logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2023
11m 33s

The massive machines cleaning Earth's at...

TED
About this episode
To restrain global warming, we know we need to drastically reduce pollution. The very next step after that: using both natural and technological solutions to trap as much excess carbon dioxide from the air as possible. Enter Orca, the world's first large-scale direct air capture and storage plant, built in Iceland by the team at Climeworks, led by climate entrepreneur Jan Wurzbacher. This plant is capable of removing 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the air each year. With affordability and scalability in mind, Wurzbacher shares his vision for what comes after Orca, the future of carbon capture tech -- and why these innovations are crucial to stop climate change.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
How we’re turning pollution into toys, toothpaste and more | Xu Hao
It took alcohol 200 years to go from scientific discovery to industrial revolution, but tech innovator Xu Hao says we can’t afford to wait that long to tackle the climate crisis. He explores why most climate solutions are still stuck in labs — despite breakthrough science that ca ... Show More
14m 22s
Oct 8
The best thing that could happen to the energy industry | Matt Tilleard
History has been written by whoever controls the dominant fuel of the era — until now, says renewables entrepreneur Matt Tilleard. He explains why, as the clean energy transition ramps up, we’re moving from a world where energy comes from burning fuels to one where it will come f ... Show More
13m 51s
Oct 7
Inside the Gaza peace plan | Ian Bremmer
October 7 marks the second anniversary of Hamas' horrific attack on Israel — and Israel's devastating response. Political scientist Ian Bremmer unravels the intricate dynamics of President Trump's ambitious peace plan, the stark realities facing Gaza, how Israeli Prime Minister N ... Show More
39m 48s
Recommended Episodes
May 2023
Meet the massive machines removing carbon from Earth's atmosphere | Jan Wurzbacher
To prevent global warming, we need to drastically reduce pollution. After that, we need to trap as much excess carbon dioxide from the air as possible. Enter Orca, the world's first large-scale direct air capture and storage plant, built in Iceland by the team at Climeworks, led ... Show More
14m 1s
Jun 2022
HIBT Lab! Climeworks: Jan Wurzbacher
According to the 2022 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world needs to cut carbon emissions drastically to avoid the worst effects of global warming. But that’s not all. In addition to reducing emissions, we also need to remove 6 to 10 billion ... Show More
37m 39s
Nov 2021
Geoengineering The Planet
Even with the best efforts, it will be decades before we see any change in global temperatures through our mitigation efforts. Given the pace of global heating and the time lag before our emissions reductions have any impact, scientists are exploring additional ways of reducing g ... Show More
27m 23s
Jun 2021
Can planting trees really stop climate change? | Thomas Crowther
From governments to airlines to your favorite eco-friendly clothing brand, tree-planting campaigns are everywhere. Reforesting the planet has become one of the quickest, easiest and most ubiquitous ways to reduce our carbon footprint...but is it actually helping to stop climate c ... Show More
47m 45s
Jun 2021
Can planting trees really stop climate change? | Thomas Crowther
From governments to airlines to your favorite eco-friendly clothing brand, tree-planting campaigns are everywhere. Reforesting the planet has become one of the quickest, easiest and most ubiquitous ways to reduce our carbon footprint...but is it actually helping to stop climate c ... Show More
47m 45s
Jan 2024
Sourcing biomass for carbon removal
Plants capture hundreds of gigatons of carbon every year in timber, crops, and other forms of biomass. Much of that carbon gets released back into the atmosphere through natural processes and human intervention. But there are a few ways that we can lock it away for good, like bio ... Show More
48m 19s
Sep 2021
Amazon’s Carbon Crisis: How fire could accelerate climate change
As the world tries to keep global temperatures from rising above 1.5 or even 2 degrees celsius, one of the biggest resources to slow global warming may be changing sides.  The Amazon rainforest has always been hailed for its ability to absorb the world’s carbon. Now, a new study ... Show More
21m 7s
Jul 2022
Bonus Episode: Why We Must Defeat Climate Change and How to Do It
The earth is getting warmer and the consequences of that have already begun to impact us all. Today, 6 out of 10 Americans describe themselves as “alarmed” or “concerned” about climate change, according to one recent study. Climate change is a huge global problem and there is lik ... Show More
31m 34s
Nov 2023
Big promise, little success: The state of carbon capture
The U.S. is spending billions on carbon capture as a climate solution, but is it realistic? The method has been around for 50 years and used primarily as a way to extract more oil. To find out how and if carbon capture can work as a climate solution, Akshat speaks with Emily Grub ... Show More
34m 15s