Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability Presentation Notes

Introduction

• Leah Tuck: Director of Development at Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability.
  • Welcoming attendees and giving a brief overview of the center's mission:
    • Drive knowledge of Cornell's academic enterprise to impact the real world.
  • Introduction of Ben Fus, Executive Director of the 2030 Project (Cornell's climate initiative).

Overview of the 2030 Project

• Ben Fus discusses the 2030 Project:
  • University-wide climate research initiative launched two years ago.
  • Focus on four major themes to combat climate change:
    1. Food and Farms:
       • Preparing food systems for climate changes and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
    2. Energy Systems:
       • Exploring future energy sources and their roles in combating climate change.
    3. Materials of the Future:
       • Developing new materials to reduce emissions and increase sustainability.
    4. Societal Changes:
       • Collaborating with social scientists on policies and movements to address climate challenges.

The Challenge of Climate Change

• Global greenhouse gas emissions:
  • 2/3 to 3/4 from energy production.
  • Significant emissions from chemical processes (steel, concrete, plastics).
• Goals by 2050:
  • Remove 10 gigatons of CO2 per year from the atmosphere.
  • Understanding the scale needed:
    • 1 kiloton = 500 cars; 1 megaton = Great Pyramid of Giza; 1 gigaton = massive amounts of material.

Recent Legislative Changes

• Recent federal laws aiding climate initiatives:
  • Chips and Science Act (2022)
  • Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021)
  • Inflation Reduction Act (2022)
• These laws promote research, development, and adoption of decarbonization technologies.

Carbon Capture and Utilization Projects

• Overview of various carbon capture projects:
  • Direct air capture, industrial gas capturing, geological storage of CO2.
• Cornell is positioning to support these projects and innovations.

Introduction of New Project: Capture Lab

• Professor Phil Milner introduces the Capture Lab project:
  • A testing facility for materials that capture CO2 from real power plant emissions.
  • Unique resource for researchers worldwide to test materials without restrictions.

CO2 Capture and Conversion Projects

• Professor Grishma Gadikota discusses CO2 capture and conversion:
  • Developing energy-efficient CO2 conversion technologies.
  • Projects reducing cement and steel CO2 footprints by 30-40%.
  • Collaboration with industry partners to scale these technologies.

Advanced Chemical Pathways

• Professor T. Ham discusses innovative approaches:
  • Utilizing nature-inspired electrocatalysis for CO2 conversion.
  • Importance of scaling technology and proving efficacy from lab to real-world applications.

Audience Engagement

• Questions from attendees regarding:
  • Transitioning from coal to natural gas and implications for emissions.
  • Cost of carbon removal and current economic feasibility.
  • Geologic carbon storage vs. carbon utilization.

Final Thoughts

• Emphasis on the need for multiple solutions to climate change:
  • Collaboration across universities and disciplines is essential.
  • Acknowledgment that solutions need to generate economic value to be scalable.

Closing Remarks

• Cautious optimism about the future:
  • Importance of research, collaboration, and innovation in addressing climate challenges.
• Call for collective effort and diverse approaches to tackle climate change.