In a surprising intersection of literature, climate science, and corporate ambition, Occidental Petroleum, one of the world’s largest oil companies, is investing heavily in direct air capture (DAC) technology to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The inspiration behind this innovation can be traced back to Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, where Professor Pierre Aronnax envisions using potassium hydroxide to cleanse the air aboard the Nautilus. Today, that same principle is being scaled to planetary levels.
At the heart of this climate effort is Carbon Engineering, a Canadian clean tech company that drew early investment from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. Gates, initially skeptical of climate urgency, was convinced after deep dives with top climate scientists. Now, he is a major advocate for carbon removal.
The world’s largest DAC plant, Stratos, is currently under construction in Texas, with the potential to remove as much CO2 as millions of trees. As the climate crisis intensifies, the race to ‘scrub the sky’ is on, with tech and oil giants leading the charge.
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