Resnick Institute Seminar

Climate change is real, here, and potentially catastrophic in its effect. We argue that climate mitigation now requires not only emitting less greenhouse gas (GHG), but actually sources of negative carbon. We then present two technologies researched by our group, supertorrefiers (STRs) and molten salt breeder reactors (MSBRs), that taken together can result in a systematic lowering of GHG levels in the Earth's atmosphere. STRs have the potential of creating solid, liquid, and gaseous biofuels that are economically competitive with coal, petroleum, and natural gas. MSBRs can replace, over the long-term, the light water reactors in current usage with a walk-away safe, less expensive, more proliferation-resistant form of nuclear power, with acceptable solutions for the problems of high-level and low-level nuclear waste. Taken together, STRs and MSBRs allow a smooth and gradual transition away from fossil fuels while exploiting the storage, transportation, and power-generation infrastructures built up to support the fossil-fuel industry. If the biochar is buried rather than burned, the transition can occur in a manner,  which improves, rather than degrades, the environment with increased use.