One of the many goals of our current society is net-zero. Hence, for the past decades, hundreds of technologies have been invented each year in an attempt to slow down global warming. Some examples are sustainable phones, e-waste recycling, and green architecture. Although the technologies do contribute to the reduction of emissions, the process has to be done faster to match the speed of the energy we consume. Luckily, in November of 2023, Heirloom opened the first commercial plant in the US which directly pulls carbon dioxide from air. 

Heirloom Carbon Technologies is a start-up founded in 2020 that aims to produce a permanent carbon removal storage. Their first facility was built in California, US, which captures CO2 by using a simple chemistry: yielding of limestone when oxide binds with carbon dioxide. Heirloom speeds up this natural process to take in the CO2 in the air. One of the world’s leading companies Microsoft has already signed a deal with them. 

However, there are some drawbacks to this carbon capturing technology. As of right now, it absorbs a maximum of 1000 tons of carbon dioxide per year, which is only a small portion of the carbon we use. Each year, a total of 230 million tons of carbon dioxide are used globally. Moreover, it is estimated that capturing a ton of carbon dioxide using this plant costs somewhere between $600 and $1000. This is a very costly price as it usually costs 15 to 130 dollars using other ways.  

With improvements, Heirloom’s technology will grow into a more efficient and therefore well-used option for slowing global warming. Greener earth will potentially be within our reach thanks to the development of sustainable technologies.