Energy & Science
A Carbon-Sucking Startup Has Been Paralyzed by Its CEO
Global Thermostat is America's best hope to pull CO2 directly from the air. Insiders say pioneering, brilliant co-founder Graciela Chichilnisky has held it back for years.
The prototype of the device meant to stave off climate devastation looks like a shipping container wrapped in vibrant green Venetian blinds. Fans atop this shell are designed to draw air into the device, where a honeycomblike structure full of proprietary chemicals extracts carbon dioxide from the air, removing an ever-so-slight bit of planet-warming gas from the atmosphere.
Climate scientists call this technology direct-air capture. It’s basically an air filter for the Earth.