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Carbon Capture and Carbon-Neutral Fuels
The evolution of carbon-neutral energy production is key to protecting the climate from the impact of humans and our energy-hungry lifestyle.
Carbon neutral fuels are synthetic fuels produced from renewable or nuclear energy which is used to combine hydrogen and recycled carbon dioxide. The carbon needed to produce hydrocarbon fuel can be captured from power plant exhaust, the atmosphere or carbonic gases in sea water. By reusing carbon that would otherwise be expelled into the atmosphere, more fuel is produced that doesn't add to the carbon normally released.
Energy is required to produce such fuel, but using renewables such as wind power or hydroelectric or nuclear power, ensures that the net carbon released is zero.
The United States Renewable Energy Association says: “Most coal and natural gas power plants have been predicted to be economically retrofittable with carbon dioxide scrubbers for carbon capture to recycle flue exhaust or for carbon sequestration. Such recycling is expected to not only cost less than the excess economic impacts of climate change if it were not done, but also to pay for itself as global fuel demand growth and peak oil shortages increase the price of petroleum and fungible natural gas.”
The Navy has studied options for ships at sea to use this process to produce jet fuel from sea water. The cost could be about $6 per gallon. The current costs to ship a gallon of jet fuel for underway refueling average about $8 per gallon.
The Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) is a San Francisco Bay Area scientific partnership led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and includes other high-level national labs in the development of the next generation of biofuels – liquid fuels derived from the solar energy stored in plant biomass. Their research is focused on the efficient conversion into fuels of lignocellulosic biomass, the most abundant organic material on the planet.
Why is renewable energy important?
Renewable energy is important because of the benefits it provides. The key benefits are:
Environmental Benefits
Renewable energy technologies are clean sources of energy that have a much lower environmental impact than conventional energy technologies.
Resources
NREL
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located in Golden, Colorado, is the United States' primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility, and is funded through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
ACORE
"Building a secure and prosperous America with clean, renewable energy." The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) brings together leading proponents and innovators from all facets of the renewable energy sector for the purpose of moving renewable energy into the mainstream of America's economy.
EESI
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute was established by members of the United States Congress who were concerned with environmental and energy problems. The Institute's program includes policy and related research on global environmental issues, including climate change.
Wind energy is energy harnessed from moving air caused by temperature and pressure differences in the atmosphere. The sun heats the air, forcing it to rise as temperatures rise. When temperatures fall, an atmospheric low pressure zone develops and air from high pressure areas rushes in to fill the void and equalize the pressure. The result is wind, which can be captured with wind turbines.
The Earth's most abundant energy source, the sun, provides enough energy in one hour to fulfill the world's energy needs for a year. But only recently has practical and efficient solar power capture technology come onto the market. Early photovoltaic cells converted only 1 % of sunlight into energy. Newer technologies can average 25-30% conversion.
Water power has been around for thousands of years in the form of water wheels and mills. In more recent times, hydropower evolved into 
The Earth's core has been cooling since the planet's formation. That, combined with radioactive decay, totals up to an energy potential of 100 billion times worldwide annual energy consumption. The heat from the Earth is constantly rising towards the surface. Places where it emerges, such as hot springs, have been used by humans for centuries. Electrical generation from geothermal heat has also been possible for over 100 years.