We have rather extensively documented the potential of collecting and processing the Carbon Dioxide that arises from our use of coal, and other industrial processes, and using the reduction products to manufacture more liquid fuel and useful organic chemicals.
The science is even more advanced than we had previously indicated. And, processes are being developed that would reduce the energy inputs required to transmute CO2 into useful hydrocarbons - such as gasoline.
Into additional evidence of that fact, we submit the attached article.
The excerpt, with comment following:
"It has been shown that CO2 could be transformed into hydrocarbons when it is in contact with water vapour and catalysts under UV irradiation. This paper presents an experimental set-up to study the process employing a new approach of heterogeneous photocatalysis using pellet form of catalyst instead of immobilized catalysts on solid substrates. In the experiment, CO22 pellets and illuminated by various UV lamps of different wavelengths for 48 h continuously. The gaseous products extracted were identified using gas chromatography. The results confirmed that CO2 could be reformed in the presence of water vapour and TiO2 pellets into CH4 under continuous UV irradiation at room conditions. It showed that when UVC (253.7 nm) light was used, total yield of methane was approximately 200 ppm which was a fairly good reduction yield as compared to those obtained from the processes using immobilized catalysts through thin-film technique and anchoring method. CO and H2 were also detected. Switching from UVC to UVA (365 nm) resulted in significant decrease in the product yields. The pellet form of catalyst has been found to be attractive for use in further research on photocatalytic reduction (of Carbon Dioxide)..." mixed with water vapour in saturation state was discharged into a quartz reactor containing porous TiO
In other words, as we've been saying, CO2 can be transformed, when combined with water (to get the needed Hydrogen), into "hydrocarbons", and, just like green plants, we can effect the transmutation using the economical power of light (i.e. "UV irradiation" - JtM).
Carbon Dioxide arising from our use of coal is not a pollutant. It is a raw material resource.