Sunday, August 8, 2010

Breaking News: Carbon Sequestering to Add Fizz to Aerated Drinks

In the hullabaloo on the War on Terror Wikileaks the media missed out on a startling piece of news: two international soft drink giants are competing against each other to corner the Carbon Sequestering market.

Carbon Sequestering, an idea that carbon can be stored under ground at high pressure, is similar to sweeping dirt under the carpet. Till now humans had no use for such ‘dirt’, it was also seen as a health and environmental problem. As there is so much unwanted CO2 floating around the idea of sequestering came up.

The higher echelons of these aerated drink companies have realised they may have hit the jackpot if they combine carbon sequestering and manufacturing aerated soft drinks. CO2 floating around or confined in small spaces would still be a waste therefore seeing it as a resource has them gassing about it.

Using modern deep sea drilling techniques, made famous recently in the Gulf of Mexico, on dry land the soft drink manufacturers are planning to sequester carbon under aquifers and then release the carbon into the aquifer at the required quantities. This would convert the water in the aquifer into soda. There would be a ‘soda-fountain’ like dispenser on the ground directly connected to the aquifer. The carbonated water from the aquifer would mix with colouring and taste agents inside the ‘soda fountain’ which would then dispense the liquid to the consumer.

This reporter was able to get a passing glimpse of the plan during an interview with one of the CEO's.


The companies are racing to not only patent this technology but also make it into a CDM project. Representatives contacted from both companies are of the opinion that such a technology will reduce the amount of sequestered carbon and therefore make room for the increasing carbon spewed out into the atmosphere. According to them, it would also reduce their operating costs as the carbonating process will be hived off the aerated drinks production process and will therefore further decrease the carbon footprint of these companies.

Both companies agreed that there would be need to increase the consumption of aerated drinks to make such a project 'viable'. Therefore they are planning to change their advertising strategy. To know more about their advertising strategy this reporter contacted their advertising companies independently; strangely their ideas revolve around similar concepts. The creative’s hinted that there would be a paradigm shift from the current advertising which teach new ways to hold cans or link happiness and thrill to coloured liquids. They would now be milking consumer consciousness and peoples concern for the environment and link increase in consumption to better environmental protection. The advertisers are thinking of catchy lines like ‘whats in you.’ Hoping that there would be a growing consumer base that will proudly say ‘sequestered carbon’.

In a developing story a major vehicle manufacturer known for its polluting vehicles plans to enter the aerated drinks business. But instead of retailing their drinks they intend to capture the niche Door/Home-Delivery and Do-It Yourself (DIY) market. They have filed a patent for an aerated drink manufacturing technique which will also be an end of pipe solution for vehicular pollution. The exhaust pipe will be fitted with a pressurised chamber containing sweetened water. The exhaust would mix with this water in the high pressure chamber to make a drink similar to the famous drink that the world loves with Rum.