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Vodka From Thin Air: An Unusual Climate Prize Hits a Coronavirus Snag Vodka From Thin Air: An Unusual Climate Prize Hits a Coronavirus Snag
(4 days later)
In 2017, Stafford Sheehan handed a friend an unusual bottle of booze. He had made it himself — but not the usual way. A chemical physicist, Dr. Sheehan had invented a process to make alcohol from carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas associated with climate change, not cocktail hour.In 2017, Stafford Sheehan handed a friend an unusual bottle of booze. He had made it himself — but not the usual way. A chemical physicist, Dr. Sheehan had invented a process to make alcohol from carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas associated with climate change, not cocktail hour.
“I said, ‘Hold on, you made this from carbon dioxide?’” recalled his friend, Gregory Constantine, who worked in marketing for Smirnoff. Now the two are in the vodka business, using Dr. Sheehan’s technology and marketing it as a way to fight global warming.“I said, ‘Hold on, you made this from carbon dioxide?’” recalled his friend, Gregory Constantine, who worked in marketing for Smirnoff. Now the two are in the vodka business, using Dr. Sheehan’s technology and marketing it as a way to fight global warming.
Their company, Air Co., was one of 10 finalists for a pair of $7.5 million prizes to be awarded this year to the teams that can devise the most profitable use for carbon dioxide, which causes global warming by trapping the sun’s heat when released into the atmosphere by power plants, cars and industry. The five-year competition, the Carbon XPrize, was designed to create a financial incentive to capture carbon dioxide and use it profitably, instead of releasing it.Their company, Air Co., was one of 10 finalists for a pair of $7.5 million prizes to be awarded this year to the teams that can devise the most profitable use for carbon dioxide, which causes global warming by trapping the sun’s heat when released into the atmosphere by power plants, cars and industry. The five-year competition, the Carbon XPrize, was designed to create a financial incentive to capture carbon dioxide and use it profitably, instead of releasing it.
However, just as the Brooklyn vodka makers — along with the nine other finalists from as far afield as Nova Scotia (stronger concrete), India (an ingredient in pharmaceuticals) and China (a plastics replacement) — were approaching the finish line, the competition has been delayed by the coronavirus crisis.However, just as the Brooklyn vodka makers — along with the nine other finalists from as far afield as Nova Scotia (stronger concrete), India (an ingredient in pharmaceuticals) and China (a plastics replacement) — were approaching the finish line, the competition has been delayed by the coronavirus crisis.
“There’s a lot of upheaval,” said Marcius Extavour, a Canadian physicist who leads the energy team for the XPrize Foundation, which in the past has offered multimillion-dollar awards for everything from building reusable manned spaceships to creating water from air. “We’re still rolling with the punches.”“There’s a lot of upheaval,” said Marcius Extavour, a Canadian physicist who leads the energy team for the XPrize Foundation, which in the past has offered multimillion-dollar awards for everything from building reusable manned spaceships to creating water from air. “We’re still rolling with the punches.”
The unusual contest offers a reminder that even as the world focuses on the coronavirus, slower-moving crises like climate change continue to fester, Dr. Extavour said. The past decade was the warmest ever, and polar ice caps are melting six times faster than in the 1990s.The unusual contest offers a reminder that even as the world focuses on the coronavirus, slower-moving crises like climate change continue to fester, Dr. Extavour said. The past decade was the warmest ever, and polar ice caps are melting six times faster than in the 1990s.
The virus crisis also shows the risks of waiting for a problem to get out of control before taking adequate steps to deal with it, he said. “This prize is an exercise in trying to get ahead of the curve,” Dr. Extavour said.The virus crisis also shows the risks of waiting for a problem to get out of control before taking adequate steps to deal with it, he said. “This prize is an exercise in trying to get ahead of the curve,” Dr. Extavour said.
Rather than focus on ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as renewable power, the prize came at the problem from the opposite direction: It set out to create financial incentives for companies that produce a lot of carbon dioxide to hang on to it, rather than releasing it. Doing so is technologically feasible, but it doesn’t typically generate any revenue.Rather than focus on ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as renewable power, the prize came at the problem from the opposite direction: It set out to create financial incentives for companies that produce a lot of carbon dioxide to hang on to it, rather than releasing it. Doing so is technologically feasible, but it doesn’t typically generate any revenue.
