Direct Air Capture (DAC)

Climeworks's "Mammoth" direct air carbon capture plant demonstrates how Iceland's reactive rock and geothermal resources can support the emerging carbon mineralization industry (original photo by Tina Casey).

Direct Air Carbon Capture Is Scaling Up, And Mineralization Is The Key

Climeworks’s “Mammoth” direct air carbon capture plant demonstrates how Iceland’s reactive rock and geothermal resources can support the emerging carbon mineralization industry.

ChatGPT generated this image to contrast the highly modular, automated production of solar panels with the capital-intensive, large-scale infrastructure required for direct air capture—highlighting why DAC cannot follow the same rapid cost-decline path as PV manufacturing

Why Direct Air Capture Won’t Replicate the Solar Revolution

The remarkable cost declines in solar photovoltaic (PV) and lithium-ion batteries over the past several decades have fueled optimism in the climate policy and investment community, with many hoping direct air capture (DAC) technologies might follow a similar trajectory. Policymakers, investors, and industry proponents frequently draw analogies between DAC and … [continued]

ChatGPT generated this panoramic illustration to contrast the scale of emissions from a massive industrial smokestack with the minuscule impact of a single DAC unit—highlighting the vast mismatch between carbon sources and current removal efforts

Climeworks’ DAC & Fiscal Collapse & The Brutal Reality Of Pulling Carbon From The Sky

In 2024, Climeworks’ direct air capture (DAC) Mammoth plant in Iceland captured just 105 tonnes of carbon dioxide. That’s not per day, not per week, that’s total, across the year. For context, that’s less than the annual tailpipe emissions from a dozen long-haul trucks, or roughly one-thousandth of what the … [continued]

ChatGPT generated image of billionaires sitting at a banquet table labeled “Tax Cuts,” while clean energy projects burn in the background.

Trump’s DOE Swings At Clean Energy & Accidentally Hits A Home Run

In a move that surprised absolutely no one, the Trump/Wright Department of Energy began swinging the axe at clean energy programs—but here’s the twist: this time, they might accidentally be getting a few things right. Not because they’ve suddenly developed a coherent decarbonization strategy or found religion on climate policy. … [continued]