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It’s one thing to read about <keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">climate change</keyword> and <keyword id="19951337" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="carbon-emissions" source="keywords">carbon emissions</keyword> in an article, and quite another to <em>see </em>the toxic fumes engulfing your entire country — swirling over it like a certain menacing doom.<br /><br /><keyword id="19935155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NASA" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NASA" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NASA">NASA</keyword> recently unveiled a groundbreaking visualisation tool that offers an unprecedented look at how carbon dioxide (CO2) moves around our planet. This high-resolution model provides a stunning, animated map of <keyword id="22576003" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-CO2-concentrations" source="keywords">global CO2 concentrations</keyword>, revealing the complex patterns of this crucial <keyword id="20719964" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="greenhouse-gas" source="keywords">greenhouse gas</keyword>.<br />   <div type="Youtube" id="zZ-lMDtiI-k" title="Model Behavior: Visualizing Global Carbon Dioxide" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zZ-lMDtiI-k/mqdefault.jpg"><url><![CDATA[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ-lMDtiI-k]]></url></div>By combining billions of data points from satellites and ground observations, NASA scientists created a dynamic picture of how CO2 is emitted, transported, and absorbed across the globe. This interactive map showcases <keyword id="22576002" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CO2-concentrations" source="keywords">CO2 concentrations</keyword> as they shifted through Earth's atmosphere from January to March 2020, influenced by wind patterns and atmospheric circulation. With its exceptional detail, you can zoom in to pinpoint CO2 emissions rising from power plants, fires, and urban areas, as they spread across continents and oceans.<br /><br />Over India, you can see the greenhouse gas blowing over from neighbouring continents and also originating from the subcontinent. The pulsating oranges indicate CO2 concentrations of 420-460 ppm over India.<br /><h2>The sources of CO2<br /></h2>One of the most striking features of the map is its ability to zoom in on specific regions, allowing viewers to see CO2 emissions rising from individual cities and industrial complexes. This level of detail provides a clear and compelling picture of human activities' impact on the environment.<br /><br />The map highlights distinct emission patterns across different regions. In China, the United States, and South Asia, power plants, industrial facilities, and vehicles were the primary contributors to CO2 emissions. Conversely, in Africa and South America, fires ignited by land management practices, agricultural burning, and deforestation, along with the combustion of oil and coal, were the main sources.<br /><br /><h2>Pulsating gases</h2>The map also highlights the role of natural systems in the carbon cycle. Forests, oceans, and other ecosystems absorb vast amounts of CO2, acting as vital carbon sinks. However, the visualisation also reveals how human activities are overwhelming these natural systems, leading to a buildup of CO2 in the atmosphere.<br /><br />Further, the map exhibits a pulsating appearance. This is because, firstly, fires typically intensify during daylight hours and subside at night, creating a diurnal pattern. Secondly, the absorption and release of CO2 by plants during photosynthesis and respiration contribute to the fluctuations. This pulsing effect is particularly noticeable in regions with abundant vegetation, such as mid- to high-latitude forests and tropical areas.<br />  <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112021374" title="Scientists found a groundbreaking new reason to plant more trees" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>“This map is a powerful tool for understanding the scale and complexity of the climate crisis,” said [Quote from NASA scientist]. “It shows us where the biggest problems are and where we need to focus our efforts to reduce emissions.”<br /><br />The data behind the map comes from NASA's <keyword id="22576004" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="goddard-earth-observing-system" source="keywords">Goddard Earth Observing System</keyword> (GEOS), a sophisticated model that simulates Earth's atmosphere with incredible detail. By applying this model to CO2, scientists have gained new insights into the gas's behaviour and its impact on the planet.<br /><br />As the world grapples with the challenges of climate change, tools like this are essential for informing policy decisions, tracking progress, and inspiring action. NASA’s CO2 map is a remarkable achievement that offers a glimpse into the urgent need to transition to a low-carbon future.<br />  <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111566431" title="June warmest on record; every month since July 2023 breached 1.5 deg C threshold" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

WATCH: A NASA animation shows gigantic plumes of carbon dioxide emissions swirling over India

