Click on the boxes below for mission summaries, links and meetup details. You can filter by:
- Domain – This is the broad category that the mission falls under. OpenAir domains include R&D (making things and citizen science), Advocacy (CDR policy development and activism), Activist Business Development, or ‘Biz Dev’ (supporting CDR projects, companies and general sector development), Knowledge (shows, content and activities that are educational), and Culture Making (Creative work inspired by CDR subjects).
- Status – This tells you what stage the mission is at. Concept missions are at a planning stage of development, usually with a few people involved who are looking for co-founders and core members. In Progress missions are, well, in progress – already meeting up regularly and implementing their core activities. Completed missions have either achieved their end or are on hiatus and are not currently active.
Epiphyte: Open Direct Air Capture
Epiphyte is a miniature, stand-alone, open source direct air capture machine that was designed by a ...
The CO2municator Network
This mission aims to build a global network of volunteer carbon removal communicators who prepare an...
The California CDR Market Development Act
This mission is mobilizing to make the Carbon Dioxide Removal Market Development Act (CDRMDA) law in...
GGR Action United Kingdom
This mission focuses on accelerating locally anchored greenhouse gas removal projects with the objec...
Unfracking
This mission is developing and advocating on state and federal levels for an orphan oil and gas well...
Massachusetts CDRLA (S.2096)
Join other OpenAir members in Massachusetts mobilizing support for the Carbon Dioxide Removal Leader...
Carbon Punk: CDR Short Fiction
Our ability to reach a future that includes carbon removal requires us to imagine it in the present....
The Nakivale Biochar Project
Imagine if farmers in Africa could earn more income by restoring their soil and removing carbon from...
Carbon Gardener
A global citizen science initiative to accelerate, scale up and diversify field data collection for ...
Carbon Crowd
Carbon Crowd will be an online platform that will host monthly collaborative challenges that aim to ...
The Carbon Removal Challenge
The 2023 OpenAir Carbon Removal Challenge is a worldwide challenge for students to create new proces...
Collective Services
We support the other OpenAir missions with technical writing and editing, video editing and transcri...
Air-Synth
Air-Synth aims to democratize carbon removal and conversion through a low-cost open-source device th...
CDReality
CDR Reality is volunteer-driven effort to confront and correct misinformation about carbon dioxide r...
This Is CDR
THIS IS CDR is OpenAir’s weekly webinar series (Tuesday, 12pm EST) that explores the ever-widenin...
CDR Horizons
CDR HORIZONS is an occasional Youtube series exploring cutting-edge carbon dioxide removal (CDR) res...
LECCLA
State legislation to decarbonize concrete through public procurement. The Low Embodied Carbon Concre...
Violet
The World’s First Open-Source Direct Air Carbon Capture (DACC) Machine. It pulls carbon directly ...
U.S. Carbon Removal Action
The objectives of this mission is to advance pro-CDR policies on the federal level including the Fed...
L-NET
The Luxembourg Negative Emissions Tariff (L-NET) is a legislative mission to create a CDR demand pol...
Cyan
A miniature, open-source device that removes small amounts of CO2 from the air using simple, inexpen...
LECCLA
Locations: New York, New Jersey, Virginia
State legislation to decarbonize concrete through public procurement. The Low Embodied Carbon Concrete Leadership Act was developed by OpenAir members, and can be adapted to any state. Past campaigns resulting in new law in New York, New Jersey and Virginia.
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Moderators
Sue Dorward @sue
Christopher Neidl @Neidl_c
Nikhil Neelakantan @Nikhil Neelakantan
Links
- Gates Foundation: “How To Make Concrete Green”
- CNBC: “This Green Cement Company Says It Can Cut Carbon Dioxide Emissions.”
- Dr. Julio Friedmann: "Concrete Change: Pathways to decarbonize cement & concrete production & use.”
- Chatham House: “Making Concrete Change: Innovation in Low-Carbon Cement and Concrete.”
Violet
Locations: Global
The World’s First Open-Source Direct Air Carbon Capture (DACC) Machine. It pulls carbon directly from the air. Help us make it better. Fast.
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Moderators
Matt Parker @madparker
U.S. Carbon Removal Action
Locations: United States
The objectives of this mission is to advance pro-CDR policies on the federal level including the Federal Carbon Dioxide Removal Leadership Act (CDRLA) and the Carbon Removal and Emissions Storage Technologies (CREST) Act.
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Moderators
Karl Danz
L-NET
Locations: Luxembourg
The Luxembourg Negative Emissions Tariff (L-NET) is a legislative mission to create a CDR demand policy based on the successful Feed-In Tariff (FIT) model for Renewable Energy. Starting in Luxembourg our goal is to spread the legislation to other countries in Europe and beyond!
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Moderators
- Christopher Neidl @Neidl_c
Sven Clement
Cyan
Locations: Global
A miniature, open-source device that removes small amounts of CO2 from the air using simple, inexpensive off-the-shelf components.
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Moderators
Dahl Winters @dahlwinters
CDR Horizons
Locations: Global
CDR HORIZONS is an occasional Youtube series exploring cutting-edge carbon dioxide removal (CDR) research through direct conversations with the scientists and innovators all over the world who are leading it. Combining short guest presentations with discussion, CDR HORIZONS hopes to identify and elevate the breakthroughs that will drive CDR's evolution, transformation and impact. Hosted by Harshvardhan Sanghi in New York City and Charles Yang in Richmond, Virginia.
