-The technique converts carbon pollution into baking soda and stores it in oceans.

-It could be up to three times more efficient than current carbon capture technology.

-The absorbent material used in direct air capture can remove CO2 at a capacity that is two to three times greater than existing absorbents.

A new study published in Science Advances outlines a technique for removing carbon pollution from the air, turning it into sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), and storing it in oceans. The authors claim that this method could be up to three times more efficient than current carbon capture technology.

Direct air capture is a method for removing carbon pollution directly from the atmosphere. However, carbon dioxide makes up only 0.04% of the air, making it challenging and expensive to remove. Even the largest facilities can only remove relatively small amounts of carbon, and it costs several hundred dollars to remove each ton of carbon.

The new technique described in the study modifies the absorbent material used in direct air capture, making it two to three times more efficient. Once the carbon dioxide is captured, it can be turned into baking soda using seawater and then released into the ocean at a small concentration. The oceans are infinite sinks and can store large amounts of carbon without adverse effects.

However, there may be regulatory hurdles to surmount. Disposing of large tonnages of sodium bicarbonate in the ocean could be legally defined as “dumping,” which is banned by international treaties. Others are concerned about negative impacts on the oceans, which are already under pressure from climate change, pollution, and other human activity.

While direct air capture remains expensive and inefficient, the scale of the climate crisis has led to a push from governments and international bodies to scale up this technology. More research is needed to understand how the method works at scale, but the authors claim that this discovery is promising, and the world needs more of this type of discovery.

In conclusion, this new technique for removing carbon pollution from the air and storing it in oceans has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. However, it will require further research to understand the full impact on the environment and the potential regulatory hurdles that need to be overcome. Nevertheless, this discovery is an important step forward in the fight against climate change, and it highlights the urgent need for innovative solutions to this global crisis.

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