. The excess carbon dioxide burned yesterday and today will continue Climate Change and increasing ocean acidity for a thousand years, unless the PODenergy process is used to capture and sequester it. [back]

aquatic plants

Sunlight powers algae (kelp, sargassum, or microalgae/plankton) to grow anywhere in the top few meters of the world's oceans, as long as there are sufficient nutrients. These usually come from currents that bring up nutrients from the deep ocean. During sun powered photosynthesis, plants convert carbon dioxide and water into more plant material and give off oxygen. In natural ecosystems the aquatic plants support a diversity of sea life and sustain fisheries.
[back]

natural bacteria digestion

In nature, dead plants and animal waste are recycled into the nutrients to grow more plants. Life creates the conditions for more life, all powered by the Sun. Some bacteria perform this service without oxygen, a process called anaerobic digestion. The process is so gentle, bacteria are anerobically digesting biomass in your stomach while you read this. Anaerobic digestion happens naturally wherever there is biomass without oxygen: a cow's stomach, a swamp, the ocean (after oxygen is depleted by other bacteria), etc. Humans have learned to control anaerobic digestion to treat waste and produce biomethane at wastewater treatment plants and landfills. [back]

nutrients recycled

Anaerobic digestion releases essential nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorous, and trace minerals out of the aquatic plants so that the nutrients are usable by the next generation of aquatic plants. Recycling nutrients is essential to making PODenergy a sustainable ecosystem. [back]

renewable methane captured

Anaerobic digestion also produces the gases biomethane, carbon dioxide, and a little hydrogen sulfide. This biomethane is identical to fossil natural gas. That is; biomethane substitutes for natural gas in all existing gas transportation, storage, and energy conversion infrastructure. The large-scale availability of biomethane allows us to replace coal and oil and natural gas by biomethane. Biomethane can also be converted into renewable liquid fuels, renewable plastics, and agriculture fertilizers. [back]

liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestered permanently

The pressure of the ocean causes the carbon dioxide produced by anaerobic digestion to dissolve into the water, just like the bubbles in champagne. After the pure carbon dioxide is dissolved, it can be captured and sequestered. When the bubbles of pure carbon dioxide are compressed, they convert to a liquid. Once the liquid is below 3,000 meters deep at typical ocean temperatures, it will be denser than seawater. It will be stable in easily inspected containers on the sea floor for eons. The result will be less CO2 in the water, returning ocean acidity back to normal and restoring the oceans to health. [back]