Direct Air Capture Technology Quiz

Study Notes

Direct Air Capture (DAC) Technology

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel burning contribute significantly to global warming.
Renewable energy sources (solar, wind) are crucial for reducing emissions, but phasing out fossil fuels completely will take time.
Companies like Climeworks are developing DAC solutions to remove atmospheric CO2.
Mammoth, the world's largest DAC plant, began operation in Iceland in May 2024.

Mammoth: The World's Largest DAC Plant

Mammoth operates similarly to a large-scale air purifier, using fans and specialized filters to capture CO2 from the air.
Captured CO2 is mixed with water and pumped underground, reacting with volcanic rocks to form stone.
Mammoth is powered by geothermal energy, thus, producing zero carbon emissions.
Mammoth is nine times larger than Climeworks' previous plant (Orca) and can capture up to 39,000 tons of CO2 annually.
This is equivalent to removing over 7,000 cars from the road.

Criticisms and Perspectives on DAC

Critics argue that DAC technologies are expensive and insufficient to address overall emissions reduction efforts.
They suggest focusing primarily on minimizing fossil fuel usage.
Environmentalists believe that DAC, besides reducing reliance on fossil fuels, are needed to decrease carbon emissions further.
The DAC technology is compared to a "drop in the bucket," but is arguably a significant step forward.

Future of DAC Technology

Climeworks plans a larger DAC plant in Louisiana (USA) for capturing one million tons of CO2 by 2030.
Other companies, like Occidental (US-based), are also developing DAC plants with a projected capacity of 500,000 tons per year starting in 2025.

Description

Test your knowledge on Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology and its role in combating climate change. This quiz covers the operational details of the Mammoth DAC plant, its innovative methods for CO2 removal, and the importance of renewable energy in the process. Challenge yourself with questions about the benefits and criticisms of DAC solutions.