to solve this problem, two scientists from columbia university’s lenfest center for sustainable energy took inspiration from trees and invented a plastic “tree” that absorbs carbon at a much higher rate than mother nature. the technology could also turn that captured carbon into a valuable energy source.

energynow! correspondent josh zepps looked into a new technology that pulls a thousand times more carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere than trees, and could one day power our cars and trucks.

“you can remove co2 anywhere you want, and it can deal with emissions from anywhere else on the planet,” said allen wright, a scientist at the lenfest center. “there’s no real major discovery or invention that has to happen that would prevent us from deploying that technology tomorrow.”

beyond just removing co2 from the atmosphere, the new technology could also turn it into a valuable commodity. “you can add hydrogen to those (captured) carbon atoms and re-create gasoline,” said klaus lackner, a scientist at the lenfest center. “it has a zero net impact on the environment because you’re taking the carbon out that burning the gasoline will put in.”

energynow! correspondent dan goldstein explored how innovative carbon capture and storage, or ccs, technologies could keep carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and help prevent the climate from changing.

“the same types of materials that are used in shampoo and conditioners were materials that we thought we could use in this particular instance to capture carbon,” said bob perry, a chemist with general electric. “with the co2 we’ve captured, we now have it in a confined space and can move that toward someplace for storage, for sequestration.”

ccs may be key to reducing carbon emissions, but installing it on america’s coal-fired power plants won’t be cheap. “the consumer is going to see an increase in the cost of electricity of 5 to 10 cents per kilowatt hour,” said gary rochelle, a chemical engineer at the university of texas in austin who has developed a technology to raise carbon dioxide out of power plant smokestack emissions. “that’s a 50 to 100 percent increase in what they’ll be paying for electricity.”

but utensils made from bioplastic – a new kind of plastic made from corn, rice, or other organic material, can compost back to nature in just 180 days and could grow into a $5 billion dollar worldwide market by 2016.

“the products we are making are american products, made with american workers, with feedstock coming from our country,” said frederic scheer, owner of cereplast, a bioplastic manufacturer located in indiana. “we have created about 70 green jobs, and we anticipate to create even more.”

however bioplastics may have a downside that reduces their green allure. a recent study found quick decomposition of bioplastics could lead to methane emissions – a powerful greenhouse gas. “if it decomposes in less than two years, then that methane all goes to the environment, and probably does more harm than good,” said morton barlaz, of north carolina state university.

the seattle mariners have begun a novel sustainability program which allows the team to recycle 82 percent of their trash, cut water use by 60 percent, save $1.2 million dollars in energy costs, and inspire their fans to become more environmentally friendly at home.

“i think that’s part of the exciting thing about sports, the conversation of conserving and paying attention to the earth,” said scott jenkins, vice president of baseball operations for the seattle mariners. “if you can do it through these iconic venues and these strong brands with teams, it’s a great opportunity to leverage our brand to deliver that message and hopefully encourage others to conserve.”

the building uses 10 megawatts of power per year, with an annual electric bill of about $11 million. but after a 5-year, $500 million retrofit is complete, its energy use will drop by 38 percent and the bill will be cut almost in half. the makeover includes almost $20 million work of energy efficiency improvements.

the building’s heating and cooling will come from a combination of steam power and wind energy credits. also, each of its 3 million lights will be switched from incandescent to fluorescent, reducing lighting costs by 75 percent. every one of the building’s more than 6,500 windows will be upgraded with a film coating and argon and krypton gas between the panes. this allows the building to retain more heat in the winter while keeping it out in the summer, while making better use of natural light. the building is also letting in more light by moving air-conditioning units from the ceilings of each floor to the ground.

in “the light bulb ban,” energynow! correspondent lee patrick sullivan visits the lightfair international trade show in philadelphia to find the latest offerings in energy efficient bulbs. he finds a 60-watt equivalent led bulb that will be the first in the world to sell for less than $20 and the first 100-watt equivalent led bulb to hit the market in october. he also finds out how led technology is expanding to bring us bulbs that can be dimmed and programmed with a tablet computer or smart phone and wireless sound throughout the home.

tom benton of the lighting science group, maker of the under $20 60-watt bulb, explains how led manufacturers are bringing costs down. brett sharenow of switch lighting, which makes the 100-watt equivalent, tells lee patrick that the switch bulb, as it’s called, is designed as a direct replacement for 100-watt incandescent bulbs and that consumers shouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the two – until they see their electric bills. the switch bulb lasts 15 years and uses just 15 percent of the electricity that an incandescent bulb would use, so it will probably pay for itself.

but even for those who prefer incandescent bulbs, the news isn’t all bad. martha delgado of bulbright industries, a halogen light bulb maker, explains how the government’s phaseout of inefficient light bulbs works, and why consumers will still be able to buy incandescent bulbs.

founded by a pair of engineers, the company is working to make not only a replacement for styrofoam “peanuts” but a variety of other materials from home insulation to kitchen counters. the company has found some high-profile customers, making parts for ford and packaging for dell computers.

josh also takes us into the woods to see why mushrooms could be nature’s perfect packing, and to ecovative’s labs to see how a few cottonseed husks and some mushroom cells can grow into something useful and beneficial for the environment.

energynow! chief correspondent tyler suiters looks at how the smithsonian environmental research center is duplicating the effects of rising co2 levels on a small-scale, then forecasting what it means for plant ecosystems. he interviews patrick megonigal, a biogeochemist at the center and gary peresta, an environmental engineer. they give him a tour of the center and a look at how the research — and the researchers themselves — have evolved over the past two decades.

anchor thalia assuras joins frank sesno, creator and host of planet forward, a website and television show dedicated to clean energy and sustainability. they highlight planet forward’s recent nationwide contest to identify and promote america’s top energy innovators. the contest’s winner, sungevity founder danny kennedy, also joins the discussion to talk about his company’s solar leasing program.