Richard Branson's quest to fund the extraction of greenhouse gases
"We have only our own ingenuity and we have no hope of a meaningful solution unless we find a way to work together. Necessity is the mother of invention." - Richard Branson
Virgin Empire giant Richard Branson is willing to put his money where his mouth is. Citing the Ansari X Prize as partial inspiration, Branson is offering a $25 million prize to the scientist who devises a system to significantly reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Al Gore joined Branson as the announcement was made. Gore, politician turned environmentalist, is the man behind the film, "An Inconvenient Truth", which focuses on mankind's contribution towards global warming. Recently, scientists sponsored by the United Nations published a report which in no uncertain terms indicated that global warming is real, and that man is at fault. The scientific group will publish their ideas on what to do about it later this year.
One east way to contribute to the cause yourself is to choose a fuel-efficient vehicle. We'll be here to help you do just that.
Related:- Update from the Automotive X Prize team
- Richard Branson promotes alternative fuel movement by driving a Saab 9-5 BioPower
- Virgin Fuels officially announced, invests in Cilion's ethanol plants
[Source: CNN]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Reynaldo Anabo 12:38PM (8/13/2008)
What's the mechanics in joining your challenge competition?
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Reynaldo Anabo 10:19AM (8/25/2008)
Yes I'm confirming my solution idea entry. From this lone individual proponent to comply the challenge, all that we need to do, first, identify resources & potentials of community. Involve the entire community to develop completely all possible GHG-removing endeavors that can be develop. Ensuring that development are hinged-capably to CDM program where all 3 categories are simultaneous implemented. It is the only way that exhausting implementable development endeavors will be the solution to comply initial challenge. Through few clustered communities where all possible development/s are worked out, thence, replicated nationwide, several more tons are removed. Replicate further to all 3rd world countries, more further tons are removed thereby facilitating mitigation of global warming. This personal comment simply use readily-existing ideas, practices, & technologies.
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Reynaldo Anabo 1:07PM (8/13/2008)
Yes I'm confirming my 1st comment in Sir Richard Branson's challenge.
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Dr. Kenneth Noisewater 2:22PM (8/13/2008)
How about one of these:
http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?ch=specialsections&sc=solar&id=18582&a=
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singh sj 2:04AM (9/02/2008)
Man will not stop destroying the earth because of his greed, the solution lies in repair and progress. The ozone layer has to be repaired and we may have possible solutions that are available. Contact us for more information on possible solutions.
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crm114 10:01PM (2/10/2007)
Someone could devise a type of self replicating, solar powered machine, which pulls CO2 from the atmosphere, releases the oxygen, then stores the carbon and deposits it back in the earth when it dies. We could then plant these machines all over the earth, maybe even in the spots that used to be rainforest.
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ali 3:09AM (2/11/2007)
[deleted for inappropriate content]
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TDIMeister 11:17AM (2/11/2007)
No need to devise anything. We've had them for much of the Earth's history. They're called trees.
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TDIMeister 11:18AM (2/11/2007)
BTW, I do see your sarcasm. :)
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Joseph T. McCullough 3:45AM (2/13/2007)
I wish to enter the Virgin Earth Challenge with a device capable of reducing pollutants at a rate higher than your stated amounts. Please contact me via e-mail for details.
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Doug R 1:55PM (2/13/2007)
"Can you play ball with me?"
"No...why, I'm too important!"
"Oh...come on, please!?!"
"NO! I don't like you! You have more money than me and you're able to fly more often than even me and spew even more CO2 into the atmosphere. Where's Laurie David? I'll bet she has more money than you!!!"
"You're an @*%hole!"
"You've been talking to the Secret Service. They're all liars!!!!!"
So I guess if a scientist meets his challenge and ends up causing "global cooling", all the enviromentalists will say: "See! We told you so! Man can effect the climate! We were right and you were wrong! NA! NA! NA-NA! NA!"
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Doug R 2:54PM (2/13/2007)
Come on!!! Everybody!!!!
"We got the whole world, in our hands.......We got the whole world, in our hands.......We got the whole world in our hands, we got the whole world in our hands!!!!!!!"
WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
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Steve Chambers 2:06PM (2/21/2007)
The strange thing is we already have the answer. The earth works on a perfect balance controlled by two poles, (North & South) the people that live on that perfect creation, should do the same! Think what perfect energy would do, people under estimate the mind, you could generate such power, creating the perfect planet on a perfect planet. We are the answer. We were given this world with everything we need to sustain life, we are going backward, not forward. Mr Branson, I dont want your 25 million, as then I would be going backward, but maybe everyone should read this mail, and just maybe we can begin to really put things right. I admire you and always have, beacuse you genuinely care what happens, so my hat goes off to you. The life that graces the earth should keep it well, isn't that called nature?. We are the key part to the mechanism of life. why is it everything has to be electronic or machanical, life didn't begin with nuts and bolts, and circuit boards, it began because it was a perfect situation at a perfect moment in time, its up to us to keep that going in its purest form. I am not a religious person but believe we are our own gods, each and everyone one of us!!!
Well done Mr Branson.
Steve Chambers UK
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DOUG 6:22PM (2/21/2007)
Hi, Richard I don't know if you got my previous e mail but I'm pretty sure I have a way of slowing down carbon dioxide. How would I go about this idea? THANKS Doug
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sdrg469 3:44PM (3/01/2007)
Hello,
If NASA could put off sending shuttles into space for ONE year I think we would see a drastic drop in CO2 levels.
The money saved by NOT sending a shuttle could be used to help hunger and the medical crisis; I believe. We should be worrying about taking care of the planet we inhabit instead of trying to find another.
If I can get my Idea to work HOW do I submit it to you?
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CGK 1:02PM (3/02/2007)
" If every American family planted just one tree, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere would be reduced by one billion lbs annually. This is almost 5% of the amount that human activity pumps into the atmosphere each year [American Forestry Association Tree Facts: Growing Greener Cities, 1992]". Think how many trees we can plant along the highways in every city in US, and barren lands in US alone. Someone has to approach the government and give them the money to hire urban planners, buy resources, and manpower to do this job. We need to hire civil engineers to devise a carefully planned program of land management, drainage, planting trees along the highways and barren lands, make citizens aware of the benefits of planting trees in their yards and provide them the know-how of which trees to plant (better still donate saplings). There is no machine better than the ones devised by nature itself that can do this job of cleaning up the environment. We humans need to truly appreciate the power in our control, and benefits of trees and plants in our environment. Planting trees, along with a strict control of industrial and automotive emissions, we will clean up not only the greenhouse gases but will extend the benefits into our personal lives as well. Living in an environment surrounded with trees is known to provide relief from depression-related problems--such as learning disabilities, weight gain, drug habituation--the list is endless. So what we really need is a grassroot movement where each one of us makes a choice--I am going to do my part by planting a tree in my yard, and wherever else I have the power to do so. I will make others aware of those benefits; I will donate tree saplings to friends and family as presents; Gift registry--how about include saplings in it as one of the gifts; get your vehicle fixed if it is emitting fumes beyond what is mandated; ask your state senators and local representatives to plant trees along the highways and build tree-parks if they want to be elected. Think and act.
Charu Gupta Kumar, US
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E Gael Spishak 2:52PM (5/31/2007)
Dear Richard Branson
Help Save the environment
In Arizona USA 100s of 1,000s of acres of desert have been irrigated and turned into lush green fertile land. Huge concrete canals carry water hundreds of miles. Agriculture, gardens, golf course and parks all with vegetation cleaning the air (For the moment ignore the car pollution because people live there).
If this could be done in the third world, in uninhabitable land and other desert countries, the billions and billions of addition plants and forests of trees would be so beneficial. Where would the water come from? Wind powered desalination plants (like Lanzarote) which themselves would cause no pollution. If this could be done in a big enough way in all drought ridden areas and all underground water reserves replenished the sea level might even be lowered a fraction. This would also eliminate the need for wars over habitable land and water supplies. No one ever mention the pollution of war. The benefits to the poor and hungry would be immeasurable.
Finance would be an obstacle but perhaps one of the major oil companies would like to branch out and invest in water. Perhaps the £25m you have put on offer could go towards the first installation. Donate a tree campaigns could provide resources from the public around the world. The city of London is concerned about the Thames Barrier being breached and the £80 billion of damage this would cause, perhaps they and many other places in similar circumstances would like to contribute
I hope this suggestion will stimulate some creative thinking.
