Direct Air Capture (DAC) is a method of taking carbon dioxide out of ambient air. It is one solution that can work in tandem with others to slow down (and eventually reverse) the growth of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This week, host Isabelle Brogna spoke with Dr. Christopher Jones, a Georgia Tech professor and researcher (and UM alum!) who works on the cutting edge of DAC technology. He explains how carbon dioxide is taken from the air, why doing this should be a necessary part of any plan to combat climate change, and how current and future policies and funding can help the technology.
Returning champions Meg, Logan, and Aurora discuss local ballot initiatives across the U.S. including carbon emissions fees in Washington, proactive water pollution prevention in Montana, fish protections in Alaska, a Floridian combo bill that intertwines vaping and off-shore drilling, and more! As an added bonus, the crew unveils their Halloween costumes for this year—and Aurora’s is quite chilling.
Also, Logan conducts his first interview with Chris Bowman, a graduate student at Michigan. Check out more details below:
Over the summer, Chris Bowman served as an intern for the Rocky Mountain Institute, a prestigious Colorado-based nonprofit that brands itself as a ‘think-and-do’ tank. There, he got plugged-into distribution grid work with solar energy cooperatives, of which there are just under 1,000 in the U.S. Specifically, Bowman focused his efforts on expanding and hastening the transition to renewable energy via market forces.
This fall, Bowman is back at Michigan continuing his graduate education as a proud, “Erber.” The Erb Institute is a dual-degree program through which students earn an MBA from the Ross School of Business as well as a master’s from the School for Environment and Sustainability over the course of three years. Bowman joined the program to gain a deeper understanding of the business, economics, and politics that set the stage for renewable energy markets to perform successfully. He speaks with fervor regarding the broadening transition to photovoltaics and renewables as our host Logan investigates a wide spectrum of topics, from front-of-the-meter generation to greater moral imperatives.
