New carbon capture technology is seen as a promising against climate change

A new technology that captures carbon dioxide and stores it in the sea has been published in a journal as a promising approach to fight climate change. Currently, it is supposed to remove three times CO2 from the atmosphere as the current methods. Ultimately, the gas that is responsible for a warming planet can then be stored in seawater after being converted into bicarbonate of soda, making it safe and cheap to do so, too.

This new method is promising and could speed up the efforts currently being taken to remove carbon from the earth. However, is simply removing carbon allowing companies and countries to carry on creating emissions?

What is carbon capture?

Carbon capture is a remarkable technology that captures CO2. When we burn fossil fuels, CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere. It is the primary driver of climate change, hence why such a focus on fighting climate change is on clean energy. Carbon capture captures this CO2 and stores it underground, or in this case, in the sea. The CO2 has traditionally been stored in oil and gas reservoirs or permeable rocks.

Climeworks in Switzerland has developed machines over the last decade which essentially suck up the carbon in the atmosphere. They are the most famous companies that have been doing this.

Notably, a plant in Iceland has also captured CO2 and permanently turned it into stone underground. They have also sold carbon removal services to big names such as Spotify, Microsoft, and Stripe. The only downside is the cost that this technology comes with – which is why scientists have tried to develop technology that is more efficient but at a lower cost.

This new technology absorbs three times are much CO2 with the same amount of energy used to do so. This a promising development in the world of carbon capture.

Should carbon capture be a focus?

However, we should be reluctant to place so much focus on new technology such as this, as great as it is. Governments, with the introduction of this new technology, could place less effort on cutting carbon creation and place too much focus and hope on this technology. This is not sustainable or helpful.

With rising emissions, there needs to be a joint effort from governments and scientists. This technology can help to remove carbon, but countries will still need to reduce their emissions.

For Carbon Capture to become more mainstream, it will need to become more affordable. The research published in Science Advances explores this topic in more detail.

Here at Together for Climate, we help individuals and companies to become more climate positive. One way we do this is by supporting those who want to make a difference through effective climate packages for individuals and for businesses. We work with multiple partners so everybody can do their part and access information easily.