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Taking CO2 out of the air would be an expensive way to fight climate change

It could cost the US $100 billion a year.

According to the new report by research firm Rhodium Group, the US needs to spend roughly $100 billion a year on CDR in order to scale up to a level that would help the country meet its climate goals. Crossing that threshold means that climate-related disasters like extreme heat, sea level rise, and biodiversity loss become significantly worse, perhaps surpassing humans’ ability to adapt to these changes in the most vulnerable parts of the world. These need a lot more study.” There are so many limitations to the most studied CDR techniques — including tree planting and machines that capture CO2— that Romm says the money would be better spent researching other ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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