What's Wrong with Carbon Capture?
Most energy sources and many industrial processes release Carbon Dioxide, a greenhouse gas. As we try to reduce carbon emissions, some argue that it would be best to carry on as normal but capture the Carbon Dioxide and lock it up underground for hundreds of years.
On the face of it it seems like a good idea and so it might be if you could separate the Carbon Dioxide as easily as we separate cream from milk. Unfortunately, that is not the case. In order to separate Carbon Dioxide from the exhaust gases, those gases have to be passed through dangerous chemicals at very high temperatures. This uses a lot of electricity and still only captures about 50% of the Carbon Dioxide. Generating that electricity releases yet more Carbon Dioxide.
The gas that is captured is compressed to the stage of liquefaction. Then it has to be pumped, in our case thirty miles but it can be hundreds of miles. At every stage in the process, more electricity is used and therefore more Carbon Dioxide is released. To cap it all the off shore injection platform is diesel powered.
Carbon Dioxide is a poisonous gas
There is a reason we breathe Carbon Dioxide out. It is very damaging to the human body. A concentration of only ten per cent will kill you. In Satartia Mississippi a pipeline fractured putting 45 people in Hospital. It could have been a lot worse had someone not witnessed the fracture and warned people before he passed out. Some of those involved are still suffering health problems. That is just one incident in an industry with a poor safety record.
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Our heath at risk for corporate profits
Carbon Capture and Storage puts as much Carbon Dioxide back into the atmosphere as it captures . There is no benefit to the environment. However, misinformed governments, under pressure from the Fossil Fuel industry, offer large grants and subsidies for such schemes. The only benefit is to the shareholders of the Fossil Fuel companies. These people live a long way from the pipelines. Their health is not at risk.
The people whose health is at risk don't benefit in any way.