Down to Business English

Carbon Capture: climate saving technology or fossil fuel enabler?

Jan 25, 2024

The podcast explores carbon capture technology and its potential to reduce carbon emissions. It discusses the different types of carbon capture and the costs involved. The hosts also mention ANA's collaboration with 1PointFive for reducing carbon emissions. The podcast highlights the measures taken by governments to support carbon capture technology. Additionally, the hosts touch upon topics like gasoline costs, public transport, the verb 'enable', the idiom 'the 30,000 foot view', and the term 'abate' in the tech sector.

20:22

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Quick takeaways

Carbon capture technology aims to reduce carbon emissions by capturing CO2 from various sources and storing it underground or repurposing it.

The cost of carbon capture varies depending on the method used, with CCS being cheaper than DAC, but both are expected to decrease as the industry grows and governments provide funding and incentives.

Deep dives

Carbon Capture: Removing CO2 from the Atmosphere

Carbon capture technology aims to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) and remove it from the atmosphere, which is crucial to reach the goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. There are two main approaches: point source CCS and direct air capture (DAC). CCS captures carbon from sources like factory smokestacks or power plants and stores it underground or repurposes it. DAC, on the other hand, removes carbon after it has been emitted into the atmosphere using high-powered fans and chemical reactions. While carbon capture has the potential to reduce emissions, there are concerns that it could enable the prolonging of fossil fuel use. However, it can also help reduce the carbon footprint in hard-to-abate sectors such as cement manufacturing and steel production.

Introduction

2min

Carbon Capture and its Role in Addressing Carbon Emissions

10min

The nuance of the verb 'enable' and the expression 'bits and pieces'

2min

Safety issues at Boeing and the use of the idiom 'the 30,000 foot view'

2min

Abate and Layoffs in the Tech Sector

5min

In today's world, where all of us are trying to be more environmentally responsible, this episode of Down to Business English is very timely.

Co-hosts Samantha Vega and Skip Montreux not only talk about the important topic of carbon capture technology but also help you to improve your business English vocabulary and listening comprehension skills.

Perfect for anyone wanting to learn about the balance between technology and taking care of our environment while at the same time developing their English listening fluency.

Samantha and Skip talk about carbon capture, a method that could greatly reduce the carbon footprint of industries. They look at two main types: Point Source Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Direct Air Capture (DAC). CCS focuses on capturing carbon from places like factory smokestacks, while DAC aims to remove CO2 that's already in the air.

Listeners wanting to get better at understanding business English will find the discussion about the costs of carbon capture very useful. Skip and Samantha talk about:

How much CCS and DAC cost now, and how these costs might go down as the industry grows.
How ANA is working with 1PointFive to reduce its carbon emissions using DAC technology.
What governments in the United States and Europe are doing to support carbon capture technology.