Reducing emissions is a many-faceted problem with no one clear solution. But what if fixing the problem was as simple as turning on a vacuum? One company will soon begin harvesting harmful CO2 from that air and selling it. Why didn't we think of this earlier?
According to ScienceAlert: "Expected to start operating in September or October, Climeworks' pilot plant will not only draw and filter carbon dioxide (CO2) out of ambient air – it will then repurpose the accumulated carbon as a marketable product.
The company is looking at selling its CO2 to third parties – such as a nearby greenhouse for use in agricultural processes like growing vegetables – but it has also considered other partners, such as offloading the CO2 to beverage makers that could use it to carbonate drinks.
The process Climeworks uses is called direct air capture, where collector modules suck air into a sponge-like filter treated with chemicals derived from ammonia. This filter binds gaseous CO2, which can then be released through heating."