UPSC 2024EnvironmentModerate

With reference to 'Direct Air Capture', an emerging technology, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. It can be used as a way of carbon sequestration. 2. It can be a valuable approach for plastic production and in food processing. 3. In aviation, it can be a source of carbon for combining with hydrogen to create synthetic low-carbon fuel. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

A
1 and 2 only
B
3 only
C
1, 2 and 3
Correct Answer
D
None of the above statements is correct

Explanation

Option (c) is correct because Direct Air Capture (DAC) extracts CO2 directly from the atmosphere for permanent underground storage (sequestration) or as a versatile raw material for manufacturing plastics, processing food, and creating synthetic low-carbon aviation fuels. Option (a) is the most tempting wrong choice for candidates who view DAC solely as a climate mitigation tool for storage, failing to recognize its industrial "utilization" potential in a circular carbon economy. The core concept being tested is the multi-functional application of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technologies in achieving net-zero goals.

Climate Change MitigationGeoengineering & Carbon CaptureDirect Air CaptureCarbon sequestrationPlastic productionFood processingSynthetic low-carbon fuel

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