To claim the prize, sponsored by NRG Energy and a coalition of Canadian oil sands companies, each of the 10 finalist teams were by now meant to begin transporting their equipment and personnel to two sites, one in Calgary and the other in Gillette, Wyo., to show their projects in operation and produce data backing their claims.To claim the prize, sponsored by NRG Energy and a coalition of Canadian oil sands companies, each of the 10 finalist teams were by now meant to begin transporting their equipment and personnel to two sites, one in Calgary and the other in Gillette, Wyo., to show their projects in operation and produce data backing their claims.
But the three teams based outside North America — from India, Scotland and China — are now blocked from flying to the United States and Canada, and the American teams that were supposed to go to Calgary are likewise blocked from crossing the border.But the three teams based outside North America — from India, Scotland and China — are now blocked from flying to the United States and Canada, and the American teams that were supposed to go to Calgary are likewise blocked from crossing the border.
Dr. Extavour said no final date has yet been set for the rescheduled final round of the competition. That puts the teams competing for the money in a tough position, delaying their chance to get the attention of potential investors or clients.Dr. Extavour said no final date has yet been set for the rescheduled final round of the competition. That puts the teams competing for the money in a tough position, delaying their chance to get the attention of potential investors or clients.
“We need to be able to take that massive foghorn that is the XPrize,” said Rob Niven, founder of CarbonCure, the Nova Scotia-based company that is among the finalists.“We need to be able to take that massive foghorn that is the XPrize,” said Rob Niven, founder of CarbonCure, the Nova Scotia-based company that is among the finalists.
Back in 2005, Mr. Niven, then a master’s student at McGill University in Montreal, attended a United Nations conference on climate change being held nearby. There, he heard representatives from Pacific Island states talking about losing not just their land to rising seas, but also their history and identity. “It was just crushing,” he recalled.Back in 2005, Mr. Niven, then a master’s student at McGill University in Montreal, attended a United Nations conference on climate change being held nearby. There, he heard representatives from Pacific Island states talking about losing not just their land to rising seas, but also their history and identity. “It was just crushing,” he recalled.
Mr. Niven wrote his thesis on how to turn carbon dioxide into concrete and, after he graduated, decided to take the 10,000 Canadian dollars he had left in unspent student loans, follow his girlfriend to Halifax and try to turn his idea into a business.Mr. Niven wrote his thesis on how to turn carbon dioxide into concrete and, after he graduated, decided to take the 10,000 Canadian dollars he had left in unspent student loans, follow his girlfriend to Halifax and try to turn his idea into a business.
The first year was horrible. “Everyone thinks that you’re wasting your time,” Mr. Niven said. But he got a break when a local concrete company agreed to let him into its plant to experiment with how to apply the technology in practice.The first year was horrible. “Everyone thinks that you’re wasting your time,” Mr. Niven said. But he got a break when a local concrete company agreed to let him into its plant to experiment with how to apply the technology in practice.
“That’s just a crazy enough idea that it might work,” Mr. Niven recalled the plant owner telling him.“That’s just a crazy enough idea that it might work,” Mr. Niven recalled the plant owner telling him.
After some tinkering, Mr. Niven found an approach that let him retrofit existing concrete plants in a way that lets them use less cement — the most expensive and also carbon-intensive component of concrete — by injecting carbon dioxide near the end of the manufacturing process. The company has raised money from a venture-capital fund whose board is chaired by Bill Gates.After some tinkering, Mr. Niven found an approach that let him retrofit existing concrete plants in a way that lets them use less cement — the most expensive and also carbon-intensive component of concrete — by injecting carbon dioxide near the end of the manufacturing process. The company has raised money from a venture-capital fund whose board is chaired by Bill Gates.
His hope was that winning the prize, or at least putting up a good showing, might help him scale up the process faster. “At this rate of growth, we’re not going to matter,” he said. “We’re trying to solve climate change. We don’t have time to goof around.”His hope was that winning the prize, or at least putting up a good showing, might help him scale up the process faster. “At this rate of growth, we’re not going to matter,” he said. “We’re trying to solve climate change. We don’t have time to goof around.”
