On a grassy plain in Iceland in September, a gigantic machine began sucking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. The project, built by Swiss company Climeworks, is the world’s largest direct-air carbon-capture plant—though it traps only about 4,000 tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to the yearly emissions of about 850 cars. Some experts say carbon-removal technology, still in its infancy, distracts from proven solutions. But others, including Climeworks co-director and co-founder Jan Wurzbacher, argue it can help reduce warming.
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