A technique with the goal of sustainability known as carbon capture and storage is a relatively new practice, the use of which has increased heavily in the past thirty to forty years (exponentially so in the early 2000s). Although it debuted as an environmentally friendly alternative to releasing carbon and other harmful elements into the atmosphere, it isn’t a fool-proof plan. Here’s what you need to know:

What is Carbon Capture?

Carbon capture is exactly what it sounds like. When carbon is produced as a byproduct of making energy with coal and fossil fuels in factories, it is usually expelled into the atmosphere along with other pollutants like nitrogen oxides. These pollutants are the leading contributor of climate change, including rising global temperatures, the melting of glaciers, the overall destruction of the atmosphere, acid rain, smog, and much more.

With carbon capture, the carbon (and potentially other pollutants) can be held back from entering the atmosphere in the first place, instead being restrained, cooled, compressed, and sent through a system of pipes to be stored underground.

The Positives

• Carbon Capture significantly reduces emissions from polluting the atmosphere at the source, making for positive impact against climate change and better respiratory health for everyone.
• Along with carbon, other pollutants can be removed at the same time (to a less efficient degree). This means cleaner air all around.
• Although the carbon doesn’t disappear, it is easier to manage in its condensed, stored form.

The Negatives

• The monetary cost of this procedure is high and will reflect on the power bills of the public.
• Corporations have corrupted the original use of carbon capture by buying up the industry and injecting the carbon into the earth to free up access to otherwise unreachable oil. This creates more pollution instead of less.
• There are dangers of transporting and storing carbon, including the potential of leaks that can harm the public.
• It is not a permanent solution. The concept of carbon capture relies on the fact that non-renewable fossil fuels are still in use. We will run out of these fuels, and we will run out of safe spaces to store the captured carbon.

The Future

There are certainly some humps to get over when it comes to implementing carbon capture and storage on a large and sustainable scale. Environmentally conscious technology is always under threat of being repurposed for monetary gain, even when that repurposing undermines the original goal of the technology. For carbon capture to dodge this pitfall, we have to take it out of the hands of oil companies and others who corrupt its purpose to make a profit.

When voting in local, state, and federal elections, be sure to research your candidate of choice. Many “environmentally conscious” politicians have been corrupted to make deals with the very corporations that oppose sustainability. This shady kind of lobbying creates a chain of lies that is often hard to see through without proper research.

What do you think of carbon storage as a temporary blocker of more atmospheric pollution?

References

Moseman, A., & Herzog, H. (2021, February 23). How efficient is carbon capture and storage? MIT Climate Portal. https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/how-efficient-carbon-capture-and-storage

Rhode, E. (2021, August 13). Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Pros and Cons. Treehugger. https://www.treehugger.com/carbon-capture-and-storage-ccs-pros-and-cons-5120005

Causes – NASA Science