Removing CO2 from the Atmosphere: Where Does It Go?

Scientists are working hard to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air to help fight climate change. Since the Industrial Revolution, humans have released nearly 1,000 metric gigatons of CO2 into the atmosphere. Now, technology like direct air capture is being developed to take that CO2 back out.

One method, used by companies like Climeworks, pulls CO2 from the air using special filters. The CO2 is then collected and can be stored. One way to store it is by putting it back into the ground. In Iceland, CarbFix has a process that turns CO2 into solid rock by dissolving it in water and injecting it into basalt rock. This process turns CO2 into minerals like calcium carbonate, safely trapping it for centuries.

While these technologies are promising, they are still too expensive and energy-intensive to use on a large scale. There isn’t yet a way to remove enough CO2 to make a big impact, but scientists continue to search for ways to make these methods more efficient and affordable. For now, removing CO2 from the air is one tool among many in the fight against climate change.