How Scientists Are Planning to Pull Carbon Straight Out of the Air

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In The End is Nye (streaming now on SYFY) “Science Guy” Bill Nye examines various ways the world could end. From asteroid impacts and coronal mass ejections to volcanic activity and soil degradation, Nye shows us some of the ways the human story could end. Of course, the most pressing threat to our way of life is climate change, driven primarily by carbon emissions.

The most effective thing we could do to stop the progression of climate change is to stop dumping carbon dioxide into the air, but scientists are also working on ways to remove carbon that’s already in the atmosphere. Recently, researchers at the University of Helsinki developed a new carbon capture material that outperforms every existing carbon capture method.

A new carbon superbase material pulls carbon out of thin air

Over the last couple of centuries, we’ve gotten very good at putting carbon into the air. Now, we’re getting better at removing it. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) refers to any technology that captures carbon either during emission activities or from ambient air.

In existing CCS projects, carbon is collected and compressed into a liquid, then pumped underground into geological formations like spent oil reservoirs. Proponents of CCS argue this creates a closed loop where carbon is removed from the earth in the form of fossil fuels and then returned to the earth in the form of CO2.

Of course, CCS projects come with their own risks, including leaks and unexpected earthquakes. Critics also argue that CCS projects are a delaying tactic favored by fossil fuel companies and a distraction from transitioning to clean, renewable energy.

For more on climate change:
We’re Approaching Peak Glacier Extinction, What That Means
What Missing Antarctic Robot Just Revealed About Polar Ice and Climate Change
Are Giant Arctic Viruses Combatting Climate Change?

Instead of sequestering carbon underground, it could also be used to make things. Scientists are working on ways to use CO2 to make plastics, building materials, and more. It could also be used to grow algae, bacteria, and other organisms for a variety of uses.

In a Dec. 4 study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, researchers spent more than a year experimenting with different bases to find a more effective carbon capture material. They settled on a combination of a superbase (a material that is highly reactive with protons) and alcohol. The material doesn’t interact with nitrogen, oxygen, or any other atmospheric gases, and preferentially snatches up carbon dioxide.

Just one gram of this new material absorbs 156 milligrams of carbon dioxide, directly out of ambient air. The CO2 can then be released by heating the compound to 158 Fahrenheit. By contrast, existing carbon capture compounds usually need to be heated to more than 1,650 degrees. The new material is also reusable, retaining 75 percent of its capacity after 50 cycles, and half of its capacity after 100 cycles. It outperforms all existing liquid absorbents in recyclability and efficiency.

The next steps are to test the compound at a near-industrial scale. Existing carbon capture projects collect and store about 50 million tons of CO2 every year but that’s only a drop in the bucket. Reaching a carbon neutral state will require emitting much less carbon, capturing much more carbon, or some combination of both.

Catch The End is Nye, starring Bill Nye, streaming now on SYFY.