Advancements and Challenges in Carbon Capture Technology

Heirloom Carbon Technologies has opened the first commercial direct air capture plant in the United States, located in Tracy, California. The plant uses a process that involves vacuuming greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and permanently sealing the captured carbon dioxide in concrete. Heirloom plans to sell carbon removal credits to companies, with Microsoft already signing a deal to remove 315,000 tons of carbon dioxide. While the technique is expensive, proponents believe that rapid growth and economies of scale can help bring down costs and make it a crucial tool in the fight against climate change. Critics, however, argue that artificial methods of carbon removal could distract from efforts to reduce emissions and caution against the involvement of oil companies in the technology.