CO2 Capture from Air Could Ripen into a Global Warming Solution, Researcher Predicts

Technologies for capturing carbon dioxide directly from the ambient air will play a key role in reversing the buildup of greenhouse gases if the process can gain wider acceptance, according to a Columbia University scientist.

"It's not a question of if air capture technology will be adopted; it's a question of when," said Klaus Lackner, director of the Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy at Columbia University's Earth Institute.

Carbon capture from the air works in a somewhat similar way to carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology used to reduce carbon emissions from power plants.  One of the main differences is that air capture doesn't have to take place in or close to industrial facilities.  Air capture is also a more challenging process because carbon dioxide is much more diluted in the atmosphere, so structures to remove the gas would have to process much higher volumes of air.

Lackner's optimism about the future of air capture is not widely shared.  Since 1999, Lackner has been working on convincing scientists, policymakers and investors that air capture technology has the potential to play a leading role in combating global warming. Lackner made his case for air capture technology at a small presentation hosted by the U.S. Energy Association in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.


CO2 Capture from Air Could Ripen into a Global Warming Solution, Researcher Predicts