Current 'Open' Carbon Cycle -
Hydrocarbons like petroleum products and coal are harvested, processed and then consumed (electrical power, liquid fuels, tires, plastics, asphalt, lubricants, etc.). The resulting products as well as the waste generated by modern life are left to accumulate, potentially contaminating our water supply and leaching other hazardous materials into our environment. These 'dead end' carbon sources, which are currently expensive social and environmental liabilities, are themselves a carbon energy source which is currently not being adequately exploited.