The ‘world’s largest’ vacuum to suck climate pollution out of the air just opened. Here’s how it works

The world's largest direct air capture (DAC) plant, named "Mammoth," began operations in Iceland, designed by Swiss company Climeworks. This plant aims to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using a chemical process and store it underground, transforming it into stone with the help of Icelandic company Carbfix. The operation is powered by Iceland's geothermal energy.

"Mammoth" is significantly larger than its predecessor, capable of removing 36,000 tons of carbon annually, equivalent to the emissions from about 7,800 cars. While the technology is promising for combating climate change, it remains costly and controversial, with concerns about its scalability, energy consumption, and potential to divert focus from reducing fossil fuel use.