Beyond the Hype: Why Direct Carbon Capture Isn't a Silver Bullet

Direct carbon capture (DAC) is often hailed as a promising solution to combat climate change by removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. However, despite the recent surge in funding and government support for DAC, there are several reasons why this technology may not be a viable solution for sequestering carbon, and a nature-based response may be a more established and effective approach.

The first issue with DAC is scaling its capability is limited and costly. The largest DAC plant to date captures only 4,000 tones of CO2 per year, and it would require billions of dollars in investment to build a megaton facility capable of capturing a meaningful amount of CO2 from the atmosphere. The cost of DAC remains high, and it is uncertain whether the technology can be scaled up to capture the billions of tones of CO2 that would be required to meet global climate goals (Reuters, 2023). This raises questions about the economic feasibility and scalability of DAC as a solution for large-scale carbon removal.

The second issue is that there are concerns about the talent pool and expertise in DAC. The development of DAC requires specialized knowledge and skills, and there is currently a lack of university programs and trained personnel in this field. This could pose challenges in recruiting and training a sufficient workforce to implement and operate DAC facilities (Reuters, 2023). This highlights the need for a substantial investment in research and education to develop the necessary expertise in DAC.

Another concern of implementing DAC is the involvement of oil companies. While some oil companies have shown interest in DAC projects and have applied for government funding, they are viewed with skepticism by some in the carbon removal community. There are concerns about the potential conflicts of interest and the role of oil companies in shaping the direction and priorities of DAC research and development. Additionally, the involvement of oil companies may not align with the broader goal of transitioning away from fossil fuels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions (Reuters, 2023).

In contrast, nature-based solutions for carbon sequestration, such as afforestation, reforestation, and soil carbon sequestration, have been extensively studied and have proven to be effective in removing and storing carbon from the atmosphere (Griscom et al., 2017; Minx et al., 2018). These approaches have multiple co-benefits, such as biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, and climate resilience, and can be implemented at various scales, from local to global. Nature-based solutions also have lower costs and risks compared to DAC, and they can be readily integrated into existing land management and conservation practices.

While DAC has received significant attention and funding as a potential solution for carbon removal, there are concerns about its scalability, cost-effectiveness, expertise, and the involvement of oil companies. Nature-based solutions, on the other hand, are established, cost-effective, and have multiple co-benefits. Investing in and scaling up nature-based solutions for carbon sequestration can provide a more sustainable and effective approach to addressing climate change. 

If you are interested in showing your support for Nature-based solutions, check out our friends at The Evergreen Exchange!




References:

Griscom, B. W., Adams, J., Ellis, P. W., Houghton, R. A., Lomax, G., Miteva, D. A., Schlesinger, W. H., Shoch, D., Siikamäki, J. V., Smith, P., Woodbury, P., Zganjar, C., Blackman, A., Campari, J., Conant, R. T., Delgado, C., Elias, P., Gopalakrishna, T., Hamsik, M. R., … Fargione, J. (2017). Natural climate solutions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(44), 11645–11650. doi:10.1073

 Jan C Minx et al 2018 Environ. Res. Lett. 13 063001

DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/aabf9b

 Twidale, S., Volcovici, V., Jessop, S., & Henderson, P. (2023). Facing brutal climate math, Us bets billions on direct air capture. Reuters. Retrieved 2023, from https://www.reuters.com/world/us/facing-brutal-climate-math-us-bets-billions-direct-air-capture-2023-04-18/. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Canine Revolution Announces Industry-defining Kinetic Rewards Program

Image
If you've been searching for an extraordinary way to reward yourself and your well-trained furry companion, look no further than the Canine Revolution Dog Training KAT Program. This groundbreaking initiative not only celebrates the achievements of their alumni but also embraces cutting-edge technology to create an ethical and transparent ecosystem. Canine Revolution has partnered with Stabile Industries to create a first of its kind rewards program. Prepare to embark on an exciting journey that will transform your relationship with your dog and the local community!  At the heart of this revolutionary program lies the concept of KATs, or Kinetically Anchored Tokens . These digital tokens are a type of NFT that have a measurable process, verified by a neutral third party, and represent ownership of unique assets, in this case, exclusive benefits for Canine Revolution alumni. By participating in The Canine Revolution Dog Training Program, graduates become eligible to purchase a KAT t...
Read more

What Do YOU Know About Climate Change

Image
By Jim Stabile Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our time, and its impacts are being felt around the world . From rising sea levels and more frequent extreme weather events to the loss of biodiversity and damage to ecosystems, the effects of climate change are far-reaching and complex. Yet, despite the complexity of climate change, we tend to reduce it to simple heuristics such as carbon sequestration. While things like carbon sequestration are an important part of addressing climate change, overemphasis of such heuristics can lead to over-simplification or over-emphasis . It important to realize that these big buzz-topics are just pieces of a much larger puzzle. In order to effectively address climate change, we need to begin organizing ourselves through systems that can engage many different factors that contribute to it and work together to find solutions. To solve this climate puzzle, we believe that the most important element lies in harnessing the power of ou...
Read more

Climate, Altruism, and Accountability: 5 Ways Kinetically Anchored Tokens Are About to Transform the Environmental Movement

Image
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. With global temperatures on the rise and extreme weather events becoming more frequent, it is clear that we need to take action now to mitigate the impact of climate change. However, as the environmental movement has grown over the last century, so too has a growing concern that the government and corporate interests tasked with addressing climate change are failing to do so effectively. This concern has been exacerbated by recent reports of greenwashing, where companies make exaggerated or false claims about their environmental impact. A large-scale sweep of websites by the European Commission revealed that 42% of companies were guilty of greenwashing . In addition, there is a declining level of confidence in government authenticity, with only 20% of Americans reporting that they have confidence in their government to do what is right always or most of the time. This lack of trust in government and corporate interests has...
Read more