California University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Dr. Mihri Özkan stated, "Currently, 1000 tons of carbon emissions affect one person's life in the future. By the end of the century, approximately 1 billion people could die.
These are facts supported by data. We need to somehow perceive and think about what can be done." She made these remarks during a panel discussion titled "Climate Change and Preventive Innovative Technologies" at Yaşar University.
Prof. Dr. Mihri Özkan, one of the three Turks among the 168 academic inventors selected from all over the world by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) in 2019 and recorded as the "first female academician" to receive this award at the university where she works, gave a presentation titled "Climate Change and Preventive Carbon Capture Technologies" at the panel.
Providing information about the "Direct Air Capture (DAC)" technology, which is a solution to reduce carbon emissions, Özkan emphasized its importance in combating climate change.
Discussing the effects of climate change, Özkan said:
"Currently, 1000 tons of carbon emissions affect one person's life in the future. By the end of the century, approximately 1 billion people could die. These are facts supported by data. We need to somehow perceive and think about what can be done. For this, innovation is necessary. China is the country that emits the most carbon emissions in the world, followed by the USA and India. Then there are European countries. Every year, 38 gigatons of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere, and it will be somewhat difficult to stop this acceleration. Carbon dioxide gas has enveloped the world like a blanket and traps heat. Carbon dioxide is captured from the air thanks to fans. The gas is separated from the surface by heating and stored. It takes 2,200 kilowatts of energy to capture and separate one ton of carbon dioxide. Therefore, there must be a storage system. According to our studies, we have shown that geothermal energy is the most economical. It's 42% cheaper."
Professor Dr. Cengiz Sinan Özkan, a faculty member of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, discussed his research on lithium-ion batteries.
Pointing out that the global battery market size could exceed $132 billion in 2024, Özkan emphasized the importance of electric car production being equivalent to or less than the cost of gasoline and diesel cars for countries.
He noted that electric cars are becoming increasingly affordable and that by 2028, electric vehicles will become more cost-effective regardless of other factors. He predicted that by 2050, there will be approximately 1-2 billion electric vehicles on the roads.
However, there are currently issues with battery production and charging stations. He explained their latest research, where they transformed polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic waste into a superporous activated carbon material for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
They melted plastic waste and turned it into fabric, which they used to make batteries. This fabric can be cut and used as a battery material. Additionally, they previously created batteries from mushrooms. Batteries made from these materials are environmentally friendly and provide high performance.
