Klaus Lackner

{{short description|American geoengineer}}

{{Infobox scientist

| name = Klaus S. Lackner

| image = Dr. Lackner next to benchtop greenhouse with prototype air capture unit.jpg

| birthdate =

| alma_mater = Heidelberg University
(Ph.D. 1978, Diplom 1976){{cite web |title=Klaus Lackner, Ph.D. - Center for Negative Carbon Emissions |publisher=Arizona State University |access-date=2016-12-06 |url=http://engineering.asu.edu/cnce/klaus-lackner/}}

| fields = Theoretical Physics, Environmental Engineering

| workplaces = Los Alamos National Laboratory, Columbia University, Arizona State University, Carbon Collect Limited

| known_for = Carbon Dioxide Capture and Sequestration

}}

Klaus S. Lackner is the Founding Director of the Center for Negative Carbon Emissions (CNCE) and a professor in School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at Arizona State University.{{Cite web|url=https://cnce.engineering.asu.edu/people/|title=People {{!}} Center for Negative Carbon Emissions|website=Arizona State University|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-28}}{{Cite web|url=https://sustainability.asu.edu/person/klaus-lackner|title=Klaus Lackner - Person|website=Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-28}} He is scientific advisor to Carbon Collect Limited (name changed from Silicon Kingdom Holdings Limited in April 2021),{{Cite web|date=2020-04-28|title=Carbon Collect {{!}} KLAUS LACKNER PHD|url=https://mechanicaltrees.com/klaus-lackner-phd/|access-date=2021-06-15|website=Carbon Collect|language=en-US}} and senior science advisor to Aircela Inc. He is a pioneer in carbon management and is the first to suggest capturing carbon dioxide from air in the context of addressing climate change.Lackner, Klaus, et al. (1999) [http://wordpress.ei.columbia.edu/lenfest/files/2012/11/Carbon-dioxide-extraction-from-air-is-it-an-option.pdf Carbon Dioxide Extraction From Air: Is It An Option?] Los Alamos National Laboratory. Retrieved April 24, 2022.{{cite journal | doi=10.1016/0360-5442(95)00071-N | volume=20 | issue=11 | title=Carbon dioxide disposal in carbonate minerals | journal=Energy | pages=1153–1170| year=1995 | last1=Lackner | first1=Klaus S. | last2=Wendt | first2=Christopher H. | last3=Butt | first3=Darryl P. | last4=Joyce | first4=Edward L. | last5=Sharp | first5=David H. | bibcode=1995Ene....20.1153L }}

His works include demonstrating and improving passive methods to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, integrating air capture technology with applications for using carbon dioxide, exploring safe and permanent disposal options for carbon dioxide, and identifying opportunities for automation and scaling.{{Cite web|url=https://cnce.engineering.asu.edu/research/|title=Research {{!}} Center for Negative Carbon Emissions|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-28}}{{As of|2019|12|28}} his publications have been cited 12771 times and his h-index is 53.{{Cite web|url=https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=jOPykuwAAAAJ|title=Klaus S Lackner|website=Google Scholar|access-date=2019-12-28}}

Previously, he was the director of the Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy at the Earth Institute.{{Cite web |title=Klaus Lackner {{!}} Aspen Global Change Institute |url=https://www.agci.org/redhen/contact/1326 |access-date=2022-06-15 |website=www.agci.org}} and Faculty in the Earth and Environmental Engineering department at Columbia University from 2001-2014. Along with CNCE executive director Allen Wright, he co-founded one of the first privately held air capture companies—Global Research Technologies (GRT)—in Tucson, Arizona where they demonstrated the moisture swing.{{cite journal | doi = 10.1021/es201180v | volume=45 | issue=15 | title=Moisture Swing Sorbent for Carbon Dioxide Capture from Ambient Air | journal=Environmental Science | pages=6670–6675| year=2011 | last1=Wang | first1=Tao | last2=Lackner | first2=Klaus S. | last3=Wright | first3=Allen | pmid=21688825 | bibcode=2011EnST...45.6670W }}

Prior to his academic work he held appointments at the theoretical division of Los Alamos National Laboratory for nearly 17 years.

His idea of the self-replicating machines along with his colleague, Christopher Wendt, was featured in 1995 by Discover Magazine as "One of the 7 Ideas that can Change the World."{{Cite web|url=https://www.discovermagazine.com/technology/robot-build-thyself|title=Robot, Build Thyself|last=Bass|first=Thomas|date=October 1, 1995|website=Discover Magazine|access-date=2019-12-28}}

He has also invented the Mechanical Tree which is designed to soak up passively the carbon dioxide from the air.