Zacariah Heim
Zacariah jumped right into OpenAir’s R&D action back in April, hitting the ground running and making things happen right out of the gate. He has brought an impressive background in chemistry, biohacking and opensource software to the work, and has led the reorganization of OAC’s github repository, making it far easier to navigate and plug into.
Zacariah jumped right into OpenAir’s R&D action back in April, hitting the ground running and making things happen right out of the gate. He has brought an impressive background in chemistry, biohacking and opensource software to the work, and has led the reorganization of OAC’s github repository, making it far easier to navigate and plug into.
You joined the collective not all that long ago, but wasted no time making big contributions to OpenAir’s R&D work. Can you summarize what you’ve been working on since you arrived?
I have been re-organizing OpenAir’s documentation on github into a single unified webpage. I have also been providing advice on implementing a more streamlined and user-friendly approach to building out the CYAN and VIOLET, as well as how to approach a better software development stack for VIOLET.
What’s your carbon removal story? What got you interested in the subject, and what’s most motivating you to play a part?
I got into carbon capture technologies a few years back as a personal project. I wanted to make Lime-stone based cements stronger and more versatile for use in my garden spaces. This interest moved forward into methods for implementing carbon capture in industries like Beer brewing.
The ‘Open’ in OpenAir refers to the foundational importance of open-source conventions and principles to our community’s design and approach to impact. You come from a long and very active background in open-source development. In your own perspective, what problems could opensource solve for CDR, and what unique opportunities does it create?
The opensource policy, in my opinion, could solve some pretty key issues in CDR – the foremost is presenting a path for the average user to participate, removing the jargon and intense literature surrounding the subject. This would open the doors to rapid innovation, unique discoveries and educating people with direct examples instead of infographics.
As an OpenAir collector what are you most excited about or looking forward to most in the next year?
I am very excited for the progress of CYAN and VIOLET. We are hoping to implement key features that would allow anyone from any background to construct units without ever needing to have knowledge in chemistry, computer science, or electronics design. This is a huge step in truly opening up the platform to everyone.
