Carbon capture or “carbon capture and storage” (CCS), is the act of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) at the source of emission and isolating it before it is released into the atmosphere..
It is a concept that has the potential to slow down climate change by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in the atmosphere. However, the current carbon capture technologies are not completely efficient, adding cost to energy production.
Now, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced that he will donate a $100 million prize a plan to to the “best carbon capture” in an attempt to encourage the development of CCS technology:
The generous donation falls in line with previous statements from Musk about his and Tesla’s mission to combat climate change by accelerating the adoption of electric mobility and sustainable energy.
Musk even described emitting large amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as the “dumbest experiment in history” during a conference on the Paris Agreement. All while reiterating the importance of transitioning to renewable energy in the near future.
According to Musk: “The worst-case however is more displacement and destruction than all the wars in history combined. These are the best/worst-case scenarios. Then we have about 3 percent of scientists that believe in the best case. About 97 percent that believe in the worst case. This why I call it the dumbest experiment in history ever. Why would you do this?”