Introduction
Air pollution is a serious problem in many countries, including China. The main source of air pollutants is fumes from burning fuels in industries or vehicles. China, being one of the most industrialized countries of the world, has had serious air pollution leading to clearly visible greenhouse effects (Song, 2017). The skies in China are largely misty, causing poor visibility. Most affected areas are the infrastructure hotspots where industrial activities are heightened (Hu, 2016). These areas include Beijing, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shanghai among many others. According to Chen (2018), property destroyed by floods caused by climate change may reach US$389 billion. Other effects include severe dust storms (northern China), less rainfall and strong snow storms in some areas of China. Stronger tropical cyclones have also been reported in some coastal areas of China, causing destruction of homes.
Orca Technology Absorbs Atmospheric CO2 and Converts it into Rocks
CO2 can be crystallized under certain chemical and physical conditions but the associated cost is high. The Orca equipment is designed to absorb carbon (IV) oxide from the air and convert it into solid rock deep underground. Orca was constructed by Iceland’s Climeworks Company and given the name, which in actual sense is Orka, meaning energy, in Iceland. Other than the cost of the equipment which will cost consumers between $10-15 million, the company reported that it would cost small consumers anything between $8 and $ 55 every month during which it will remove between 85kg to 600kg of CO2. This translates to about $ 1,100 per metric ton. Heavy consumers (like Bill Gates) would incur between $600 and $ 800 (Nicholson, 2021).The cost of the technology may derail its implementation, more so in the developing countries.
Orca plant uses the principle of separation of gaseous mixtures to isolate the gas from air. When air is passed through a porous membrane, large molecules are trapped while smaller ones pass over to the next level. In the Orca technology, the polluted air is drawn into the equipment by means of fans. The air enters the ‘collector’ which contain filter materials that allow only a given size of molecule to pass and not another. This way, carbon (IV) oxide molecules, being larger, are trapped within the filter material. When the filter material collects enough of the CO2, the temperature of the system is raised to vaporize the CO2 from the filter material. The vaporized gas is mixed with water and injected into an underground basalt rock (about 1000 meters deep) which helps the gas to turn into solid rock within a period of 2 years. The separation of the air is fast and effective but the process of turning the gas into solid rock is slow.
Orca Technology’s Future
The technology is new and implementation has only been tried in Iceland. However, the technology has received great reception around the world, with great hopes of finding a solution to the persistent, historical pollution problem of carbon emission. Most industrialized countries such as China stand to benefit the most since the effects of greenhouse are already visible. For instance, many regions in China have a misty atmosphere resulting from greenhouse gases. The technology should be scrutinized, verified and implemented faster all over the world to save the world from drastic climatic changes.
The Orca technology, like any other, has displayed the Hype Cycle at its initial stages of implementation. First, the technology, as stated, has received a great reception around the world. Among other nations, China has already expressed interest in acquisition of the equipment. Secondly, the plant’s performance has been termed as ‘the world’s largest’, meaning it can absorb the greatest volume of the gas compared to any other technology. Various online publishers have already published the technology and a simple search of ‘Orca technology’ gives several results.
Traditional technologies absorb carbon (IV) oxide using lime water, at the point of exit of the gas. This traditional technology has many limitations and could only absorb a small percentage of the gas. Orca has shown great potential to disrupt the traditional technologies due to its ability to continuously absorb the gas from the air at an average of 400 tons per year. The main drawback to this technology is the high cost of implementation which may limit many from acquiring it. There are also uncertainties regarding its efficiency, which may slow down its acquisition as time passes. Disposal challenges, coupled with high initial cost, are expected to disrupt this technology.
How the Technology Will Foster Sustainability in China
Sustainable activities take into consideration environment and people’s well-being. China is among the most industrialized nations of the world and a manufacturing hub of vehicles. Increased emissions from the vehicles and industrial activities are not sustainable. In 2019 for instance, the country emitted about 10.2b metric tons of carbon (IV) oxide. Emission reduction, for this reason, is core to China’s sustainability plan. Increased emissions have led to climate change which in turn has caused a decrease in food production. The air pollution has also increased respiratory ailments and other health risks. Before China adopts the use of clean energy throughout its production activities, emission of carbon (IV) oxide will continue. Adoption of the Orca technology will foster sustainability in the following ways:
- Reducing emission thus restoring climate and food production
- Absorption of the gas and effectively minimizing it will ensure production activities are not hauled due to harsh climate
- Reduced emissions will create a clearer atmosphere with reduced incidences of air or road accidents
The Role of Toyota MNC in Solving the Pollution Problem
China adopted the free-market principles which have seen it grow into a market economy. Many multi-national corporations have invested in China, for example the Toyota Motor Co. with head office in Guangzhou. Its vehicles are widely used throughout the world and therefore their activities emit a significant amount of the gas into the atmosphere. Toyota, while carrying out its production activities, can help promote sustainability in China through adoption of the Orca technology. Sustainability is promoted in the following ways:
- Continued production of vehicles will earn China income through tax
- Adoption of the technology will facilitate restoration of China’s climate, which in turn will boost crop production.
Conclusion
The effects of carbon (IV) oxide emission into the atmosphere have reached worrying levels in China. Drastic measures are needed to restore the situation or else the existence of life in such countries is threatened. Carbon (IV) oxide is the main greenhouse gas emitted into the atmospheres of China and curbing its emission can greatly help reduce the already evident greenhouse effects in many parts of China. Orca technology is viable but its implementation may be challenging and will require concerted efforts at the initial stages to reduce the cost implications. Countries throughout the world must also increase the efforts put in controlling pollution before it gets too late to save the situation.
References
Chen, S. (2018). Climate change to cost China US$389 billion, but impact on trade will make US a big loser too, study says. South China Morning Post. Web.
Hu, X. (2016). Where will climate change impact China most? World Economic Forum. Web.
Nicholson, S. (2021). Carbon removal to the rescue? Current History, 120(829), 301-306. Web.
Song, C., Wu, L., Xie, Y., He, J., Chen, X., Wang, T., Liu, Y., Dai, Q., Liu, B., Wang, Y. N., & Mao, H. (2017). Air pollution in China: status and spatiotemporal variations. Environmental pollution, 227, 334-347. Web.