Structures needed to extract the carbon dioxide from the air are indeed needed, as the world has a significant problem. Climate change and global warming are likely caused by an excessive amount of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere.
It’s only a matter of days until a huge direct air capture (DAC) plant will come online in Iceland, according to Gizmodo. Known as the Orca plant, it’s owned and operated by a Swiss startup called Climeworks.
Using hydrothermal energy to remove 4,000 metric tons of CO2 per year
Climeworks brings great news for the numerous people who are worrying about climate change and global warming. The Orca plant, which is located near the capital of Reykjavik, will be able to remove 4,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide every year from our atmosphere. The huge structure will be using large industrial vacuums for its mission.
David Morrow, who is the Director of Research at the Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy at American University, declared in an email for Gizmodo.com that the project means a major step forward when it comes to enabling the capture of CO2 that’s already been emitted to the air and also storing it somewhere permanently and safely.
Morrow also admits that although the Orca plant is small compared to the scale of the challenge, it means an important step in the right direction.
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, meaning that it can retain heat. If the entire atmosphere of the Earth consisted of carbon dioxide, the habitat of our planet would be close to a “living Hell”, as it happens on Venus. The atmosphere of our neighboring planet consists of about 96-97% carbon dioxide. Obviously, there would be no air to breathe on Venus, and the atmospheric pressure would literally crush an astronaut.