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Moderators
Charles Yang @charlesy
Harshvardhan Sanghi @Harshy
This Is CDR
Locations: Brooklyn
THIS IS CDR is OpenAir’s weekly webinar series (Tuesday, 12pm EST) that explores the ever-widening range of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) solutions currently being researched, developed, and deployed, and contextualizes them for policy proposals under development for New York, and other states and localities. Hosted by Toby Bryce in Brooklyn and Megha Raghavan in London.
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Moderators
Toby Bryce @toby.bryce
Megha Raghavan @megha
CDReality
Locations: Global
CDR Reality is volunteer-driven effort to confront and correct misinformation about carbon dioxide removal online and in other fora with fact-based information maintained by our members. CDR Reality combines constant research, revision and curating of science-based data and information with rapid, coordinated, member responses to CDR misinformation disseminated online and through public media and events. We maintain this up-to-date knowledge inventory that our responders can draw on when confronting disinformation online and elsewhere.
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Moderators
Tina Baumgartner @ScienceGirl
Air-Synth
Locations: Global
Air-Synth aims to democratize carbon removal and conversion through a low-cost open-source device that can be hacked and built by community members anywhere.
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Moderators
Alex Ose @alexose
Collective Services
Locations: Global
We support the other OpenAir missions with technical writing and editing, video editing and transcription, quality assurance, wiki development, Collective organizational help, training and communications. Our work is ever-changing as the needs of other missions are realized and resolved.
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Moderators
Cade Johnson @Cade
The Carbon Removal Challenge
Locations: Global
The 2023 OpenAir Carbon Removal Challenge is a worldwide challenge for students to create new processes, approaches and prototypes to remove carbon from the land, waters, or air. With guidance from researchers and industry experts, student teams will design and build creative, open-source solutions to the carbon pollution problem. The very best approaches will be selected for an in-person showcase at New York University in April 2023.
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Moderators
- Matt Parker @madparker
Carbon Crowd
Locations: Global
Carbon Crowd will be an online platform that will host monthly collaborative challenges that aim to accelerate problem-solving, optimization and creative divergence for OpenAir R&D missions. Launches in February 2023!
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Moderators
- Christopher Neidl @Neidl_c
Carbon Gardener
Locations: United States
A global citizen science initiative to accelerate, scale up and diversify field data collection for enhanced rock weathering carbon removal efficacy in soil.
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Moderators
- Christopher Neidl @Neidl_c
The Nakivale Biochar Project
Locations: Nakivale, Uganda
Imagine if farmers in Africa could earn more income by restoring their soil and removing carbon from the air with BIOCHAR. With local ingenuity and smart tech, our project will make this happen in Nakivale, Uganda, Africa's oldest refugee settlement.
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Moderators
- Christopher Neidl @Neidl_c
Carbon Punk: CDR Short Fiction
Locations: Global
Our ability to reach a future that includes carbon removal requires us to imagine it in the present. Kicked off in November 2022 Carbon Punk is an occasional speculative short fiction series curated by OpenAir inspired by our community's ideas and missions. All OpenAir merchandise sales fund honoraria for our talented writers!
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Massachusetts CDRLA (S.2096)
Locations: Massachusetts
Join other OpenAir members in Massachusetts mobilizing support for the Carbon Dioxide Removal Leadership Act (S.2096) in Massachusetts, and help us make it state law in 2024 through our direct citizen lobbying campaign!
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Moderators
- Christopher Neidl @Neidl_c
Unfracking
Locations: United States
This mission is developing and advocating on state and federal levels for an orphan oil and gas well plugging technology that incorporates biochar to 1. remove and sequester significant CO2 from the carbon cycle 2. improve methane absorption, 3. remediate toxins in soils, and 4. improve plug longevity.
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Moderators
Janis Hallowell @Janis#7759
GGR Action United Kingdom
Locations: United Kingdom
This mission focuses on accelerating locally anchored greenhouse gas removal projects with the objective of proliferating GGR technical and commercial development, and influencing national policy.
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
The California CDR Market Development Act
Locations: California
This mission is mobilizing to make the Carbon Dioxide Removal Market Development Act (CDRMDA) law in California through district-level citizen lobbying.
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
The CO2municator Network
Locations: Global
This mission aims to build a global network of volunteer carbon removal communicators who prepare and deliver presentations to educate their networks about CDR and OpenAir missions. Videos of each presentation will be stored and tagged in a growing "CO2mmunicator Presentation Bank" on the OpenAir website where they can be viewed and downloaded, tweaked and used by other members in the network. Presentations are tailored for specific groups and audiences, and focus on a variety of different subjects.
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Moderators
Peter Hoberg @PeterHoberg #6991
Epiphyte: Open Direct Air Capture
Locations: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Epiphyte is a miniature, stand-alone, open source direct air capture machine that was designed by a small group of OpenAir members, located all over North America, in 2023. The design drew significant inspiration from an original prototype developed by a team young engineers at Octavia Carbon in Nairobi Kenya. Epiphyte is led by a team of volunteers with decades of combined professional electrical, mechanical and chemical engineering and design experience.
Stages
Concept
In Progress
Completed
Moderators
- Christopher Neidl @Neidl_c
