{"id":665,"date":"2025-05-30T13:51:04","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T13:51:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/?p=665"},"modified":"2025-05-30T13:51:04","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T13:51:04","slug":"making-gasoline-from-the-air-it-is-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/making-gasoline-from-the-air-it-is-here\/","title":{"rendered":"MAKING GASOLINE FROM THE AIR!!! IT IS HERE!"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"featured-template-header entry-header pb-5 md:bg-gray-300 flex items-center flex-col full-bleed\">\n<div class=\"container flex flex-col items-center\">\n<div class=\"featured-template-dek max-w-300 text-lg text-body-content\/80 leading-2xl md:leading-3xl md:text-3xl text-center md:max-w-720 mb-2 font-secondary md:mx-4 lg:mx-0\">The Aircela acts like a mini direct air capture facility, sucking up carbon dioxide and then synthesizing it into real, usable gasoline for cars.<\/div>\n<div class=\"featured-template-sponsored-byline-wrapper flex flex-row items-center\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<figure class=\"featured-image full-bleed mb-4\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"w-full h-auto object-cover\" src=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?quality=85\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=768&amp;h=512 768w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=1536&amp;h=1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=675&amp;h=450 675w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=300&amp;h=200 300w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=990&amp;h=660 990w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=600&amp;h=400 600w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=1254&amp;h=836 1254w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=1035&amp;h=690 1035w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=324&amp;h=216 324w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=606&amp;h=404 606w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=1341&amp;h=894 1341w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=1128&amp;h=752 1128w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=1041&amp;h=694 1041w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=280&amp;h=187 280w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=1440&amp;h=960 1440w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=289&amp;h=193 289w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=370&amp;h=247 370w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=308&amp;h=205 308w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_machine_front_view.jpg?w=50&amp;h=33 50w\" alt=\"machine sitting on a roof in NYC\" \/><figcaption class=\"featured-image-description bg-gray-300 text-right text-sm px-2 uppercase\"><span class=\"inline-block py-1 px-2 text-black\"> The company hosted a demonstration in New York City earlier this month. <\/span><em>Image: Aircela\/ ANDREW LEVINE<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<section class=\"featured-template-content article-layout-wrapper md:px-4 w-full flex flex-col lg:flex-row gap-5 max-w-full lg:py-8 pw-content-edge-targeting\" data-module=\"TableOfContents\" data-module-uid=\"20d31fc2-d105-4d50-8607-c3863c1f0ff1\">\n<div class=\"entry-content Article-bodyText paywall border-b-2 w-full mb-6\">\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\" data-toc-container=\"\">\n<section class=\"recurrent-newsletter-block recurrent-newsletter-email-block-on-top recurrent-newsletter-email-block recurrent-blocks pw-incontent-excluded flipboard-remove bg-newsletter mb-8 \">\n<div class=\"container newsletter-container mx-auto p-0 flex flex-col lg:flex-row\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-content flex-1 p-6 pb-4 lg:basis-2\/4 lg:flex lg:flex-col lg:justify-center\" data-layer-pushed=\"1\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-signup-form-wrapper\">\n<form class=\"flex flex-row gap-2 mb-2\" action=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php\" method=\"post\"><input id=\"email\" class=\"newsletter-email-input w-2\/3 rounded\" title=\"Please enter a valid email address\" name=\"email\" pattern=\"^[\\p{L}\\p{N}\\p{M}\\p{S}\\p{P}\\p{Cf}]+@([\\p{L}\\p{N}-]+\\.)+[\\p{L}]{2,}$\" required=\"\" type=\"email\" placeholder=\"Enter your email\" \/><\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"recurrent-newsletter-block recurrent-newsletter-email-block-on-top recurrent-newsletter-email-block recurrent-blocks pw-incontent-excluded flipboard-remove bg-newsletter mb-8 \">\n<div class=\"container newsletter-container mx-auto p-0 flex flex-col lg:flex-row\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-content flex-1 p-6 pb-4 lg:basis-2\/4 lg:flex lg:flex-col lg:justify-center\" data-layer-pushed=\"1\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-signup-form-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"newsletter-cta-disclaimer font-secondary font-normal text-sm text-newsletter-copy leading-extra-tight\">\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><a href=\"https:\/\/recurrent.io\/terms-and-conditions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Terms of Service<\/a> and<a href=\"https:\/\/recurrent.io\/privacy-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap pw-incontent-excluded article-paragraph skip\">In 2022, transportation was responsible for an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/ghgemissions\/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">estimated 28 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions<\/a>. The majority of those emissions came from everyday gas-powered cars. And while electric vehicles have been heralded as a greener alternative, decades of advocacy and hundreds of billions of dollars in investment have yielded meager results.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Today, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/electric-vehicles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">electric cars<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edmunds.com\/electric-car\/articles\/percentage-of-electric-cars-in-us.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">make up just around 8 percent of all vehicles on U.S. roads.<\/a> (Roughly 90 person of vehicles globally still run on fossil fuels.) Most EVs remain prohibitively expensive for the majority of Americans, and they require enormous amounts of critical minerals\u2014resources that, when extracted at scale, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/environment\/lithium-mining\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pose their own environmental dilemmas<\/a>. Most Americans also still just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/short-reads\/2023\/07\/13\/how-americans-view-electric-vehicles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">aren\u2019t interested in ditching their gas guzzlers<\/a> to save the planet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">But what if they didn\u2019t have to?