Gael S
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Carl 2:10AM (3/17/2007)
To Richard Branson, I can show you how to reduce carbondioxcide and increase the oxygen level at the same time, and increase sea life, and productivity. And you can have it done yourself. The new Vergin Sea Life. All i want is the reward, you can have the fame. Carl Email Me
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myne 7:43AM (3/26/2007)
I believe there's a way to do it while also being low maintainance, and not making the people with the land unhappy.
Look to the sea.
the ocean makes up about 70% of the world's surface. By default that means there's 70% of the worlds sunlight hitting the ocean. As we're all aware, photosynthesis is the most effective way to reduce carbondioxide. The sea is also infinitely watered, and by simple fac that there are already plants growing there, must contain appropriate minerals needed for growth.
Also.
"The ocean contains an estimated 40,000 billion tons of carbon, as compared to 750 billion tons in the atmosphere and about 2200 billion tons on land. This means that, were we to take all the atmospheric CO2 and put it in the deep ocean, the concentration of CO2 in the ocean would change by less than 2%. "
http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/002056.html
So, we need to bio-engineer a weed.
Something like this :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sargassum#References
Only, it would have to be :
Fast growing, fast reproducing, float naturally and be very hardy. I picture vast tracts of ocean literally covered in this weed.
So, if we're planning on covering the ocean, we ahould probably add some extra attributes to this engineered weed.
Desired attributes ; knock on effects :
Edible by fish ; greatly reduce current overfishing problems by providing appropriate food and shelter sources for fish populations.
This would have other knock on effects to predators and marine mammals. Currently where I live, overfishing is blamed for an increase in shark attacks in shallow beach waters.
Edible by humans ; Ideally, I'd like to see it engineered into something like a current staple food. Look to potatoes, rice, wheat, sugar cane and corn for inspiration there. With an ocean full of edible food (through extra fish and a new staple) we could effectively cure world hunger - without the loss of land associated with current crops or the cost of production aspect. The only costs would be transport. The food would effectively be free to all and plentiful.
Edible by cattle ; I dont think this really needs explaining too much. I figure if it's edible by fish, humans, and grazing beasts, we can convert that co2 into whatever form we prefer. If we buy bales of seaweed instead of hay and it results in nice juicy steaks, I dont see many complaining. It could reduce the current need to expand grazing land which might result in the saving of many forests.
Fermentable ; It'd be desirable if it was readily fermented into alcohol or bio-diesel.
Obviously this appears to work against the green principle, but oil isnt going to go away any time soon. If we can engineer a carbon cycle for the oil, whereby the effect of burning some of it is far outweighed by the reduction of co2 in the first place, the net effect should still be quite positive.
Fertiliser ; like all plants, when they die, it rots. With concern about topsoil loss, rivers carrying minerals out to sea to be 'lost' and the fact that most fertiliser is oil based, this plant, if it was truely a weed, would be great if it could be collected and dumped onto existing farmland as a fertiiser.
Assuming it could be done, the down side is that there's a good chance that it would cause the extinction of many reefs. It'd likely be a problem initially for fishermen, and it might cause our other failings as a species to become apparent. Things like murcury may likely come back to haunt us if it was used as the basis of most of our food either directly through consumption or consumption of grain fertilised by it or fish and livestock fed it.
Like anything, there are pro's and cons. I see the potential pro's as outweighing the cons - if it were engineered to take these things into account.
We do have the technology. We do have the expertise. All we need is direction and funding.
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William Malley, III 9:24AM (7/08/2007)
I believe, you might be interested in reading my solution to the carbon dioxide problem. It's an online version of my entry into a certain challenge. The name of the challenge must remain unspoken at this point due to clauses in the participation agreement I signed. This is not some kind of humorous foolishness. I believe I have come up with a realistic commonsense approach that will actually work.
By using my, patent pending, method we get an economically advantageous side benefit, that might make this solution profitable for most everyone. I respectfully recommend that you add a link to my page from your pages. Though you don't really need it, I give you my permission to do this. You may if you wish, quote up to 300 words of my entry document on your pages.
http://theshancreekgang.com/carbon.html
Sincerely; William Eugene Malley
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