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Carbon Dioxide Removal technosalvationism United States of America

April 12, 2022 – Big beasts put money into carbon removal

Three years ago, on this day, April 12th, 2022,

“an alliance of prominent Silicon Valley companies—including Google, Meta, Shopify, and the payment company Stripe—announced that it is purchasing $925 million in carbon removal over the next eight years. In a world awash in overhyped corporate climate commitments, this is actually a big deal”  https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2022/04/big-tech-investment-carbon-removal/629545/

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 418ppm. As of 2025 it is 427ppm, but check here for daily measures. 

The context was having actively opposed any carbon mitigation, or sat around while the fossil interests opposed it (amounts to the same thing) for thirty plus years, now “good” corporates were realising that it was very late in the day for everything, including their reputations. So, promising to invest in unicorn technologies like carbon removals was a think.

What I think we can learn from this

Only unicorn technologies can save us.

What happened next

MARC TO CHECK OUT WHERE THESE ARE UP TO

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

Also on this day: 

April 12, 1955 – Coventry Evening Telegraph – “Melting Ice Could Menace the World” – All Our Yesterdays

April 12, 1992 – seminar asks “How sustainable is Australian Energy?” (proposes switch to gas)

April 12, 1993 – “environmental economics” gets a puff piece

Categories
Carbon Dioxide Removal Europe

November 21 2023 – EU: CDR AOK

One year ago, on this day, November 21st, 2023 the European Union basically said, “Yeah, carbon dioxide removals are a fun thing. And we can add them into the whole carbon trading model, because you know, how else are we going to hit our entirely fictitious targets while still growing the economy?” 

2023 nov 21 – EU votes on cdr certification framework https://carbonherald.com/eu-parliament-approves-the-carbon-removal-certification-framework-and-net-zero-industry-act/

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 423ppm. As of 2024 it is 423ppm, but check here for daily measures. 

The context was that there was an ongoing push – see this from the year before –

BRUSSELS, Nov 30 2022 (Reuters) – The European Union set out plans on Wednesday to certify removals of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, while leaving key details to be worked out later – including how these removals will be counted towards EU climate change targets. https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/eu-takes-first-step-certify-removing-co2-atmosphere-2022-11-30/

What I think we can learn from this. The EU is not gonna save us. No-one and nothing is gonna save us.

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

Also on this day: 

November 21, 1994 – Skeptic invited to engage with IPCC (Spoiler, he doesn’t)

November 21, 2013 – “Cut the Green Crap” said UK Prime Minister