“Magic Dust” Could Genuinely Save The World.
Enhanced rock weathering is a seriously powerful technology.
UNDO, a carbon capture startup, just secured £12 million in private funding for their “magic dust,” which promises to stop climate change in its tracks. This might sound like a fairytale technology akin to planetary homeopathy, but in actuality, UNDO is pioneering one of the most potent and planet-friendly carbon capture technologies out there: enhanced rock weathering. This technology dramatically speeds up the Earth’s natural geological carbon sequestration pathways, and studies suggest it could be used to store away a massive 2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide each year! But, how does it work? And can it really save the planet?
Enhanced rock weathering starts in the clouds. Carbon dioxide is soluble, so vast amounts of our emissions are absorbed by clouds. Once absorbed, the carbon dioxide reacts with the water, forming carbonic acid. This is why our pollution is causing vast amounts of acid rain and turning the oceans acidic.
A very abundant type of rock, basalt, strongly reacts with carbonic acid. The acid breaks the basalt down, releasing nutrients like phosphorus, magnesium and calcium, and the acid turns into carbonates, a soluble mineral. These carbonates are biologically neutral, so they no impact on the…
