A team of researchers from the University of Wyoming says they've created a carbon capture device capable of trapping 90% of CO2 at low cost.

Traditional attempts to suck CO2 out of emissions are expensive due to the cost of materials and the need to compress or refrigerate gases beforehand. Called the Carbon Filter Process, the technology is unique in that it can work at normal pressure and can be bought for around $40 per ton.

So what is this wonder material with the carbon munchies?  I'm almost afraid to say it. It's coal. To be more specific, it can be any number of absorbent carbon materials including charcoal, activated carbon, and virgin coal.

The typical combustion power plant vents gas at 11-12% CO2 concentration and a fair amount of Nitrogen. Unlike other materials, these carbon-based sponges absorb almost pure carbon, with only 10% nitrogen coming along for the ride. As a bonus, the process has the potential to sequester other nasty pollutants like mercury.

Early results suggest that activated carbon may be the best bet, removing CO2 for around $20/ton, about 60% better than one of the best available methods (called amine absorption).

Once gathered up, the carbon can be stored in geological reservoirs. However, the authors say that oil and gas companies could use the stuff to increase recovery of yet more carbony fossil fuels. They call this use "green" because it doesn't require massive amounts of water to be pumped into deposits, but it seems a little like going to confession, then stealing from the offering plate.

Like the tri-generation solar I wrote about the other day, I'm not sure why this hasn't been done before. For the owners of a coal-fired plant, the solution is literally right under their noses. I must be in some kind of fever-induced dream state in which environmental problems solve themselves.

So there it is. Possibly the most environmentally destructive substance on Earth could save the planet from, well, itself. Somebody call Merriam-Webster, they need to add a definition to the word "Irony."