What is Direct Air Carbon Capture, and Why Do we Need it?

The Situation:

The effects of climate change and global warming are becoming increasingly apparent as carbon emissions reached an all-time high this past year. With raging storms, endangered animals and climbing temperatures, global warming poses a significant threat to our plant. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the biggest contributor to climate change, which is released into the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels, waste, and certain chemical reactions. To help combat Earth’s rising temperature, we need to start employing large-scale forms of carbon removal.

Direct Air Carbon Capture (DACC):

Direct air carbon capture is an exciting technological that can significantly decrease our global carbon footprint. Unlike other forms of carbon capture technology that capture carbon from concentrated sources like industrial smokestacks, direct air carbon capture (DACC) is a form of technology that captures carbon dioxide directly from the air.

How it works:

To capture or “trap” the carbon dioxide, direct air carbon capture uses chemical reactant- based technology and sorbent materials like ones found in household goods like water filtration system (Lebling et al., 2022). Once extracted by heat from the sorbent, the captured carbon dioxide can then be used to develop synthetic fuels or other chemicals. After the sorbent is free of the CO2, it can be used for another direct air carbon capture cycle

The future of DACC and climate change:

Direct air carbon capture has an integral role to play in the battle against climate change. While removing carbon released from industrial sites is essential, direct air carbon capture helps mitigate the effects of carbon emissions by capturing previously released CO2. Since the carbon dioxide that is already free in the atmosphere will continue to trap heat, and DACC technology is a proactive step towards helping remove it.

If you want to learn more about direct carbon capture technology pricing, impacts, policies and requirements, check out the World Resources Institute article here. To stay up to date with GenHydro news, content, and updates, subscribe to our newsletter below.

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