A $50 million grand prize has been awarded to Mati Carbon, a US-based company that helps draw climate-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, in a global competition funded by Elon Musk’s foundation. The company spreads crushed rock on farmers’ fields to facilitate carbon removal, which is crucial in the fight against global warming.
The XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition was launched in 2021 to encourage deployment of carbon-removal technologies. Many scientists believe removing carbon is key to reducing emissions and mitigating climate change. Mati Carbon’s method, called enhanced rock weathering, involves spreading powdered basalt rock on fields to speed up the natural process of breaking down carbon dioxide.
Other finalists that successfully removed 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide included NetZero, which turns crop residues into biochar particles, and projects that store organic waste deep underground. Scientists are exploring geoengineering solutions to climate change, but Leitch from XPRIZE notes that a combination of technologies is likely the best approach.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/xprize-climate-carbon-removal-musk-31d41e402fd5386bd564d7145e84e9db