I’ve heard of hydrogen being used as an alternative energy source, and solar energy is another alternative, however has anyone considered using carbon? The main issue with climate change is carbon emission, so is it possible for carbon to be used as fuel?
In: Earth Science
In theory it can, but the downside is that everything you use would have to be powered by burning charcoal. So that would not be an optimal solution. Quite the opposite in fact. So the practical answer is…no.
So you’d like to use carbon to replace carbon as a fuel source?
Thus burning said carbon would put it back into the air again.
There have been efforts of recapture CO2 from the air and reuse it. This obviously requires energy input and isn’t actually reducing the carbon in the air.
Carbon is already the primary fuel source. Specifically, hydrocarbons (molecules of hydrogen and carbon in various arrangements) are the combustible component in gasoline, diesel fuel, coal, natural gas, etc. when these hydrocarbons are burnt, the hydrogen bonds with oxygen to become water vapor (H2O), while the carbon combines with oxygen to become carbon dioxide (CO2) or carbon monoxide (CO). These new carbon-oxygen molecules are more stable, so that they cannot be combusted again.
Carbon is coal, and we do use it as a fuel source. Carbon-based fuel can be used instead, such as oil and all other fossil fuels. “Carbon emission” is the emission of carbon dioxide, which is the product of burning carbon-based fuels.
Hydrogen is a joke, in terms of commercial power generation. Its only possible utility is in cars.
Carbon is essentially what we are using already. And it’s the reason why there are “carbon emissions.” Because the fuel we’re using is based around carbon.