{"id":162354,"date":"2021-01-25T13:22:49","date_gmt":"2021-01-25T10:22:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/engineers-have-built-machines-to-scrub-co2-from-the-air-and-it-could-halt-climate-change\/"},"modified":"2021-01-25T13:22:49","modified_gmt":"2021-01-25T10:22:49","slug":"engineers-have-built-machines-to-scrub-co2-from-the-air-and-it-could-halt-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/engineers-have-built-machines-to-scrub-co2-from-the-air-and-it-could-halt-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"#Engineers have built machines to scrub CO2 from the air \u2013 and it could halt climate change"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4032a414760\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4032a414760\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/engineers-have-built-machines-to-scrub-co2-from-the-air-and-it-could-halt-climate-change\/#Whats_DAC_all_about\" >What\u2019s DAC all about?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/engineers-have-built-machines-to-scrub-co2-from-the-air-and-it-could-halt-climate-change\/#Big_challenges_ahead\" >Big challenges ahead<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/engineers-have-built-machines-to-scrub-co2-from-the-air-and-it-could-halt-climate-change\/#Opportunities_for_Australia\" >Opportunities for Australia<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/engineers-have-built-machines-to-scrub-co2-from-the-air-and-it-could-halt-climate-change\/#Looking_ahead\" >Looking ahead<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#Engineers have built machines to scrub CO2 from the air \u2013 and it could halt climate change<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n                            On Wednesday this week, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esrl.noaa.gov\/gmd\/ccgg\/trends\/monthly.html\">measured at<\/a>\u00a0415 parts per million (ppm). The level is the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/18480821\/\">highest in human history<\/a>, and is growing each year.<\/p>\n<p>Amid all the focus on emissions reduction, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ipcc.ch\/sr15\/\">says<\/a> it will not be enough to avoid dangerous levels of global warming. The world must actively remove historical CO\u2082 already in the atmosphere \u2013 a process often described as \u201cnegative emissions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>CO\u2082 removal can be done in <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ipcc.ch\/sr15\/faq\/faq-chapter-4\/\">two ways<\/a>. The first is by enhancing carbon storage in natural ecosystems, such as planting more forests or storing more carbon in soil. The second is by using direct air capture (DAC) <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> that s<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a>s CO\u2082 from the ambient air, then either store it underground or turn it into products.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-020-20437-0.epdf?sharing_token=k2P-bbEHmkbGMYtfIlxjLNRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0OQhmt0oVlcJ2hb6N7kuxx6jYjT2A_tNJ5EUFunfResYWcd_Pn2lJqFD5AE16EfL_XZmbIT4FGlp3BlHDyHOK4KvOY6jtMDGok1MFIgw5x7OQXk3YNeDZNP8nGNcB95n4M%3D\">US research<\/a> published last week suggested global warming could be slowed with an emergency deployment of a fleet of \u201cCO\u2082 scrubbers\u201d using DAC technology. However, a wartime level of funding from government and business would be needed. So is direct air capture worth the time and money?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"Smoke stack with CO2 written in smoke\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" class=\" lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/379668\/original\/file-20210120-15-l5t5vv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" data-lazy=\"true\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/379668\/original\/file-20210120-15-l5t5vv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/379668\/original\/file-20210120-15-l5t5vv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/379668\/original\/file-20210120-15-l5t5vv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/379668\/original\/file-20210120-15-l5t5vv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=425&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/379668\/original\/file-20210120-15-l5t5vv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=425&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/379668\/original\/file-20210120-15-l5t5vv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=425&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/syndication\/2021\/01\/25\/engineers-have-built-machines-to-scrub-co2-from-the-air-and-it-could-halt-climate-change\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenextweb.com%2Fsyndication%2F2021%2F01%2F25%2Fengineers-have-built-machines-to-scrub-co2-from-the-air-and-it-could-halt-climate-change%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Direct air capture of CO2 will be needed to address climate change. Shutterstock\" data-title=\"Share Direct air capture of CO2 will be needed to address climate change. Shutterstock on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Direct air capture of CO2 will be needed to address climate change. Shutterstock on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Direct air capture of CO2 will be needed to address climate change. Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_DAC_all_about\"><\/span>What\u2019s DAC all about?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Direct air capture refers to any mechanical system capturing CO\u2082 from the atmosphere. Plants operating today <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/carbonremoval.economist.com\/direct-air-capture\/\">use a<\/a> liquid solvent or solid sorbent to separate CO\u2082 from other gases.<\/p>\n<p>Swiss company <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.climeworks.com\/\">Climeworks<\/a> operates 15 direct air capture machines across Europe, comprising the world\u2019s first commercial DAC system. The operation is powered by renewable geothermal energy or energy produced by burning waste.<\/p>\n<p>The machines use a fan to draw air into a \u201ccollector,\u201d inside which a selective filter captures CO\u2082. Once the filter is full, the collector is closed and the CO\u2082 is sequestered underground.