Another competitor, Dimensional Energy, owes its existence to Jason Salfi’s decision to leave his skateboard company.Another competitor, Dimensional Energy, owes its existence to Jason Salfi’s decision to leave his skateboard company.
Updated June 12, 2020
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.
Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.
Mr. Salfi founded a company called Comet, which made skateboards from environmentally-friendly materials such as sustainably forested hardwood. In 2014, he left to work for an organization run by New York State whose goal was to help researchers turn ideas for clean energy into businesses.Mr. Salfi founded a company called Comet, which made skateboards from environmentally-friendly materials such as sustainably forested hardwood. In 2014, he left to work for an organization run by New York State whose goal was to help researchers turn ideas for clean energy into businesses.
In 2016, Mr. Salfi came across separate applications from two researchers at Cornell, in Ithaca, N.Y., both of whom were working on ways to turn carbon dioxide into energy. He realized that each researcher had a part of the puzzle that the other needed, and neither had time to run a business. And he had heard about the XPrize, with its $20 million purse.In 2016, Mr. Salfi came across separate applications from two researchers at Cornell, in Ithaca, N.Y., both of whom were working on ways to turn carbon dioxide into energy. He realized that each researcher had a part of the puzzle that the other needed, and neither had time to run a business. And he had heard about the XPrize, with its $20 million purse.
“I said, ‘Wow, we’re all in Ithaca,’” Mr. Salfi recalled, and proposed they work together. “Really the main operating principle was, let’s set this business up and compete in the Carbon XPrize.”“I said, ‘Wow, we’re all in Ithaca,’” Mr. Salfi recalled, and proposed they work together. “Really the main operating principle was, let’s set this business up and compete in the Carbon XPrize.”
They founded Dimensional Energy, with Mr. Salfi as chief executive. The technology uses concentrated sunlight to turn carbon dioxide into industrial energy sources like syngas, which is used to produce jet fuel, diesel and other liquid fuels.They founded Dimensional Energy, with Mr. Salfi as chief executive. The technology uses concentrated sunlight to turn carbon dioxide into industrial energy sources like syngas, which is used to produce jet fuel, diesel and other liquid fuels.
“We mimic natural photosynthesis,” Mr. Salfi said. “We take sunlight and carbon dioxide, and turn it into what becomes industrial nutrients.”“We mimic natural photosynthesis,” Mr. Salfi said. “We take sunlight and carbon dioxide, and turn it into what becomes industrial nutrients.”
Still, when it comes to sheer marketing potential, the other competitors may struggle to match Air Co.Still, when it comes to sheer marketing potential, the other competitors may struggle to match Air Co.
After Dr. Sheehan and Mr. Constantine joined forces, they needed to scale up, eventually building a 2,500-square-foot facility in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, an area full of artists and industrial spaces. Getting the permits alone took almost two years.After Dr. Sheehan and Mr. Constantine joined forces, they needed to scale up, eventually building a 2,500-square-foot facility in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, an area full of artists and industrial spaces. Getting the permits alone took almost two years.
More important, though, they had to show that their vodka actually tasted good. Air Co. entered its vodka in a blind taste test at last year’s Luxury Masters competition and won a gold medal. One panelist said he loved the texture, “which had a little viscosity.”More important, though, they had to show that their vodka actually tasted good. Air Co. entered its vodka in a blind taste test at last year’s Luxury Masters competition and won a gold medal. One panelist said he loved the texture, “which had a little viscosity.”
Mr. Constantine said that more than 60 venues in New York City have signed purchase agreements to buy their vodka. Of course, the coronavirus crisis has put that business on hold, with bars, restaurants and retailers shutting down.Mr. Constantine said that more than 60 venues in New York City have signed purchase agreements to buy their vodka. Of course, the coronavirus crisis has put that business on hold, with bars, restaurants and retailers shutting down.
In the meantime, he and Mr. Sheehan are putting vodka production on hold, instead using the alcohol they make for hand sanitizer to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Mr. Constantine said they plan to produce 1,600 bottles’ worth. “We’re actually out of product at the moment,” Mr. Constantine said.In the meantime, he and Mr. Sheehan are putting vodka production on hold, instead using the alcohol they make for hand sanitizer to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Mr. Constantine said they plan to produce 1,600 bottles’ worth. “We’re actually out of product at the moment,” Mr. Constantine said.