Skip to main content

GE has a crazy new plan to harvest CO2 from the atmosphere and use it to store solar energy

If there’s one “resource” the planet has too much of, it’s carbon dioxide. One of the primary components to the greenhouse gases thought to be responsible for climate change, CO2 has long been the bane of our environment’s health. But now, GE thinks it may have found a way to repurpose this gas into a useful energy source — harvesting CO2 to actually create new solar batteries. It’s the ultimate 180 on carbon dioxide’s harmful effects, and while scientists have long captured and stored CO2 emissions, it’s been unclear as to how best to utilize these massive reserves. That is, until now.

Effectively, GE hopes to use the CO2 as an enormous battery whose chief purpose would be to store solar energy. Although the sun is a great source of energy, it’s rather undependable — after all, the sun has to be out in order for us to capture its rays. “That’s the grand challenge,” Stephen Sanborn, senior engineer at GE Global Research said in a statement. “We need to make renewable energy available to the grid when it is needed.”

Recommended Videos

And that’ll happen with the help of the significant CO2 reserves scientists have been storing for ages. The process would work in two stages — first, solar energy would be captured and kept in a liquid of molten salt. Then, extra energy from the power grid would cool CO2 into dry ice. When power is needed, the salt would turn the dry ice CO2 into what is known as a “supercritical” fluid, which is matter that does not have specific liquid or gas phases. The supercritical fluid would in turn flow into a CO2 turbine called a sunrotor, whereupon energy would be disseminated as needed.

It sounds plenty complicated, but according to Sanborn, it’ll actually be incredibly cost-effective. “It is so cheap because you are not making the energy, you are taking the energy from the sun or the turbine exhaust, storing it and transferring it,” he says. The scientist claims that sunrotors could operate with 68 percent efficiency, which is significantly better than today’s most effective gas power plants, which are only 61 percent effective. “The result is a high-efficiency, high-performance renewable energy system that will reduce the use of fossil fuels for power generation,” Sanborn says.

We’re still around five to ten years away from seeing these babies in action, but don’t despair, environmental activists — there is a way to fight greenhouse gasses. And in a way, it’s with greenhouse gases themselves.

Lulu Chang
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more