Sea-bed plan to store carbon

[paparush]

Storing carbon dioxide under the sea-bed could help to reduce global warming, according to US scientists.
The proposals involve pumping the gas miles underground then injecting it under the sea floor.

There is enough space for almost unlimited carbon emissions, a US team reports in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Previous plans to store carbon under the sea have drawn criticism because of concerns over leakage and safety.

Supporters of the latest idea say that it overcomes these drawbacks and can be done with existing technology.

Previous suggestions for tackling rising carbon emissions by removing the gas from the atmosphere and storing it underground include:

* Storing carbon dioxide in oil and gas fields, or coal beds
* Injecting CO2 into the deep ocean
* Chemically transforming CO2 into solids or liquids that are thermodynamically stable

But these methods have raised concerns, notably the risk of leakage from geological storage sites, and fears that C02 dissolved in large quantities in the ocean might harm marine ecosystems.

Read the full story @ the BBC-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5255444.stm