SCIENTISTS working in a lab somewhere in Tennessee, USA, had on Oct 21, 2016, accidentally converted carbon dioxide (CO2) into ethanol, while their actual experiment was to convert it into methane using a catalyst.

Ethanol is a green fuel and can be used for any purpose to extract energy from. The process is cheap and occurs at room temperature. CO2 is the major component of all the greenhouse gases. This process, if realised on a large-scale, can have environmental and economical benefits.

It can change the face of global economy and slow the pace of, if not halt, climate change and global warming. A little research is required.

Ishaq Yousafzai

Peshawar

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2017