How Do We Get It Out? 207

To avoid a climate catastrophe the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, (IPCC) and the world science community have given us until 2030 to reduce our carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions by half. Then, the next challenge will be cranking down on our emissions to near zero pollution by 2050.

Simultaneously, the IPCC, our National Academies of Science and world science organizations tell us we must develop technologies to remove and then lock up the excess CO2.  The scientists do not say “lock up”, but use the term “sequester”.

While the science community has watched in disbelief as we ignored over thirty years of their advice, they have not thrown in the towel. They have stayed optimistic and driven for solutions. While we debate science settled over a hundred years ago, the scientists and engineers forge ahead.  They continue to amaze me with their tenacity in the face of public apathy. The latest amazing accomplishment is new technology to remove CO2 from the air. As recently as 2011 it was considered, from an economic standpoint, impossible.

The term for the new technology is called, “Direct Air Capture”. Direct Air Capture is not an easy task.  All greenhouse gasses lumped together make up only 1% of the air around us. The analogy would be trying to remove one drop of food coloring mixed into an Olympic sized pool. The challenge, at one time was considered insurmountable, might now be attainable. 

Spurred on by brilliant scientists and engineers, companies dedicated to our collective survival have forged ahead.   In the February issue of Wired magazine, titled “The Big Inhale”, Vince Beiser leads us through the inspiring stories of three Direct Air Capture companies and their geeky engineer founders who, quite simply, have not given up.

Time will tell if these efforts pay off, but one thing is clear, there are a lot of deep pockets participating in getting the CO2 out. Today these include Microsoft, Stripe, Audi, Economic Group, Space X, and the giant reinsurance company Swiss Re.

These companies are looking for ways to cancel out their greenhouse gas emissions by buying carbon safely tucked away in the bowels of the earth. This carbon captured is mixed in a solution and pumped into the lava beds like those in Iceland where they combine with the black hardened lava. This in not sci-fi. It’s already being done.  

If these were not enough deep pocketed players to convince you people with money know CO2 is problem, add Occidental Petroleum, Chevron, Exxon Mobile, and the oil companies of Norway. For these companies the plan is to capture the CO2 and then push CO2 into old oil wells to pressurize and boost production. This is called enhanced oil recovery. This too is already being done.

For direct air capture to make a dent though, the cost must come down and the effectiveness improved.  To make progress at the pace needed to head of disaster, these businesses will have to grow exponentially. They will eventually need capital to vastly expand. This will take government intervention to make the marketplace attractive to more investors.   

Until we muster the will power to grasp the science and move to action, we cannot expect our politicians to act. If we cannot make the effort to do what our K-12 system taught us to do, that is wisely educate ourselves, then we will remain the lethal greenhouse gas bottleneck.     

Direct Air Capture Companies: Climeworks, Carbon Engineering, Global Thermostat.

Here is an exciting breakthrough for Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU). Question? Can Dr Aldo Steinfeld Professor at ETH Zurich, with his team, create sustainable synthetic jet fuel with water, CO2, and solar power?  They are closer than you think. An interesting note is Professor Steinfeld earned his PhD at the University of Minnesota.

If you want the latest on climate and the paths to choose to save our planet search: “IPCC 6th assessment report” or search, “Yale Climate Connections Key Takeaways from the Sixth Assessment” for a condensed summary.

I detest self-righteous uninformed adults whose willfully spout lies like, “Climate Change is a Hoax”. It one thing to have an opinion based on ignorance, whose frightful impact they will not have to experience.  It is the young and the yet to be born who must deal with our inability to act. 

In the blunt words of the new IPCC report: “With every additional increment of global warming, changes in extremes continue to become larger.”

What courage does it take to tell people not to worry about climate change when they will be dead before it becomes a nightmare. It is like picking a fight with the school bully and then sending your kid brother to face him. What honor is there in this?