In the face of an escalating climate crisis, scientists are exploring increasingly unconventional ideas to cool the planet. One of the more intriguing — and surprising — proposals is the use of <keyword id="23626780" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="diamond-dust" source="keywords">diamond dust</keyword> injected into the atmosphere to reflect sunlight and reduce global temperatures. A team of climatologists, meteorologists, and <keyword id="19912640" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="earth" source="keywords">Earth</keyword> scientists found that injecting synthetic diamond particles might be the most effective way to combat <keyword id="19942740" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-warming" source="keywords">global warming</keyword>.<br /><h2>Just chill, chill</h2>Global temperatures are rising rapidly, and scientists warn that we may have already reached a tipping point. Simply reducing <keyword id="19951337" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="carbon-emissions" source="keywords">carbon emissions</keyword> may no longer be enough. Some experts argue that we need active measures to cool the planet and prevent further catastrophic changes to global weather patterns. One potential solution? <keyword id="23626781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="solar-geoengineering" source="keywords">Solar geoengineering</keyword> — a method that involves injecting <keyword id="23626782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reflective-particles" source="keywords">reflective particles</keyword>, or aerosols, into the atmosphere to bounce sunlight back into space.<br /><br />Historically, sulphur dioxide has been the leading candidate for this approach. Released naturally by volcanic eruptions, sulphur dioxide is known to have a cooling effect on the Earth by reflecting sunlight. However, the downside of injecting it artificially is significant: it could lead to acid rain, damage the ozone layer, and disrupt weather patterns.<br /><div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114118159" title="Delhi vs. air pollution: Minister pushes for ‘artificial rains’ in city ahead of Diwali as AQI remains worse than ever" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The new study aimed to find a better alternative by modelling the impact of seven different materials: calcite, diamond, aluminium, silicon carbide, anatase, rutile, and sulphur dioxide. Their 3D <keyword id="19912529" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-models" source="keywords">climate models</keyword> factored in light reflection, how long the particles would stay in the atmosphere, and whether they would clump together — something that could diminish their effectiveness.<br /><h2>Why diamonds?</h2>The surprising result of the research was that diamond dust emerged as the most promising candidate. Tiny synthetic diamond particles proved to be highly effective at reflecting both sunlight and heat, while also remaining suspended in the atmosphere for a sufficient period. Unlike sulphur dioxide, diamonds are chemically inert, meaning they would not react with other atmospheric elements to cause harmful side effects like acid rain.<br /><br />The models suggested that injecting 5 million tons of synthetic diamond dust into the atmosphere annually could reduce global temperatures by 1.6°C over the course of 45 years. This kind of cooling would be enough to counteract some of the most severe effects of <keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">climate change</keyword> and potentially buy time for other long-term solutions.<br /><h2>The cost conundrum</h2>Despite the effectiveness of diamond dust in the simulations, the practical challenge of this approach lies in its cost. Producing and distributing the necessary amount of <keyword id="20001023" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="synthetic-diamonds" source="keywords">synthetic diamonds</keyword> would come with an astronomical price tag — an estimated $200 trillion. To put that into perspective, that’s roughly double the size of the global economy in 2023. While the benefits of <keyword id="23626783" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cooling-the-planet" source="keywords">cooling the planet</keyword> are clear, such a high cost makes this solution far from feasible in the immediate future.<br /><div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="97766424" title="A new climate solution involves shooting moon dust into space to create a &amp;#39;solar shield&amp;#39; around Earth, but scientists say it&amp;#39;s a risky last resort" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>While the diamond dust concept is still in the research phase, the study underscores the urgency of exploring all possible solutions to cool the planet. As temperatures rise and extreme weather events become more frequent, unconventional ideas like this could play a role in the global effort to mitigate climate change.<br /><br />The findings of this research have been published in <em>Geophysical Research Letters</em> and can be accessed <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2024GL110575">here</a>.

Diamonds in the Sky: Scientists want to inject diamonds into our atmosphere to cool the planet!

