1860 s) but still very marginal with respect to the emitted CO 2 (35 000 Mt/y): it is
very urgent to enlarge its exploitation. If we wish to develop a C-neutral society, we
have to learn from Nature, which has developed in million years a perfect balance
between the used and produced CO 2 . Such balance cannot be reached by disposing
CO 2 , but by reusing carbon. The capture of CO 2 from point sources (Chap. 6) is a
mature technology, while the direct capture from the atmosphere requires further
investigation for reducing costs and developing materials able to better uptake CO 2
at the low concentration typical of air. Table 9.2 highlights the differences between
CCS and CCU.
Table 9.2 Highlights of CCU and CCS. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [6b], Copyright
2019. Springer
9.1 The Circular Economy
143
very urgent to enlarge its exploitation. If we wish to develop a C-neutral society, we
have to learn from Nature, which has developed in million years a perfect balance
between the used and produced CO 2 . Such balance cannot be reached by disposing
CO 2 , but by reusing carbon. The capture of CO 2 from point sources (Chap. 6) is a
mature technology, while the direct capture from the atmosphere requires further
investigation for reducing costs and developing materials able to better uptake CO 2
at the low concentration typical of air. Table 9.2 highlights the differences between
CCS and CCU.
Table 9.2 Highlights of CCU and CCS. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [6b], Copyright
2019. Springer
9.1 The Circular Economy
143