There is always an attempt by naysayers to imply some link between carbon(a solid) and carbon dioxide(a gas).
But the thing is even if produced in excess, the solid carbon can be literally ploughed into the ground for use as a soil conditioner, like biochar, displacing some of the rather nasty nitrates fertilizers that are used now. Sure it might not deliver as much energy, but functionally it will be a low cost by-product of energy generation.
Of course, not being done as scale, is different to never tested at scale. Many of the hydrogen economy technologies were tested at scale long ago, but back in a era where the fossil fuel damage to the environment bore no cost, hydrogen was discarded as uneconomic. Of course back then the very same fate came to SolarPV or Wind, which has only gained traction in recent times only through subsidies, which is a political issue.
But the thing is even if produced in excess, the solid carbon can be literally ploughed into the ground for use as a soil conditioner, like biochar, displacing some of the rather nasty nitrates fertilizers that are used now. Sure it might not deliver as much energy, but functionally it will be a low cost by-product of energy generation.
Of course, not being done as scale, is different to never tested at scale. Many of the hydrogen economy technologies were tested at scale long ago, but back in a era where the fossil fuel damage to the environment bore no cost, hydrogen was discarded as uneconomic. Of course back then the very same fate came to SolarPV or Wind, which has only gained traction in recent times only through subsidies, which is a political issue.
"Ruck, ruck, ruck, ruck ....... Ruck, ruck, ruck, ruck"