Debunking the Myths: Why Carbon Removal Can Scale with Klaus Lackner

In this Climate Chat episode, we interview climate scientist Klaus Lackner on the myths surrounding Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR, a.k.a, carbon capture) and how CDR can scale massively if the proper policies are put in place. Dr. Klaus Lackner is a former professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment and the founding director of the Center for Negative Carbon Emissions at Arizona State University. A pioneer in carbon management, Lackner was the first scientist to propose direct air capture—capturing carbon dioxide directly from the ambient atmosphere—as a viable tool to combat climate change. Trained in theoretical physics at the University of Heidelberg, his career spans positions at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Columbia University, where he directed the Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy. Lackner's foundational research on mineral sequestration and moisture-swing sorbents led to the development of passive carbon capture technologies, such as "Mechanical Trees," which passively absorb CO2. Listen to our 2021 interview with Klaus (audio-only): The Godfather of Carbon Capture: Klaus Lackner Interview: https://youtu.be/IRO9q8MuQms Please Like and Subscribe! Listen to Climate Chat on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/climate-chat/id1893162516 Listen to Climate Chat on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1m0OSLWRPPcyOddErvxJ1e Dan Miller has been giving talks around the world on the need for urgent climate action for over 20 years. He is co-founder of The Roda Group, a climate-tech venture capital group, and he serves as an advisor for other climate funds and climate-focused non-profit groups. He started Climate Chat in 2021 on Clubhouse and added YouTube in 2023. Follow Dan Miller on X/Twitter: @danmiller999 Follow Dan Miller on Bluesky: @danmiller999.bsky.social and @climatechat.bsky.social Leon Simons is a climate scientist based in the Netherlands. He was a co-author with James Hansen on the 2023 "Global Warming in the Pipeline" paper that discussed the recent acceleration in global warming. Leon's work has focused recently on changes in aerosol emissions from ships and the impact of those changes on climate change. You can access Leon's research writings here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Leon-Simons Follow Leon on X/Twitter: @LeonSimons8 and Bluesky: ‪@leonsimons.bsky.social‬ Follow Leon on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/LeonSimons/home Follow Stacey Randecker on X/Twitter: @DrivingMzStacey and Bluesky: @bikingmzstacey.bsky.social Follow Eli Rabani on X/Twitter: @radsci and Bluesky: @radsci.bsky.social You can leave a question in the YouTube Live chat. Please begin your question with "Question:" to make it easy for our mods to spot it. For more Climate Chat episodes, see our YouTube home page: https://www.youtube.com/@climatechat For recent YouTube Live Climate Chat programs: https://www.youtube.com/@climatechat/streams