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">That\u2019s the alluring\u2014if wildly ambitious\u2014vision being presented by New York\u2013based fuels startup Aircela. Earlier this month, the company announced it had created the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globenewswire.com\/news-release\/2025\/05\/22\/3086732\/0\/en\/First-U-S-Machine-to-Turn-Air-into-Gasoline-Debuts-in-NYC.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">world\u2019s first functional machine<\/a> capable of generating real, usable car gasoline \u201cdirectly from the air.\u201d Aircela\u2019s new device, roughly the size of a commercial refrigerator, combines direct air capture (DAC) with on-site fuel synthesis to create gasoline using just air, water, and renewable energy. No fossil fuels, they say, are required.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">The product their device produces can be poured directly into the tank of any standard gas-powered car. Aircela demonstrated the process, making gasoline directly from air, in front of a live audience in New York. Though most would describe this proof of concept as a \u201cprototype,\u201d company co-founder and CEO Eric Dahlgren takes some umbrage with that label.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"This machine makes gasoline from air\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Mnq-XyGq6Qs?feature=oembed\" width=\"1778\" height=\"1000\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">\u201cWe didn\u2019t build a prototype. We built a working machine,\u201d Dahlgren<a href=\"https:\/\/www.globenewswire.com\/news-release\/2025\/05\/15\/3082353\/0\/en\/Aircela-Unveils-Machine-That-Turns-Air-into-Fossil-Free-Gasoline.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> said in a statement<\/a>. \u201cWe want people to walk away knowing this isn\u2019t too good to be true\u2014it actually works.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-how-an-at-home-carbon-capture-facility-would-work-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How an at-home carbon capture facility would work<\/h2>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Aircela\u2019s device essentially functions as a compact, portable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/technology\/carbon-capture-storage-tech\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">direct carbon capture facility <\/a>(DAC) unit. Carbon capture generally refers to the practice of removing carbon dioxide from sources like smokestacks or fossil fuel power plants. Direct air capture, the approach used by Aircela, pulls CO\u2082 directly from the atmosphere. Europe currently has more than a dozen DAC facilities in operation, and the U.S. federal government is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/oced\/DACHubs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">also investing in<\/a> the technology. Some facilities, such as those run by <a href=\"https:\/\/climeworks.com\/carbon-removal-technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Climeworks<\/a>, use large fan-like machines to filter carbon dioxide from the air. Others, like those developed by Carbon Engineering, use chemical mists that bind with CO\u2082 to extract it. Some researchers are even exploring methods to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-020-18232-y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">capture carbon dioxide from the oceans<\/a>. In most of these cases, the aim is to capture and store the harmful greenhouse gas. Aircela wants to recycle it into cars.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Aircela claims its device captures carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere and then converts it into gasoline. The resulting fuel doesn\u2019t contain sulfur, ethanol, or heavy metals. Photos of the machine shared by the company show a device composed of three large blue hexagonal units\u2014two side by side on the bottom and one stacked on top. These separate sections handle the stages of air capture and fuel synthesis. On the back of the machine is a standard-looking gasoline nozzle, similar to what you\u2019d find at a gas station. In theory, someone could install one of these units outside their home and use it to refuel their vehicle before heading out for the day. More importantly, it suggests drivers could potentially reduce their environmental impact without needing to change their daily habits.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-701867\" src=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?strip=all&amp;quality=85\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=768&amp;h=512 768w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=1536&amp;h=1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=675&amp;h=450 675w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=300&amp;h=200 300w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=990&amp;h=660 990w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=600&amp;h=400 600w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=1254&amp;h=836 1254w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=1035&amp;h=690 1035w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=324&amp;h=216 324w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=606&amp;h=404 606w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=1341&amp;h=894 1341w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=1128&amp;h=752 1128w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=1041&amp;h=694 1041w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=280&amp;h=187 280w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=1440&amp;h=960 1440w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=289&amp;h=193 289w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=370&amp;h=247 370w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=308&amp;h=205 308w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_gasoline_from_air.jpg?w=50&amp;h=33 50w\" alt=\"a clear bottle filled with a yellow liquid\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1200\" data-id=\"701867\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-701868\" src=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?strip=all&amp;quality=85\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=768&amp;h=512 768w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=1536&amp;h=1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=675&amp;h=450 675w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=300&amp;h=200 300w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=990&amp;h=660 990w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=600&amp;h=400 600w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=1254&amp;h=836 1254w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=1035&amp;h=690 