<\/p>\n<p>Canadian company <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/carbonengineering.com\/\">Carbon Engineering<\/a> uses giant fans to pull air into a tower-like structure. The air passes over a potassium hydroxide solution which chemically binds to the CO\u2082 molecules, and removes them from the air. The CO\u2082 is then concentrated, purified, and compressed.<\/p>\n<p>Captured CO\u2082 can be injected into the ground to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/fe\/science-innovation\/oil-gas-research\/enhanced-oil-recovery\">extract oil<\/a>, in some cases helping to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iea.org\/commentaries\/can-co2-eor-really-provide-carbon-negative-oil\">counteract<\/a> the emissions produced by burning the oil.<\/p>\n<p>The proponents of the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.climeworks.com\/\">Climeworks<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/carbonengineering.com\/\">Carbon Engineering<\/a> technology say their projects are set for large-scale investment and deployment in coming years. Globally, the potential market value of DAC technology could reach US$100bn by 2030, on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/carbonremoval.economist.com\/direct-air-capture\/\">some estimates<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"Artist impression of a DAC facility to be built in Houston, Texas.\" width=\"600\" height=\"230\" class=\" lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/379669\/original\/file-20210120-15-1l3yzmd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" data-lazy=\"true\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/379669\/original\/file-20210120-15-1l3yzmd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=230&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/379669\/original\/file-20210120-15-1l3yzmd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=230&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/379669\/original\/file-20210120-15-1l3yzmd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=230&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/379669\/original\/file-20210120-15-1l3yzmd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=288&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/379669\/original\/file-20210120-15-1l3yzmd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=288&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/379669\/original\/file-20210120-15-1l3yzmd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=288&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/syndication\/2021\/01\/25\/engineers-have-built-machines-to-scrub-co2-from-the-air-and-it-could-halt-climate-change\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenextweb.com%2Fsyndication%2F2021%2F01%2F25%2Fengineers-have-built-machines-to-scrub-co2-from-the-air-and-it-could-halt-climate-change%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Artist impression of a DAC facility to be built in the US state of Texas. If built, it would be the largest of its kind in the world. Carbon Engineering\" data-title=\"Share Artist impression of a DAC facility to be built in the US state of Texas. If built, it would be the largest of its kind in the world. Carbon Engineering on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Artist impression of a DAC facility to be built in the US state of Texas. If built, it would be the largest of its kind in the world. Carbon Engineering on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Artist impression of a DAC facility to be built in the US state of Texas. If built, it would be the largest of its kind in the world. Carbon Engineering<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Big_challenges_ahead\"><\/span>Big challenges ahead<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Direct air capture faces many hurdles and challenges before it can make a real dent in climate change.<\/p>\n<p>DAC technology is currently expensive, relative to many alternative ways of capturing CO\u2082, but is expected to become cheaper as the technology scales up. The economic feasibility will be helped by the recent emergence of new <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalccsinstitute.com\/resources\/publications-reports-research\/the-lcfs-and-ccs-protocol-an-overview-for-policymakers-and-project-developers\/\">carbon markets<\/a> where negative emissions can be traded.<\/p>\n<p>DAC machines process an enormous volume of air, and as such are very <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carbonbrief.org\/direct-co2-capture-machines-could-use-quarter-global-energy-in-2100\">energy-intensive<\/a>. In fact, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-019-10842-5\">research<\/a> has suggested direct air capture machines could use a quarter of global energy in 2100. However <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1002\/adsu.202000101\">new DAC methods<\/a> being developed could cut the technology\u2019s energy use.<\/p>\n<p><em>[Read:\u00a0<span dir=\"auto\">How this company leveraged AI to become the Netflix of Finland<\/span>]<\/em><\/p>\n<p>While the challenges to direct air capture are great, the technology uses less land and water than <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/nclimate3231?utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_source=commission_junction&amp;utm_campaign=3_nsn6445_deeplink_PID100045715&amp;utm_content=deeplink\">other negative emissions technologies<\/a> such as planting forests or storing CO\u2082 in soils or oceans.<\/p>\n<p>DAC technology is also increasingly gaining the backing of big business. Microsoft, for example, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.microsoft.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/16\/microsoft-will-be-carbon-negative-by-2030\/\">last year included<\/a> the technology in its carbon negative plan.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"Emissions rising from a coal plant.