CarbonVanish
Vanishing Carbon
Ap Verheggen feels responsible to explore solutions from an artistic viewpoint for the CO2 issue. The current scientific solutions aren’t enough, and we need many new creative ideas for prompt action. While reducing CO2 emissions is crucial to slow down global warming, it might take a thousand years before we see significant changes. Verheggen believes it’s worth trying to speed up this process. Art offers a great way to create, refine, and test innovative perspectives. The examples presented are not the world’s solution, but initial ideas to be tested, aiming to stretch boundaries. Verheggen compares this approach to a tree with many branches: there are various paths, but making the right choices from the base is essential to reach the top safely.
Art as an Incubator for fast Carbon Solutions
WE succeeded
Ap Verheggen was commissioned by Deltares, the world’s largest water research center, to investigate whether he could rapidly convert CO2 into harmless limestone using the mineral olivine. This process normally takes around 50 years. After just a few tests, Ap succeeded in creating an artwork that could accelerate this process to just a few seconds, and with virtually no energy required. Together with Dr. Bob Hoogendoorn – an olivine expert – and Theo Bouts – a specialist in business development – he has started the company CarbonVanish to rapidly scale up these new methods.