1035w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=324&amp;h=216 324w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=606&amp;h=404 606w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=1341&amp;h=894 1341w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=1128&amp;h=752 1128w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=1041&amp;h=694 1041w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=280&amp;h=187 280w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=1440&amp;h=960 1440w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=289&amp;h=193 289w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=370&amp;h=247 370w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=308&amp;h=205 308w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela_nozzle_closeup_hand.jpg?w=50&amp;h=33 50w\" alt=\"a hand holds a gas nozzle\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1200\" data-id=\"701868\" \/><\/figure><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption\">L: The gasoline produced by the machine. Right: The nozzle for delivering gasoline. <em>Images: Aircela<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">A spokesperson from Aircela told <em>Popular Science<\/em> that their machine is designed to capture 10 kgs of CO\u2082 each day. From that, it can produce 1 gallon of gasoline. The machine can store up to 17 gallons of fuel in its tank. For context, a Toyota Tacoma\u2019s fuel tank has a capacity of 21.1 gallons. In other words, at least in its current form, the device wouldn\u2019t be capable of filling up a car\u2019s tank with gas overnight. The spokesperson didn\u2019t comment on the device\u2019s precise cost but noted that \u201caffordability is essential\u201d to the company\u2019s mission. Aircela is designing the device for mass production, which they believe will drive down costs over time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">The company reportedly wants to start manufacturing the machine by the fall with an interest in targeting a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial customers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>Related: [<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/technology\/carbon-capture-storage-tech\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>The truth about carbon capture technology<\/strong><\/a><strong>]<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-the-age-old-question-will-it-scale-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The age old question: will it scale?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">The most obvious downside to an approach like this compared to a larger, industrial-scale DAC facility, is sheer impact. A single device, on its own, won\u2019t make a meaningful dent in reducing carbon emissions. But Aircela believes its relatively small size actually makes it less costly and faster to deploy at scale. CEO Eric Dahlgren says the compact form factor gives the technology the flexibility to scale down for individual car owners or scale up for larger clients, such as gas stations or even cargo shipping containers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">\u201cWe truly believe that our approach is the fastest way to bring carbon neutral fuels to as many people as possible, to as many places as possible, as soon as possible,\u201d Dahlgren <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nuHiBtPYkWE&amp;ab_channel=Aircela\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-701866\" src=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?strip=all&amp;quality=85\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=768&amp;h=386 768w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=1536&amp;h=773 1536w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=398&amp;h=200 398w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=1312&amp;h=660 1312w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=795&amp;h=400 795w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=1662&amp;h=836 1662w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=1372&amp;h=690 1372w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=429&amp;h=216 429w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=803&amp;h=404 803w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=1778&amp;h=894 1778w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=1495&amp;h=752 1495w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=1380&amp;h=694 1380w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=280&amp;h=141 280w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=1440&amp;h=724 1440w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=289&amp;h=145 289w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=370&amp;h=186 370w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=308&amp;h=155 308w, https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aircela-gas-out-of-air.png?w=50&amp;h=25 50w\" alt=\"illustration of a man standing next to device that's three hexagons stacked\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1030\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aircela hopes to start manufacturing the device in fall 2025. <em>Image: Aircela<\/em> <em>Image: Aircela<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Of course, that vision also depends entirely on the continued expansion and viability of renewable energy sources. If an Aircela machine uses electricity from a grid powered by natural gas, then not much has really been achieved in terms of carbon reduction. In the U.S., the trend toward renewable energy is strong, though notably less so under the current presidential administration, which has openly embraced the motto\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2025\/01\/20\/nx-s1-5268653\/energy-emergency-trump-oil-evs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">drill baby drill<\/a>.\u201d Still, Dahlgren says it\u2019s important to approach carbon reduction and environmentalism with a broad perspective and a sense of urgency.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">\u201cWe cannot wait decades,\u201d Dahlgren added \u201cwe need to do something about it right now.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Aircela acts like a mini direct air capture facility, sucking up carbon dioxide and then synthesizing it into real, usable gasoline for cars. The company hosted a demonstration in New York City earlier this month. Image: Aircela\/ ANDREW LEVINE Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. In 2022, transportation was responsible for an estimated 28 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/665","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=665"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/665\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":667,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/665\/revisions\/667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}