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Scientists to Vie for $25M Climate Prize
British tycoon Richard Branson dangled a $25 million prize before the world's top scientists Friday seeking to spur research into devising ways to suck greenhouse gases out of the air.
Former Vice President Al Gore lent his support to the challenge, which came a week after a landmark report by the world's leading climate scientists and government officials warned that global warming will continue, creating a far different planet in 100 years.
"Man created the problem, therefore man should solve the problem," Branson said.
He compared the quest to a competition Britain's Parliament launched in 1714 to devise a method of estimating longitude accurately. Six decades passed before English clockmaker John Harrison received his prize from King George III for discovering an accurate method.
"The Earth cannot wait 60 years. We need everybody capable of discovering an answer to put their minds to it today," Branson said.
Branson hopes his offer will lead to a viable machine for vacuuming the Earth's atmosphere of carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases blamed for rising temperatures.
It's an idea many scientists and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change say may be possible someday.
David Keith, a University of Calgary engineering professor who has a provisional patent on carbon atmospheric capture technology, said the key is developing a process that is cost effective.
"People have been doing it for 50 years ... after all the plant in my office does it," he said.
Story
British tycoon Richard Branson dangled a $25 million prize before the world's top scientists Friday seeking to spur research into devising ways to suck greenhouse gases out of the air.
Former Vice President Al Gore lent his support to the challenge, which came a week after a landmark report by the world's leading climate scientists and government officials warned that global warming will continue, creating a far different planet in 100 years.
"Man created the problem, therefore man should solve the problem," Branson said.
He compared the quest to a competition Britain's Parliament launched in 1714 to devise a method of estimating longitude accurately. Six decades passed before English clockmaker John Harrison received his prize from King George III for discovering an accurate method.
"The Earth cannot wait 60 years. We need everybody capable of discovering an answer to put their minds to it today," Branson said.
Branson hopes his offer will lead to a viable machine for vacuuming the Earth's atmosphere of carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases blamed for rising temperatures.
It's an idea many scientists and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change say may be possible someday.
David Keith, a University of Calgary engineering professor who has a provisional patent on carbon atmospheric capture technology, said the key is developing a process that is cost effective.
"People have been doing it for 50 years ... after all the plant in my office does it," he said.
Story
