Atmospheric Mineral Carbonation and the Case against Ca(OH)₂ Dispersal: A Four-Barrier Feasibility Analysis

Saurabhya Puri 

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies are essential for climate stabilization, yet chemical plausibility does not guarantee practical viability. The atmospheric dispersal of Ca(OH)₂ exemplifies this gap. While the carbonation reaction is permanent and chemically straightforward, its deployment faces four critical barriers: a carbon-positive production cycle, uncontrollable ecological deposition, aerosol physics constraints and the absence of transboundary governance frameworks. This analysis demonstrates that these barriers represent fundamental domain-specific issues rather than mere technical hurdles. Collectively, they impede responsible deployment. This perspective offers an analytical screening framework for atmospheric intervention proposals, emphasizing that chemical elegance must correspond with ecological safety, governance legitimacy and spatial control before significant research investment occurs.