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Seize the Means of Carbon Removal: The Political Economy of Direct Air Capture

Malm, Andreas LU and Carton, Wim LU orcid (2021) In Historical Materialism 29(1). p.3-48
Abstract
The left must confront the politics of removing carbon from the atmosphere – a topic rapidly making its way to the top of the climate agenda. We here examine the technology of direct air capture, tracing its intellectual origins and laying bare the political economy of its current manifestations. We find a space crowded with ideology-laden metaphors, ample fossil-capital entanglements and bold visions for a new, ethereal frontier of capital accumulation. These diversions must be cut short if a technology with the capacity to help repair at least some climate damage is to be of any use. Only socialising the means of removal will allow this to happen.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
carbon removal, negative emissions, direct air capture, climate-change mitigation, political economy, carbon capture and usage
in
Historical Materialism
volume
29
issue
1
pages
46 pages
publisher
Brill
external identifiers
  • scopus:85102892132
ISSN
1569-206X
DOI
10.1163/1569206X-29012021
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9037ad60-c757-4e2d-b2fe-6e093a5d99cd
date added to LUP
2021-03-17 08:57:01
date last changed
2022-04-27 00:48:39
@article{9037ad60-c757-4e2d-b2fe-6e093a5d99cd,
  abstract     = {{The left must confront the politics of removing carbon from the atmosphere – a topic rapidly making its way to the top of the climate agenda. We here examine the technology of direct air capture, tracing its intellectual origins and laying bare the political economy of its current manifestations. We find a space crowded with ideology-laden metaphors, ample fossil-capital entanglements and bold visions for a new, ethereal frontier of capital accumulation. These diversions must be cut short if a technology with the capacity to help repair at least some climate damage is to be of any use. Only socialising the means of removal will allow this to happen.}},
  author       = {{Malm, Andreas and Carton, Wim}},
  issn         = {{1569-206X}},
  keywords     = {{carbon removal; negative emissions; direct air capture; climate-change mitigation; political economy; carbon capture and usage}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{3--48}},
  publisher    = {{Brill}},
  series       = {{Historical Materialism}},
  title        = {{Seize the Means of Carbon Removal: The Political Economy of Direct Air Capture}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/96341244/HM_DAC.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1163/1569206X-29012021}},
  volume       = {{29}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}