Clearing the Air: Innovations and Solutions for CO2 Cleanup

Climate change continues to be one of the most pressing issues faced by humanity. The effects of global warming grow more evident each year, signaling the severe potential dangers to come. To combat the mounting levels of CO2, efforts have been made on multiple fronts, from public service and education campaigns to policy proposals and government research. One of the more interesting developing techniques is the ability to remove carbon dioxide from the air. While the concept of CO2 removal is widely accepted as a beneficial solution, creating a suitable plan that fits the financial, environmental, and societal situations of certain regions is far from simple.

On March 6, 6:00pm (In-person); 6:15pm PT // March 7, 11:15 am JT (Online), the SVJP gathers to examine the current types of CO2 removal strategies, and why implementation is more complex than it first appears. Joining the discussion will be Roger Aines, the Department of Energy Senior Advisor for Carbon Dioxide Removal, and Corey Myers, Engineer and Analyst at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab. Together they will explore the challenges and benefits of various climate change mitigation technologies, touching on the situation in both the US and Japan. Moderating the event will be Tatsuki Tomita, a former Entrepreneurship Fellow at the Lawrence Livermore Lab and Co-Founder of Vivaldi.

SPEAKERS

Roger D. Aines: 
Roger is the DOE Senior Advisor for Carbon Dioxide Removal, working with Under Secretary Geri Richmond to coordinate CDR activities in the DOE and between government agencies.  He is on detail to DOE from his position as Energy Program Chief Scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

He has worked almost exclusively on carbon dioxide removal technologies since the Paris Agreement in 2015. Roger has long argued that the most important use of waste biomass is to remove carbon dioxide permanently from the air. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from Carleton College, and Doctor of Philosophy in geochemistry from the California Institute of Technology.

Corey Myers: 
Corey is the lead engineer on several projects in the carbon management space for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory including converting carbon dioxide into rocks, alternatives to CO2 pipelines, analysis of sustainable aviation options, and setting protocols for the monitoring, reporting, and verification of carbon dioxide removal activities.

He has worked exclusively on carbon dioxide mitigation and removal technologies since 2013. Corey has long argued that the most secure and cheapest way to permanently remove carbon dioxide from the air is to turn it into rocks. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering from Waseda University. Before joining Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory he was an Assistant Professor at Waseda University.

Tatsuki Tomita: 
Tatsuki Tomita is a tech entrepreneur who has co-founded several technology companies, including Vivaldi Technologies and Orbweb, as well as a few non-profits. He also served as an entrepreneurship fellow at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, where he researched atmospheric carbon removal technologies. Tatsuki currently holds advisory and board positions in several organizations.

His educational background includes an MBA from the University of California, a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Kagoshima National College of Technology, and a degree in Economics from Hokkaido University.