{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Energy 101: We Ask The Dumb Questions So You Don't Have To","title":"Can This Carbon-Negative Chemical Replace Oil?","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/0c2d7cf0\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2923,"description":"What if the same CO₂ that’s warming the planet could actually become the stuff we use every day? Jacob and Julie sit down with Aaron Fitzgerald from Mars Materials to break down how their tech flips captured CO₂ into carbon-negative chemicals like acrylonitrile, the backbone of everything from carbon fiber to water treatment to, yes, diapers. Aaron walks us through how this process slashes emissions, opens the door to making fresh water from thin air, and why the future of materials might look a lot cleaner than the past. We even ran a live flocculant experiment that somehow landed somewhere between science class and stand-up comedy. It’s a fun, surprisingly hopeful look at turning a problem molecule into a superpower.Click here to watch a video of this episode.00:00 - Intro01:13 - What is Mars Materials02:08 - What is Acrylonitrile06:40 - Memory Techniques for Complex Information09:44 - Testing Carbon Fiber Strength10:55 - Understanding the Business Model13:18 - What Does Carbon Negative Mean?19:07 - Acrylonitrile Overview24:34 - Fresh Water Production from Acrylonitrile32:05 - Acrylonitrile Compared to Flour36:30 - The Classic Clip38:05 - Addressing Big Oil Concerns41:20 - Why Houston for Business?45:15 - Why Mars Materials?47:00 - Outrohttps://twitter.com/collide_iohttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/digitalwildcatters.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collide-digital-wildcatters","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/8F_7R-SE-nw_rUP_p1-vdDVWboJt_kcEhdbgrgTEL7E/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9jYjY2/Yjk4MWJiZWFlYmVl/ZGIxYjkxYTdiYTdi/ZGUwMy5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}