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Trying to capture carbon and turn it back into the complex substance that crude oil is would probably take far more energy than it sequesters.
There are plant based oils already.
Plant-based oils and crude oil from the ground are completely different substances. The former is mainly composed of fatty acids, whereas the latter is mostly a mix of different hydrocarbons.
First of all, I meant plant based hydrocarbons. The same thing.
Second of all, fatty acids and hydrocarbons are not that different.
Fatty acids can be turned into hydrocarbons with already known processes, and some plants have been bioengineered to directly produce hydrocarbons as well.
Not everything in the world is as defined in the 1940's...
Yeah, in chemical basics putting molecules together requires energy. If we are doing that, we may as well just start using hydrogen as a fuel.
Hydrogen has its problems. I'm not sure those problems are as big as synthesizing hydrocarbons.