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-largest-carbon-removal-plant-iceland-climeworks-2024-5">carbon dioxide removal</a> company Equatic has begun designing its largest plant yet.</li><li>The project will be North America's first commercial-scale CDR plant, scheduled to go online by 2027.</li></ul><p>The oceans are our planet's largest <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-first-commercial-carbon-capture-facility-opens-2023-11">carbon sink</a>, naturally absorbing about 25% of the carbon dioxide that humans emit. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) companies like Equatic are trying to harness that natural process to absorb even more.</p><p>"We take what the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oceans-absorb-carbon-emissions-climate-change-2018-10">ocean does already</a> and amplify that," Edward Sanders, COO at Equatic, told Business Insider.</p><p>On June 18, Equatic <a target="_blank" href="https://www.equatic.tech/articles/equatic-to-build-north-americas-first-commercial-scale-ocean-based-carbon-removal-facility">announced</a> it started engineering designs for the world's first commercial-scale, ocean-based CDR plant, Sanders said. The plant could remove carbon dioxide at a rate that's 99,000 times as fast as the oceans.</p><p>Equatic is one of about a dozen <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pitch-deck-ebb-carbon-carbon-emissions-ocean-acidification-20-million-2023-4">marine CDR companies</a> that have sprouted in recent years in an effort to accelerate the ocean's natural capacity to absorb more CO2. A <a target="_blank" href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26278/a-research-strategy-for-ocean-based-carbon-dioxide-removal-and-sequestration">report</a> from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine estimates that marine CDR could remove billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere.</p><p>The technology is still in its infancy and it's unclear what the environmental impacts will be — especially at a large scale. But CDR is a necessary step in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-government-launches-largest-ever-carbon-removal-initiative-2023-8">mitigating climate change</a>; reducing greenhouse gas emissions is no longer enough to limit global warming to 1.5 °C to 2 °C by the end of the century, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.</p><h2 id="5b2c67a2-8fb9-4510-8523-f3ad8fbfa636">How Equatic is sucking CO2 from the air</h2><div type="image" title="illustration of Equatic's first commercial-scale carbon dioxide removal plant with hydrogen storage tanks on the left and removal technology on right" height="4320" width="7680" msid="111293591" hostid="261" sizebytes="3507668"></div><p>There are a lot of different ways to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-steel-carbon-capture-does-it-work-reduce-emissions-controversial-2024-4">absorb CO2</a> from the atmosphere. Equatic's technology, for example, uses something called seawater electrolysis. It takes seawater and runs an electric current through it, which splits the water into hydrogen, oxygen, and two separate fluids: one acid and a base.</p><p>"The process stores carbon that was dissolved in the water as a solid, similar to the material that makes up seashells, and creates an alkaline slurry that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere via a cooling tower," Sanders told BI over email.</p><p>As an added bonus, the hydrogen can be converted into <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/clean-hydrogen-fuel-reserves-could-be-hiding-underground-2024-3">clean hydrogen fuel</a>, which Equatic can either reuse to power its CDR plants or sell. Companies including Boeing and payment service provider Stripe have signed contracts with Equatic for its hydrogen.</p><h2 id="9b9ca663-632c-46dc-a908-bbc835176666">Equatic has proven its technology can work</h2><div type="image" title="Photo of an industrial plant emitting gases into the atmosphere with a wind farm in the background." height="1499" width="1999" msid="111293592" hostid="261" sizebytes="61620"></div><p>Equatic already has two small pilot plants to validate its technology — one in LA and a second in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sc/why-singapore-is-the-choice-location-for-firms-support-global-carbon-markets">Singapore</a>.</p><p>The company is also building a larger plant scheduled to go online in Singapore later in 2024, which will absorb about 4,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually and lay the groundwork for the company's first commercial-scale plant. That plant will launch in 2026 or 2027 in partnership with Canadian carbon removal project developer Deep Sky.</p><p>Researchers estimate that by 2050, it will cost between $230 and $540 to remove one ton of CO2 from the atmosphere. But Equatic offsets the cost of CDR by producing and selling green hydrogen. The company predicts the new plant could achieve CDR at less than $100 per ton by 2030.</p><p>Ultimately, Sanders envisions a global fleet of these CDR plants.</p><p>"Once we get to that point, we're not talking about a hundred thousand tons, we're not talking about millions of tons, we're talking about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/richest-americans-income-creates-outsized-emissions-climate-crisis-2023-8">hundreds of millions of tons</a> because this technology can be replicated in many countries," Sanders said.