The U.S. could remove 1 billion tons of carbon from the air – for $130 billion

Forests, soil and manmade solutions could help get the U.S. to net zero, according to a report published Monday that lays out a roadmap to pull CO2 from the air. Biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS) accounts for about 70% of the U.S.’s carbon removal potential. BiCRS, which accounts for about 70% of the U.S.’s carbon removal potential, involves collecting municipal solid waste and forestry scraps that have pulled CO2 from the air and using them to make products like hydrogen, biogas and charcoal. What’s missing is the financing to build facilities capable of transforming the waste into new materials that effectively lock up the CO2. Reaching the capacity to remove 1 billion tons of carbon annually using BiCRS and other methods could cost $130 billion. Relying on biomass to help clean the atmosphere must ensure that only waste is used rather than chopping down a healthy forest.