As we have been hearing, "Global Warming" is basically due to the fact that there is too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere - the atmosphere is out of balance. We learned in high school biology that animals breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, while plants "breathe" in carbon dioxide and "breathe" out oxygen. In a balanced eco-system this process keeps approximately the same amount oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, neglecting occasional spikes from volcanoes and massive fires. However, as trees are cut down to supply and make room for more humans, and carbon dioxide-producing combustion from power plants, manufacturing, and auto/aircraft exhaust increases, the balance tips toward more and more carbon dioxide and less and less oxygen in the air. So we need more trees and less combustion - difficult with growing population, but possible, and something to work on. But what else can we do?

Many say we must go to electric cars to reduce exhaust. But the electricity to a large extent (until, if ever, we have enough wind, water, geothermal, and nuclear power) must still come from combustion of coal, oil, or natural gas, all producing carbon dioxide. A parallel problem is that these combustibles are in shrinking supply.

Today, on TV I was reminded of something I knew years ago when I worked in the oil fields: Almost two-thirds of the oil in American fields is left in the ground when the field is initially abandoned due to insufficient remaining pressure in the well for continued flow. Now at $100 per barrel it becomes economical to pump steam into the wells to increase the pressure and force out more of the oil. So what does that have to do with a balanced eco-system.

Well, what if we collected the carbon dioxide from the combustion of oil-fired power plants and pumped IT down the wells to increase the pressure? - voila! Less carbon dioxide in the air from electricity generation, which provides power for more non-polluting autos, AND, due to increased pressure in the wells, more fuel for the oil-fired power plants producing the electricity .

Will it work? Darned if I know - that is what the WORKING engineers can figure out. PS it sure should. PPS cannot be financed until we stop wasting money in Iraq!