Finalist for the Wilfrid Eggleston Award for Nonfiction - Alberta Literary AwardsAn in-depth look at the people and the science behind our attempts to pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere with direct air capture. Drawing on interviews with stakeholders at the intersection of climate science, energy technology, and public policy, Paul McKendrick's investigation traces more than 20 years of technological development with direct air capture, from Biosphere 2; to multi-million dollar promises from Richard Branson, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk; to the opening of Orca, the world's largest commercial direct air capture facility, in Iceland in 2021. The question of what will be necessary for direct air capture to reach a meaningful scale, and how much it will cost, has fueled intense scientific and political debate, and spurred a value chain that spans finance, industry, technology, policy, and academia. McKendrick's clear and riveting prose presents the full story of this fascinating pursuit for the first time, inviting readers to learn more about this critical climate intervention option.
Finalist for the Wilfrid Eggleston Award for Nonfiction - Alberta Literary AwardsAn in-depth look at the people and the science behind our attempts to pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere with direct air capture. Drawing on interviews with stakeholders at the intersection of climate science, energy technology, and public policy, Paul McKendrick's investigation traces more than 20 years of technological development with direct air capture, from Biosphere 2; to multi-million dollar promises from Richard Branson, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk; to the opening of Orca, the world's largest commercial direct air capture facility, in Iceland in 2021. The question of what will be necessary for direct air capture to reach a meaningful scale, and how much it will cost, has fueled intense scientific and political debate, and spurred a value chain that spans finance, industry, technology, policy, and academia. McKendrick's clear and riveting prose presents the full story of this fascinating pursuit for the first time, inviting readers to learn more about this critical climate intervention option.
Über den Autor
Paul McKendrick is the author of The Bushman's Lair. Prior to writing books, he worked in the energy sector as a partner in a firm dedicated to developing and financing renewable energy projects, in addition to stints in the electric utility sector, the oil and gas sector, and investment banking. He lives in Canmore, Alberta, Canada.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Introduction
Chapter 1—False Competition
Chapter 2—The Original Sky Scrubber
Chapter 3—Thermostatic Ambitions
Chapter 4—Hard Scrubbing
Chapter 5—Two Options
Chapter 6—DAC 1
Chapter 7—Orca
Chapter 8—Solar-Powered Pathway
Chapter 9—Customer Feedback
Chapter 10—Hyperion II
Chapter 11—The Prize
Notes
Acknowledgments
Index