
Michael Obersteiner
Researcher
1
APPEARANCES
1
PODCASTS
012
DEC 30
JAN 6
JAN 13
JAN 20
JAN 27
FEB 3
FEB 10
FEB 17
FEB 24
MAR 3
MAR 10
MAR 17
MAR 24
MAR 31
APR 7
APR 14
APR 21
APR 28
MAY 5
MAY 12
MAY 19
MAY 26
JUN 2
JUN 9
JUN 16
JUN 23
JUN 30
JUL 7
JUL 14
JUL 21
JUL 28
AUG 4
AUG 11
AUG 18
AUG 25
SEP 1
SEP 8
SEP 15
SEP 22
SEP 29
OCT 6
OCT 13
OCT 20
OCT 27
NOV 3
NOV 10
NOV 17
NOV 24
DEC 1
DEC 8
DEC 15
DEC 22
DEC 29
JAN 5
JAN 12
JAN 19
JAN 26
FEB 2
FEB 9
FEB 16
FEB 23
MAR 2
MAR 9
MAR 16
MAR 23
MAR 30
APR 6
APR 13
APR 20
APR 27
MAY 4
MAY 11
MAY 18
MAY 25
JUN 1
JUN 8
JUN 15
JUN 22
JUN 29
JUL 6
JUL 13
JUL 20
JUL 27
AUG 3
AUG 10
AUG 17
AUG 24
AUG 31
SEP 7
SEP 14
SEP 21
SEP 28
OCT 5
Jun 13, 2026
There’s no plan for repairing the planet | Bonus Content
17:09
17:28
18:21
18:37
26:26

Laurie LaybournHOST
Can you tell us a little bit more around, A, how these different types of carbon removal are meant to work in theory, but also where the physical limits in each of these cases might show up differently?

Michael ObersteinerGUEST
With BECCS, how it works is you have forests or you have dedicated energy plants or crops, they take CO2 through photosynthesis out of the atmosphere, they put it into biomass, and then what you do is you actually convert the biomass into either useful products, or you convert it to energy, and if you convert it to energy, if you burn it, then you take the off gases, you take the CO2, which are in high concentration, out of the chimney if you want and then take the CO2, you compress it and you inject it into geological formations.

Michael ObersteinerGUEST
So if you look at this on a net basis, CO2 in the atmosphere, ecosystems take up CO2 and then it ends up in geological formation.

Michael ObersteinerGUEST
And here the limits to that technology are basically given by each of these steps.
8 MINS LATER

Laurie LaybournHOST
Given everything you know about these technologies, what do you think the role of carbon capture should be in kind of reasonable climate strategy and policy? And what should it definitely not be?