Page 32 - Green Builder Nov-Dec 2021 Issue

Air scrubber. Orca is the world’s largest direct air capture plant, capable of eliminating 4,000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere each year.
It’s also aptly named: “Orca” is the Swiss word for “energy.” COURTESY OF CLIMEWORKS

PART 4 accumulates in internal combustion engines from fossil fuels that
release carbon when they are burned. The residue is physically
scraped off by a professional technician, or a chemical solvent can
be poured into the gas tank. It’s
The Great not meant to be done on a regular “Every form of alternative
basis, and most vehicles manufac-
tured within the past 15-plus years energy, from small-scale
Decarbonization comply with emissions standards nuclear power to
that also reduce the amount of
methanol to all forms of
accumulated carbon.
Electricity decarbonization has hydrogen, needs to be
As time grows short, greenhouse gas reduction the same basic principle as engine
takes center stage with manufacturers—along decarbonization: removing carbon utilized to get us to the
from the system. However, the
with national, state and local governments. main difference is that removing point where carbon
CO2 from the electrical grid means emissions are reduced to
As the localized impacts of climate change become more existen- stopping it from occurring in the
tial, it’s clear that we must break our addiction to fossil fuels. It’s first place. nothing and we reach a
time to think about decarbonization—the full-scale elimination “This means more than sim-
of all greenhouse gas emissions. ply switching off fossil fuels in net-zero carbon world.”
In 2021, many hopeful data trends emerged. Cities have taken favor of renewable energy, such
real action to phase out natural gas, for example, in favor of elec- as solar power and geothermal TERRAPASS
trification. Electricity, goes the thinking, can be created from sun- energy,” Terrapass notes. “It involves increasing energy effi-
light. But there’s still a long way to go, as only 1 percent of homes ciency and looking for clean energy resources that are not typi-
today are net zero. The Climate Change tipping point is upon us. cal renewables.”

POWERING UP DECARBONIZATION ELECTRIFICATION: ALL OR NOTHING
There are actually two types of decarbonization—engine and Electrification technologies—those that promote all-electric
energy. Although they achieve the same ends, they are different status of homes, transportation and businesses—are rapidly
processes. becoming more cost effective and more reliable than fossil fuel
According to carbon offset service provider Terrapass, engine systems in a variety of planning scenarios and climatic condi-
decarbonization involves removing built-up carbon residue that tions, according to COGNITION data.

30 GREEN BUILDER November/December 2021 www.greenbuildermedia.com