Frontiers, Opportunities, and Challenges in Biochemical and Chemical Catalysis of CO 2 Fixation

Two major energy-related problems confront the world in the
\nnext 50 years. First, increased worldwide competition for
\ngradually depleting fossil fuel reserves (derived from past
\nphotosynthesis) will lead to higher costs, both monetarily and politically. Second, atmospheric CO_2 levels are at their highest recorded level since records began. Further increases are predicted to produce large and uncontrollable impacts on the world climate. These projected impacts extend beyond climate to ocean acidification, because the ocean is a major sink for atmospheric CO2.1 Providing a future energy supply that is secure and CO_2-neutral will require switching to nonfossil energy sources such as wind,…

• UD
  U.S. Department of Energy
• WS
  Washington State University
• UD
  Université de Strasbourg
• UO
  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• OO
  Office of Science
• BE
  Basic Energy Sciences