[iamnotwhoiam]

Since reading about olivine beaches, I don’t understand why DAC makes any sense. Can anyone explain why we would want to build machines to slowly capture it from the air compared to letting natural processes capture it from the oceans?

[kisamoto]

Speed which we don't have.

DACS typically can sequester in a couple of years, Olivine can take up to a millennia to fully saturate.

But these are not mutually exclusive. We should deploy a range of both natural and tech solutions as no single method is enough on its own.

[elric]

How would we get the CO2 onto the olivine beaches? Presumably these beaches already exist, and climate change is still a thing. Do we somehow need to increase the number of olivine beaches, or how would this work?

[iamnotwhoiam]

I meant the idea of spreading crushed olivine on particularly wavy beaches. The CO2 comes out of the ocean water. Still moving the olivine artificially, but relying on the ocean's natural mechanical energy and greater concentration of CO2 than the atmosphere.

[elric]

Aha, thanks for clarifying that! Been reading up about it and it seems like a pretty solid idea. Doesn't look like there are any major projects underway though.

[wmf]

For whatever reason the climate establishment isn't on the olivine train. Using DAC to create carbon-neutral jet fuel makes more sense than sequestration in the short term anyway.