J G Miller wrote:
On Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:03:36 +0100, Norman Wells wrote:

there is no reason whatsoever to assume that pure carbon in the form
of charcoal would work in any similar way.

Yes there is. Read some scientific papers on the adsorption of CO2
by active carbon eg

http://www.sciencedirect.COM/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B7W6T-4M6SGRN-9&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_doc anchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVer sion=0&_userid=10&md5=87da7237d2f2cab28c62974b62ad 2ebe

but before you do that, you really need to learn some basic surface
chemistry / physics.

I'm well up in those things already actually.

What you need, though, is to appreciate the difference between activated
carbon and sticks of charcoal shoved in the ground.

Do come back when you do.