California’s carbon capture projects

Two innovative carbon capture projects got underway in Los Angeles County, as global emissions hit record levels. A wastewater treatment plant that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere broke ground this week, while another California group unveiled the US’s first direct air capture system for mass production: a shipping container-sized machine that can remove 500 tons of CO₂ a year.

Three other groups plan to use ocean water to sequester carbon dioxide, The Los Angeles Times reported. It can’t come too soon: According to the IPCC, at least six billion tons of CO2 will need to be removed from the atmosphere each year in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C by 2050, even if emissions are severely reduced.