\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" class=\" lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/352420\/original\/file-20200812-21-1k6x0vf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" data-lazy=\"true\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/352420\/original\/file-20200812-21-1k6x0vf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/352420\/original\/file-20200812-21-1k6x0vf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/352420\/original\/file-20200812-21-1k6x0vf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/352420\/original\/file-20200812-21-1k6x0vf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/352420\/original\/file-20200812-21-1k6x0vf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/352420\/original\/file-20200812-21-1k6x0vf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/syndication\/2021\/01\/25\/engineers-have-built-machines-to-scrub-co2-from-the-air-and-it-could-halt-climate-change\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenextweb.com%2Fsyndication%2F2021%2F01%2F25%2Fengineers-have-built-machines-to-scrub-co2-from-the-air-and-it-could-halt-climate-change%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Direct air capture is touted as a way to offset emissions from industry and elsewhere. Shutterstock\" data-title=\"Share Direct air capture is touted as a way to offset emissions from industry and elsewhere. Shutterstock on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Direct air capture is touted as a way to offset emissions from industry and elsewhere. Shutterstock on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Direct air capture is touted as a way to offset emissions from industry and elsewhere. Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Opportunities_for_Australia\"><\/span>Opportunities for Australia<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Australia is uniquely positioned to be a world leader in direct air capture. It boasts large areas of land not suitable for growing crops. It has ample sunlight, meaning there is great potential to host DAC facilities powered by solar energy. Australia also has some of the world\u2019s best sites in which to \u201csequester\u201d or store carbon in underground reservoirs.<\/p>\n<p>Direct air capture is a relatively new concept in Australia. Australian company <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.southerngreengas.com.au\/\">Southern Green Gas<\/a>, as well as the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.csiro.au\/en\/Do-business\/Commercialisation\/Marketplace\/CO2Gen\">CSIRO<\/a>, are developing solar-powered DAC technologies. The SGG project, with which I am involved, involves modular units potentially deployed in large numbers, including close to sites where captured CO\u2082 can be used in oil recovery or permanently stored.<\/p>\n<p>If DAC technology can overcome its hurdles, the benefits will extend beyond tackling climate change. It would create a new manufacturing sector and potentially re-employ workers displaced by the decline of fossil fuels.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"Red sand and tussocks of grass\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" class=\" lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/365441\/original\/file-20201026-15-1tnu3qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" data-lazy=\"true\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/365441\/original\/file-20201026-15-1tnu3qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/365441\/original\/file-20201026-15-1tnu3qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/365441\/original\/file-20201026-15-1tnu3qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/365441\/original\/file-20201026-15-1tnu3qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/365441\/original\/file-20201026-15-1tnu3qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/365441\/original\/file-20201026-15-1tnu3qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/syndication\/2021\/01\/25\/engineers-have-built-machines-to-scrub-co2-from-the-air-and-it-could-halt-climate-change\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenextweb.com%2Fsyndication%2F2021%2F01%2F25%2Fengineers-have-built-machines-to-scrub-co2-from-the-air-and-it-could-halt-climate-change%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Australia has ample sunlight and plenty of non-arable land where DAC facilities could be built. Shutterstock\" data-title=\"Share Australia has ample sunlight and plenty of non-arable land where DAC facilities could be built. Shutterstock on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Australia has ample sunlight and plenty of non-arable land where DAC facilities could be built. Shutterstock on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Australia has ample sunlight and plenty of non-arable land where DAC facilities could be built. Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Looking_ahead\"><\/span>Looking ahead<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The urgency of removing CO\u2082 from the atmosphere seems like an enormous challenge. But not acting will bring far greater challenges: more climate and weather extremes, irreversible damage to biodiversity and ecosystems, species extinction, and threats to health, food, water, and economic growth.<\/p>\n<p>DAC technology undoubtedly faces stiff headwinds. But with the right policy incentives and market drivers, it may be one of a suite of measures that start reversing climate change.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/deanna-dalessandro-1171397\">Deanna D\u2019Alessandro<\/a>, Professor &amp; ARC Future Fellow, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-sydney-841\">University of Sydney<\/a>under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/engineers-have-built-machines-to-scrub-co-from-the-air-but-will-it-halt-climate-change-152975\">original article<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/syndication\/2021\/01\/25\/engineers-have-built-machines-to-scrub-co2-from-the-air-and-it-could-halt-climate-change\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Engineers have built machines to scrub CO2 from the air \u2013 and it could halt climate change&#8221; On Wednesday this week, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was measured at\u00a0415 parts per million (ppm). The level is the highest in human history, and is growing each year. Amid all the focus on emissions&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":162355,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/01\/1-copy-48.jpg&signature=41979be631d97f26b48c718a602e80ce","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[74278,43485,75364,77941,70759],"class_list":["post-162354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-carbon-dioxide","tag-climate-change","tag-exhaust-gas","tag-global-warming","tag-tech"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=162354"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162354\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/162355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=162354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=162354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=162354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}