A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Using Direct Air Capture to Remove Atmospheric Carbon

Executive Summary This paper assesses whether direct air capture (DAC) can effectively remove carbon from the atmosphere in a physically, economically, and environmentally viable way and concludes that it cannot. DAC is inherently energy-intensive due to the laws of thermodynamics. Because using fossil fuels to power DAC facilities would reduce or even eliminate the resulting … Continue reading A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Using Direct Air Capture to Remove Atmospheric Carbon