Our Pacific Northwest: Artificial Leaves Lead The Way To a Sustainable Future

Our Pacific Northwest

Artificial Leaves Lead The Way To a Sustainable Future

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have found inspiration in something we all take for granted on a daily basis. In a report filed by the San Francisco Chronicle this week, scientists have developed a rough prototype of artificial leaves that have the ability to convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into a chemical fuel. The process, which mimics the process of photosynthesis, has the potential to develop what they call a “drop-in” fuel which could power our automobiles and mass transit without releasing greenhouse gases into the air. The article went on to state that this process of artificial photosynthesis has the ability to retain more of the sun’s energy than other bio-fuels and can be easily compacted into a dense fuel which could fuel automobiles over long distances. Although the process is still in its early stages and faces many challenges ahead, we congratulate the scientists of our Pacific Northwest in pioneering a technique which could prove effective in combating our nation’s carbon footprint.