Livermore Lab Scientists Launch Carbon Education Program

LIVERMORE, CA — In an effort to increase the public's knowledge on carbon neutrality, climate change and carbon dioxide removal processes, the Livermore Lab Foundation and the Lawrence Livermore National Lab is partnering together to launch the Carbon Cleanup Initiative, a public outreach program for residents.

The initiative aims to take climate scientists' work in the lab and translate it to teaching materials for public educators, media resources and an interactive website, the lab announced on Thursday.

The initiative provides high school and college educators with four free modules on climate trends, net neutrality and carbon removal approaches, made in collaboration with the San Joaquin County Office of STEM Education. The materials were made to complement STEM education materials and meet Next Generation Science Standards.

Thirty educators were also chosen for a six-month training program to teach Carbon Cleanup Initiative materials to their students.

"We are proud to partner with the scientists and engineers on the Lab's Carbon Initiative team to share this knowledge with the general public," said Sally Allen, executive director of the Livermore Lab Foundation, in a statement. "The UN Climate Summit, COP26, is demonstrating that action is needed on both a macro and micro level. The Carbon Cleanup Initiative helps the general public and students understand these important concepts and how we can all make a difference."

The material lays out a roadmap on how California could reach net neutrality by 2045, based on the lab's Getting to Neutral seminal report. Natural climate change mitigation tools, waste biomass conversion and CO2 removal techniques are a few of the pathways listed in the report.

"Climate change represents a very real national security risk," said Kim Budil, LLNL director, in a statement. "As we look to the future, dealing with the carbon already in the environment is essential, so CO2 removal and storage technologies will play a key role in the world's response to this threat. For more than 25 years, LLNL scientists have led the way in carbon research, and we're pleased to partner with the Foundation to launch this valuable resource to further community engagement with this important topic."

Residents can learn more about the Carbon Cleanup Initiative at https://carboncleanupinitiative.org/.

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