</p><h2 id="c8463862-6d69-476c-82bf-0067e2bc4893">Questions remain about CDR's economic and environmental impact</h2><div type="image" title="Photo of a shoreline with bright blue blooms of algae nad other sealife in the water." height="1414" width="2121" msid="111293593" hostid="261" sizebytes="637988"></div><p>Since there are no commercial-scale, ocean-based CDR plants online yet, practically nothing is known about their impact on the environment and local economies.</p><p>In general, ocean-based CDR techniques manipulate seawater in ways that could potentially disrupt sea life.</p><p>"You're going to be pulling in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/giant-plankton-bloom-thailand-sea-bright-green-fish-kill-environment-2023-9">phytoplankton</a> and bugs and other potential living creatures from the ocean and filtering those out can have some environmental impacts," Jessica Cross, an earth scientist with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory who specializes in CDR for the oceans, told BI.</p><p>Exactly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/increasing-carbon-emissions-ocean-acidification-2014-9">what those impacts</a> are depends on where a CDR operation is and what organisms are involved.</p><p>Sanders told BI that Equatic closely monitors discharge from its CDR plants to ensure they comply with legal pollution standards. Its upcoming plant in Singapore will also filter seawater to remove sea life before water enters the plant.</p><h2 id="1277f18c-6649-4f95-ae1f-933feb3495ab"><strong>We can't fully rely on CDR to mitigate climate change</strong></h2><p>Because CDR is expensive and limited in scale, we can't abandon decarbonization and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/carbon-emissions-2022-record-renewables-growth-solar-wind-iea-2023-3">emissions reduction efforts</a>, Cross said.</p><p>The benefits of this technology are "far in the future, whereas the risks of initiating this industry and this infrastructure development are local, short-term, and much more immediate," Cross said.</p><p>"Figuring out how to balance, again, this sort of diffuse global benefit with this local risk that happens, it is something that responsible researchers should be grappling with," she said.</p>

A new carbon removal plant will absorb carbon dioxide 99,000 times faster than Earth's oceans 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Games' need for a massive infrastructure project has historically hurt host cities' environments.</li><li>Installing and using 5G technology could help minimize the Olympics' environmental impacts.</li></ul><p>When thousands of the world's best athletes descend on one city, it can wreak environmental havoc.</p><p>No single Olympic Games held between 1992 and 2020 was sufficiently sustainable, found <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=c0d989491c74099378a20091f3e16aba6129c646e40d4b337bf98c0f4ca076c3&amp;postID=66a274b6d290cb433ad39ab1&amp;postSlug=paris-olympics-how-5g-tech-could-curb-environmental-impact-2024-7&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41893-021-00696-5">a 2021 study</a> in the journal Nature that assessed the environmental impacts of the Games during that period.</p><p>For example, the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games damaged the city's local environment when an estimated <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/12/3/166#:~:text=During%20the%20seven%2Dyear%20preparation,Azevedo%202015%3B%20Zimbalist%202017).">77,000 people in favela communities were displaced</a> to make way for the event's infrastructure, according to a retrospective report published in 2023 in the journal Social Sciences.</p><p>From an environmental standpoint, the Rio de Janeiro Games <a target="_blank" href="https://katoikos.world/analysis/olympics-a-celebration-for-humanity-a-disaster-for-the-environment.html">produced</a> more than 17,000 metric tons of waste, used 29,500 gigawatts of electricity — the majority of which was not from renewable sources — and resulted in 3.6 million metric tons of carbon emissions, the Rio de Janeiro Games reported.</p><p>For the Paris Games, limiting environmental impact has been a greater concern than in past Olympics, with efforts across industries to reduce waste. Rather than build a series of new venues, existing ones have been repurposed. <a target="_blank" href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/our-commitments/the-environment/infrastructures">Only one new permanent venue was constructed</a>, and there's more <a target="_blank" href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/our-commitments/the-environment/organising-more-circular-games">renting than buying</a> when it comes to equipment like furniture to reduce waste. Sustainability initiatives also extend to the 5G technology powering the Olympic Games.</p><p>Orange, the telecommunications provider for the Paris Games, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.orange.com/en/allconnected/paris2024/paris-2024-how-orange-will-limit-its-environmental-impact">has set itself the goal</a> of limiting its carbon emissions to 10,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. If met, Orange's carbon emissions would account for less than 1% of the total estimated emissions of the 2024 Olympics.</p><p>It's the latest example of how 5G providers are supporting sustainability efforts at global-scale live events.</p><p>"As sustainability initiatives around large public venues gather steam, we know IT teams are being asked to find ways to contribute to their organization's decarbonization efforts," said Kevin Swank, the product-marketing director at CommScope, a service provider that has worked on sports stadiums in France, Germany, and the US.