Billionaire climate activist to fund carbon capture research

摘要

A British billionaire who's a major contributor to environmental causes, including fighting climate change, will fund carbon-capture research in Wyoming, the top U.S. coal-mining state. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R) and Carbontech Labs announced yesterday they are providing $1.25 million to help researchers find ways to turn greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants into products that can be sold for a profit. "One of the opportunities here, from a policy standpoint I think, is what is really, truly going to remove carbon from our atmosphere?" said Gordon. Carbontech Labs, a research accelerator created by Oakland, Calif.-based nonprofit Carbon180, will provide $1 million. Wyoming is contributing $250,000. Carbon180 got the $1 million from a trust started by Jeremy Grantham, who built his wealth as an investor and co-founded the Boston-based investment firm Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. The Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust reported almost $200 million in assets to the IRS in 2016. Those funded through the Wyoming program will test their carbon-capture proposals at a coal-fired power plant in the Powder River Basin, the top coal-producing region in the U.S. and home to several enormous open-pit coal mines.