Two ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: cut down on its production, the direct approach, or see if you can salvage the byproduct... could this be considered the indirect approach?

University of California-San Diego scientists have unveiled a device which they hope will be able to make a dent on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere - and get something economically useful out of it. It's a catalytic converter that strips CO2 into carbon monoxide (CO), and oxygen (O). And, making Mother Earth smile even more, it's designed to use sunlight to power the catalysts.

Now the device is not yet optimal, so it requires a little extra juice from an external power source to complete the reaction. Still, it is a promising start. Now, carbon monoxide ain't exactly a breath of fresh air, but when captured, it does have some useful chemical and industrial uses. It can also be converted into liquid fuel (And so as long as it doesn't get into the atmosphere, well, we should be safe).

Currently the scientists are experimenting with gallium-phosphide materials for the solar-energy half of their catalytic converter. Because it can convert more solar energy into electrical energy, they believe that it should supply enough juice to complete the splitting reaction. Hey, it's a start, and it's way better than bellyaching.