Can carbon removal save the Earth? 🌎

What if there was a way to reverse climate change?

Ok, it’s not that simple.

But carbon removal, a new set of technological techniques for removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, could:

• help to offset manmade CO2 emissions, and

• slow the pace of climate change

Carbon removal is short for carbon dioxide (CO2) removal.

The term is generally used to describe processes for removing CO2 from the atmosphere.

The CO2 is then stored in long-term carbon sinks, such as:

• forests 🌲

• oceans 🌊

• geological formations 🪨

The goal: mitigating climate change by reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

There is also the related concept of Carbon Capture.

This refers to efforts to minimize CO2 emissions at the point that they’re produced, i.e. as part of combustion engines used to power industrial processes like manufacturing.

Carbon removal and carbon capture both collect CO2 that then needs to be stored or utilized in some other way.

Does carbon removal actually work?

Carbon removal techniques are still quite new, and none of them have been proven to work at scale.

The hope — for people working in the industry and for humanity at large — is that further research and development could lead to the invention of carbon removal techniques that can be scaled to a massive size.

A new report estimated that investments in carbon removal technology will need to increase from:

• less than $10B annually today

• to more than $200B per year by 2030

for the carbon removal sector to make a difference on climate change. (CDR in the image below refers to Carbon Dioxide Removal)

Carbon removal could become a multi-trillion dollar industry, if — and only if — it is effective at scale.

Different Types of Carbon Removal

Researchers are exploring dozens of ways to remove & store carbon, but a few methods stand out so far:

Direct Air Capture: Direct air capture (DAC) is a process that involves removing carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the atmosphere using specialized technology.

This technology typically employs chemical reactions or absorbent materials to capture CO2 molecules from the air.

Once captured, the CO2 can be stored underground or utilized in various industrial processes.

Direct Ocean Capture: This technique involves capturing CO2 from seawater and converting it into mineralized forms that can then be stored in the water or the ground.

Soil Carbon Sequestration: This technique involves agricultural practices (like no-till farming and crop rotation) to increase the amount of carbon held in soil. 

Soil carbon sequestration could also improve soil fertility and water retention.

Biochar Sequestration: Biochar is a type of charcoal that is made by the pyrolysis process, which involves heating biomass in the absence of oxygen.

After it is created, biochar is added to soil to sequester carbon and improve fertility.

And now, a word from one of our sponsors: the excellent 1440 newsletter:

Daily News for Curious Minds

Be the smartest person in the room by reading 1440! Dive into 1440, where 4 million Americans find their daily, fact-based news fix. We navigate through 100+ sources to deliver a comprehensive roundup from every corner of the internet – politics, global events, business, and culture, all in a quick, 5-minute newsletter. It's completely free and devoid of bias or political influence, ensuring you get the facts straight. Subscribe to 1440 today.

Sign up now!

ART OF THE DAY