Always Exploring: Explora Joins with Tomorrow’s Air to Support Innovative Solutions to Restore our Climate

As travelers we understand the power of our experiences in the wilderness to change our perspective, to awaken new passions, to reconnect us with the things that deeply matter in life. As a company, Explora has been at the forefront of conservation travel for many years, even pioneering a new model to expand our conservation reserves over time. We are proud to extend this commitment to innovation and conservation through our new partnership with Tomorrow’s Air, an initiative uniting travelers to help fund climate education and the scale up of carbon removal technologies and sustainable aviation fuel.  

Carbon dioxide removal technologies take excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it away long-term, ultimately helping to restore our climate. The Tomorrow’s Air portfolio directs incremental payments from travelers to a set of technologies that can take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it permanently: direct air capture, and hybrid nature-tech solutions such as biochar and enhanced rock weathering.  

Direct Air Capture 

With Tomorrow’s Air partner Climeworks’ direct air capture, carbon collectors capture carbon dioxide from ambient air. Air is drawn into the collector with a fan, and adheres to a filter within the collector. Once the filter is saturated, the collector is closed, and the temperature is increased, releasing pure CO2 which can then be mineralized, or used in other products. The carbon collectors are powered by renewable energy. 

Biochar 

Biochar captures and stores carbon dioxide by stabilizing natural processes of decay in organic matter and keeping it safely in the ground. Tomorrow’s Air partner Pacific Biochar’s technique allows it to modify existing biomass power plants for biochar production. The biochar created is used in soil applications. Biochar can help enhance the overall health of soil by helping hold plant nutrients in topsoil. It also supports increases in crop yield, and can also help conserve water used for crops by improving the water retention of the soil. 

Enhanced Rock Weathering 

With Tomorrow’s Air Partner, Eion, carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and stored safely through enhanced rock weathering. The natural process of chemical weathering is sped up by applying crushed silicate rock – olivine – to soil. Through existent moisture and acidity in the soil, the crushed rock dissolves, and CO2 is removed from the air through the formation of stable bicarbonate ions, which flush through the soil and eventually make their way to the ocean where they’re stored permanently.  

How it started 

Tomorrow’s Air was conceived in Antarctica. The founding team was part of an international group of climate activists, clean energy entrepreneurs, documentary filmmakers, and corporate social responsibility executive led by seasoned polar explorer Rob Swan. The team learned that the development of innovative climate solutions was languishing due to a lack of education and investment. When they returned home, they decided form Tomorrow’s Air to bring the power and reach of global tourism to help. Today, Tomorrow’s Air makes it easy for travelers to take action and support these powerful technologies, at levels starting at the price of a cup of coffee.  

Why innovative carbon removal technologies are necessary 

Scientists now estimate that carbon dioxide will need to be removed at the scale of over 10 gigatons per year by 2050. With the current capacity for removal at less than one gigaton per year, the emerging set of innovative technologies require investment and public support to succeed.  Because society waited too long to reduce its emissions, we now understand that even if the world rapidly reduces or eliminates greenhouse gas emissions, we will still need to remove carbon dioxide to have a chance of limiting dangerous levels of global warming.  

Beginning May 2024, Explora travelers will have the opportunity to purchase a $20, $50, or $100 package from Tomorrow’s Air. Traveler payments are an investment in climate conscious travel education and carbon removal technologies, and will cover an order of 20, 50, or 100 kgs of carbon dioxide to be removed from the atmosphere and permanently stored. Travelers wishing to do more are welcome  – Tomorrow’s Air also enables easy payments for sustainable aviation fuel, and offers a range of packages for interested travelers.  

We recognize travel – in the same way that it provides economic benefits to people along with funding for wildlife and nature conservation efforts – can help educate and bring people together to support innovative solutions to help clean our air. This inspired Explora to join with Tomorrow’s Air to help rally a global travel community to action, and we hope you’ll join with us.  

• Follow Tomorrow’s Air on Instagram @tomorrowsair_ 

• Sign up for the Airrow Bulletin for travel insights and carbon removal highlights 

• Make a one-time payment 

• Subscribe to a monthly plan 

Let’s band together to restore our climate.