A biomineralization expert at Stanford University has created a new type of cement, which is based on the construction pattern of tropical coral reefs. Unlike traditional cement, this biomimetic cement actually manages to remove CO2 from the air! Brent Constantz, founder and owner of a company called Calera, has installed his demonstration plant in a location that actually takes CO2 gas from a local power plant and dissolves it into seawater to form carbonate, which interacts with the calcium in seawater to form a solid. As we learned in class, this is the exact same way that corals construct their skeletons. Mr. Constantz is a visionary as well as a very intelligent biomineralist, which is evident by his idea that we must go back to the basics if we are to survive. Please visit the following link to watch a video or two about Mr. Constantz’s process.
Mitchel, Kelly, Kristen & Kurtis
Biomimicry: Using Our Natural World to Guide us
Mitchel, Kelly, Kristen & Kurtis 
Interesting….I wonder how he bypasses the production of H+ ions when CO2 is dissolved in water, thus leading to acidification of the water and REDUCED calcium carbonate deposition …guess I need to read more about
the process.