</p><h2 id="1d0215d6-49e6-4444-b194-294cf1e5f1bd"><strong>Environmentally friendly technology that can support more fans</strong></h2><p>Though 5G systems require infrastructure installation, their technology is more sustainable than older connectivity systems like analog distributed antenna systems, Swank said.</p><p>Digital 5G systems use less power and less cooling than older systems, which need large amounts of power and cabling to run, Swank told Business Insider. And because 5G systems run digitally, they don't require as much physical infrastructure as their predecessors, Swank added.</p><p>He said he witnessed the positive impact — on the environment and the fan experience — when CommScope updated the internet infrastructure at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.commscope.com/globalassets/digizuite/965502-atandt-stadium-cs-115933-en.pdf">AT&amp;T Stadium in Arlington, Texas</a>, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, in 2020.</p><p>"The venue was reaching the performance limits of its equipment, and its current network just couldn't keep up with the growing demands of a mobile-device-centric fan base," Swank told BI. The stadium needed a 5G network that could support augmented-reality features and mobile-ordering capabilities for concessions for up to 100,000 visitors at a time.</p><p>By switching to 5G, the stadium's network performance increased tenfold, while its power use went down by about 87% and its cooling requirements decreased by up to 75%, a project report from CommScope said. Those reductions equate to over 100 metric tons in CO2 emissions savings a year, Swank said.</p><p>The stadium's 5G system resulted in just five equipment storage racks compared with the 30 to 40 racks previously required for its analog equipment.</p><p>Because of these advantages, 5G is quickly gaining steam within the entertainment industry as events continue to grow in scale and attendees expect more seamless experiences.</p><h2 id="4de8c9b0-599e-4fa3-9e87-59f5acb6ad1c"><strong>Recycling 5G equipment for more sustainability</strong></h2><p>To work toward its carbon-emissions goal for the Paris Games, Orange decreased its equipment manufacturing and infrastructure-deployment footprint. Orange, in partnership with the consultancy Carbone4, estimated that 86% of its global footprint came from those two areas.</p><p>For the Paris Olympics, the company is using more local suppliers and shipping bulky items by sea rather than air to reduce emissions. Orange said it planned to rent one-quarter of its equipment and estimated that 75% of the equipment would be reused or redeployed after the Games.</p><p>Generally, the 5G networks used at sports venues' large events can be reused after the events end and the increased capacity is no longer needed, said Kelvin Chaffer, the CEO of Lifecycle Software, which provides support systems for network operators.</p><p>"By designing infrastructure that can be repurposed for other community uses postevent, and implementing green technologies and sustainable practices," Chaffer said. He added that this approach gives large sporting event organizers the ability "to minimize the environmental impact of event-triggered infrastructure projects."</p>

How 5G technology is helping curb carbon emissions and waste at the Paris Games

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US Steel's plant in Gary, Indiana, aims to deploy carbon capture to reduce its carbon footprint by 2026.</li><li>The technology will capture 0.5% of the steel mill's carbon dioxide emissions.</li></ul><p>A more-than-century-old steel mill in Gary, Indiana, plans to be a testing ground for a controversial <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/modularity-reshaping-climate-tech-and-infrastructure-startups-2024-2">climate technology</a>.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-first-commercial-carbon-capture-facility-opens-2023-11">Carbon capture</a> is coming to US Steel's GaryWorks plant on the south shore of Lake Michigan, which churns out the steel that shapes modern life, from buildings and bridges to cars and wind turbines.</p><p>All that production comes with an environmental cost. GaryWorks is Indiana's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.epa.gov/ghgreporting/ghgrp-state-and-tribal-fact-sheet">largest polluter of carbon dioxide</a>, federal data shows. US Steel said it can cut those emissions by about 0.5% a year by 2026 using technology from the company CarbonFree. If completed, the project would be the first commercial carbon capture at a steel plant.</p><p>"It's progress, not perfection," Erika Chan, US Steel's head of sustainability, told Business Insider. "We're excited about the possibilities and potential."</p><p>That potential is up for debate. Many climate advocates and some researchers warn that carbon capture is an unproven distraction from other solutions that could rid steelmaking of a lot more fossil fuels and unhealthy pollutants. But those solutions are also in the early stages of development, and backers of carbon capture say curbing some emissions now is better than none at all.</p><p>There's a lot at stake in the race to clean up steelmaking. Globally, the industry accounts for 8% of emissions. It's also one <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/decarbonize-steel-green-uk-scientists-how-to-cut-pollution-steel-2023-2">of the hardest to make green</a> because it requires a lot of power, heat, and coal and iron ore in most cases. Governments and companies are now pouring billions of dollars into projects trying to solve the problem.