NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO • May 2, 2022
Some of the biggest companies in the world, including Facebook and Google, are planning to spend almost $1 billion on a new climate change strategy: Pulling carbon dioxide emissions right out of the air. The world has moved so slowly to rein in greenhouse gases that scientists are finding that cutting the use of fossil fuels alone may not be enough to stave off the worst effects of climate change. The world is on track for increasingly destructive heat waves, floods and storms. That means heat-trapping gases may also need to be pulled out of the atmosphere. Downsides? Cost looms large for and no one is sure who will pay for it. Carbon capture projects could also have a big land impact, requiring large industrial facilities that transport carbon underground. Some climate activists also worry that focusing on unproven technologies now will dissuade world governments from rapidly cutting their fossil fuel use.