Tesla co-founder Elon Musk has offered a $ 100million (£ 73million) fund for inventions that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or oceans.
The competition aims to inspire innovators around the world to come up with a large-scale project that “can pull carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere or oceans, and sequester it durably and sustainably,” according to the competition’s website.
This is an ambitious goal, which seeks methods of carbon extraction that have a net negative effect on the overall global balance of the element’s presence. Xprize aims to award up to 15 finalists $ 1 million each, as well as three big winners, including $ 50 million for the grand prize winner and $ 20 million and $ 10 million respectively for second and third place.
In order to win, teams must prove that their project can remove at least 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
Musk has frequently referred to climate change as an existential threat to humanity, and carbon capture is one key means to combat it.
To enter, click here.