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Could direct air capture prevent climate change?

Could direct air capture prevent climate change?


direct air capture (dAC) is an appealing way to tackle climate change: just pass ambient air over chemicals that absorb the Co2 driving global warming, and then use or store the Co2. dAC differs from the better-known carbon capture and storage (CCs) in that it can be done anywhere, not just at big sources of Co2 such as power stations. it’s more effective than natural Co2 ‘scrubbing’ using trees and plants, and can be performed where the Co2 is most easily stored or re-used. unlike CCs at power stations, dAC must be effective at removing the far more dilute Co2 in ambient air. this demands special equipment and chemicals, plus renewable energy sources producing zero Co2. that has led to grave doubts about the economic viability of dAC. For now, it remains an intriguing but impractical remedy for global warming. 

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