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As a result of human activity, approximately 7 Gt of carbon are emitted to the earth’s atmosphere each year. A large portion of this carbon is in the form of gaseous CO₂, and approximately 30% of this CO₂ comes from fossil fuel power plants. In addition to rising levels of atmospheric CO₂, the earth’s temperature is increasing. Since CO₂ can act as a trap for heat (similar to the glass in a greenhouse), reduction of CO₂ emissions is an important area of research. Separation and sequestration of CO₂ are near-term goals for emissions reduction. Better fuel efficiency (in power production, transportation, and other areas) can be considered a mid-term goal. An acceptable long-term goal for reducing emissions is using alternate power sources such as nuclear, solar, and wind power. Because separation and sequestration are short-term goals, they are critical and challenging steps for researchers. Methods that are …