Coca-Cola To Save World From Global Warming: Carbon Dioxide Could Be Captured, Used In Drink

An unlikely product may be used to help save the world from the effects of greenhouse gas emissions. A government report indicates that carbon dioxide could be captured from the burning of fossil fuels and used to add fizz to Coco-Cola products, along with other carbonated beverages. Thus, instead of the carbon dioxide making its way into the atmosphere, it would make its way onto store shelves in the form of soda.

The Daily Mail reports that the idea of capturing carbon dioxide emissions and using it to fizz soda products like Coca-Cola was discussed by an Australian government agency’s Energy White Paper as a possible means of using captured carbon emissions. The paper discusses the process of utilizing Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies as a way to cut greenhouse gas emission in Australia.

The White Paper indicates that there would be a number of possibilities for use of carbon dioxide captured by CCS technologies. Products that already use carbon, such as Coco-cola who uses CO2 to carbonate its beverages, could use the captured carbon as a sort of recycling project. If additional CO2 remained, geologists suggest it could be stored in specific deep geological formations on earth.

“If the CO2 can be captured before it is released to the atmosphere it can either be utilized in other products or permanently stored in deep geological formations.”

Australia is not only looking to utilize carbon dioxide from fossil fuel emissions inside its country, it has also spoke with countries that rely heavily on fossil fuels to look into possible innovative uses of the emissions. Some ideas included carbonating beverages for use in plastics and even using the CO2 to grow algae for bio-fuel production.

“Australia has worked closely with other countries which rely heavily on fossil fuels to investigate opportunities to utilise CO2 in products such as carbonated drinks and plastics or to enhance the growth of oil-rich algae in solar bioreactors to produce biofuel.”

The Ministry for Industry and Science says that by utilizing innovative CCS technologies, Australia would set the standard framework for a change in the energy marketplace. Therefore, the government agency hopes to set policy standards that would make it an energy superpower, including the use of carbon capture processes.

“Strengthening the policy settings for Australia’s energy sector is necessary in a changing energy marketplace and I am confident the framework provided in this White Paper will help Australia reaffirm its position as an energy superpower.”

What do you think about the possibility of beverage companies like Coca-Cola using carbon dioxide captured from fossil fuels production to carbonate the beverages you consume?

[Image Credit: Coca Cola Website]