Removing Harmful Greenhouse Gases from the Air Using Energy from Plants

Carbon dioxide (written as CO2) releases from fossil fuels cause climate change, a warming of the earth that causes more intense heat waves, extreme weather, and other negative impacts on our world. How can we stop future climate change? One option is to remove CO2 from the air around us. Here, we describe an original carbon dioxide removal technology called bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration (BECCS). BECCS produces energy from plants, grasses, or trees while removing CO2 from our atmosphere. Scientists are just beginning to understand the role that BECCS can play in reducing climate change. We describe recent research that shows how the world might build electricity systems – a network that delivers electricity to your home – that remove, rather than release, CO2. These systems are very different from our current electricity systems, which use large amounts of fossil fuels.