</p><p>For its part, CarbonFree will spend about $150 million to build out its technology at GaryWorks, according to CEO Martin Keighley. He said his company can earn "strong returns" by selling calcium carbonate, a substance made from the captured carbon and other chemicals, to manufacturers of paint, paper, plastic, and pharmaceuticals. Once operational, CarbonFree can also claim about $3 million a year in federal tax breaks.</p><div type="image" title="A 3D rendering of CarbonFree's carbon capture technology at US Steel's plant in Gary, Indiana." height="2160" width="3840" msid="109035511" hostid="261" sizebytes="165578"></div><p>Keighley said an outside firm is vetting the carbon capture project at GaryWorks to verify that it will reduce emissions, even though a small amount of gas will be used to power the system.</p><p>The company — which <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bp.com/en_us/united-states/home/news/press-releases/carbonfree-and-bp-collaborate-to-help-bring-carbon-capture-and-utilization-technology-to-industrial-sites-around-the-world.html">counts BP among its investors</a> — won't sell the captured carbon from GaryWorks for use in oil and gas production, Keighley added.</p><p>Most of the carbon captured at industrial sites today is piped to oil fields and injected back underground to squeeze out more oil, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.epa.gov/ghgreporting/supply-underground-injection-and-geologic-sequestration-carbon-dioxide">according to the EPA</a>. This fuels climate advocates' complaints that the technology will extend the life of the industry most responsible for the climate crisis.</p><h2><strong>'Small drop in a very big bucket'</strong></h2><p>Ben Inskeep, the program director of Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, told BI that even if emissions reductions are realized at GaryWorks, it will be "a small drop in a very big bucket."</p><p>"It's not a viable pathway to decarbonize GaryWorks," Inskeep said of carbon capture. "A lot of really terrible pollution will continue and this carbon capture project won't address the magnitude of the problem."</p><p>Aside from being the top carbon dioxide emitter in Indiana, GaryWorks is also a top producer of other harmful air pollutants like carbon monoxide and particulate matter. The mill is <a target="_blank" href="https://globalenergymonitor.org/projects/global-blast-furnace-tracker/summary-tables/">among just 10 in the country</a> still using blast furnaces — the dirtiest way to make steel because they burn coal and iron ore. The residents of Gary, who are majority Black, <a target="_blank" href="https://grist.org/regulation/epa-crackdown-steel-mill-pollution-gary-indiana-lawsuits/">are suffering from the health effects</a>, Inskeep said.</p><p>"We've been advocating for truly sustainable steel that moves away from the blast furnaces," Inskeep said.</p><p>Most American steelmakers have switched to cleaner electric-arc furnaces, which melt down scrap metal into new steel. There's also emerging technology that could avoid coal and natural gas altogether by using green hydrogen and renewable electricity — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/decarbonize-steel-green-uk-scientists-how-to-cut-pollution-steel-2023-2">though it hasn't reached commercial scale</a>.</p><p>Chan said both of those strategies are included in US Steel's goal to have net-zero emissions by 2050. She noted that US Steel acquired and expanded <a target="_blank" href="https://www.localmemphis.com/article/money/us-steel-mill-east-arkansas-economic-impact/522-7eb9a294-1a0f-4b38-8e04-5b984acd4af1">a site in East Arkansas</a> with electric-arc furnaces that have 70% to 80% lower emissions than blast furnaces.</p><p>Those projects require a lot of capital, Chan said. CarbonFree's technology doesn't require US Steel to make new investments.</p><p>Another American steelmaker, Cleveland Cliffs, in March announced it planned to spend about $1.4 billion in Ohio and Pennsylvania to replace a blast furnace with a "hydrogen-ready" plant and electrify other furnaces. The plan is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.clevelandcliffs.com/news/news-releases/detail/629/cleveland-cliffs-selected-to-receive-575-million-in-us">contingent on a potentially half-billion-dollar grant</a> from the Department of Energy.</p><p>Inskeep said he'd like to see US Steel follow a similar path.</p><p>"These are companies making billions of dollars in profits a year," Inskeep said. "US Steel is in the process of being acquired, potentially. It's very capable of making very large investments."</p><p>Chan said she couldn't comment on negotiations with Nippon Steel, a Japanese rival</p><p>trying to take over the company. However, both are aligned on making climate action a priority, she added. The deal is under review by national security regulators, although President Joe Biden and The United Steelworkers union have opposed it.</p><p>Meanwhile, CarbonFree aims to start running its carbon capture system at GaryWorks in 2026 and hopes to expand it over the 20-year agreement.</p><p>"I believe strongly that in the next 20 to 30 years, we will still be releasing Co2 from industrial steel, cement, refineries, and plastic making," Keighley said. "Let's stop those emissions now and do something useful with them."</p>

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