illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on the Daily Mail or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Heirloom, a climate technology company, has launched the first commercial Direct Air Capture (DAC) plant in the U.S., located in Tracy, California
• The facility employs a limestone filtration process to capture and permanently store up to 1,000 tons of CO2 annually

🔭 The context: This pioneering facility represents a significant leap in carbon capture technology, scaling from capturing 1 kg to 1,000 metric tons of CO2 in just over two years
• The process involves heating limestone to release and capture CO2, which is then recycled to capture more CO2 from the atmosphere

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The captured CO2 is stored either underground or embedded in concrete, ensuring long-term removal from the atmosphere
• Companies and governments can purchase CO2 credits from Heirloom to offset their emissions, with major firms like Microsoft already committing to long-term purchases

⏭️ What's next: The success of this facility could pave the way for more widespread adoption of DAC technology, a crucial tool in the fight against climate change

💬 One quote: "It can turn back the clock on climate change by removing carbon dioxide that has already been emitted into our atmosphere" (Shashank Samala, CEO of Heirloom)

📈 One stat: Microsoft has agreed to purchase up to 315,000 metric tons of CO2 removal from Heirloom over a period of more than ten years

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