The Expensive Folly of Carbon Capture and Storage

In this episode of Eco Justice Radio, we tackle one of the most debated topics in the climate change discourse: carbon capture and storage (CCS). This episode features a diverse range of voices, each bringing their unique perspective on the feasibility and effectiveness of CCS as a solution to our climate crisis.

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Carbon Capture and Storage: A False Climate Solution?

We explore the controversial topic of carbon capture and storage (CCS) with insights from various experts and activists. We kick off with Taylor Brobrey, an activist and author who grew up in North Dakota, a state heavily impacted by the coal and oil industries. Taylor’s keynote at the 2024 Bioneers Conference is both moving and enlightening, as he shares his personal experiences and the harsh realities of living next to a coal plant. His story is a powerful reminder of the human cost of fossil fuel dependency and the dubious promises of CCS projects like Project Tundra.

Beware of Climate Thinkers and Other False Solution Peddlers

Next, we hear from Gabrielle Walker, a climate thinker who advocates for carbon removals in her TED talk. Gabrielle presents a case for why we need to remove carbon from the atmosphere to stay below the critical 1.5-degree threshold. She discusses various methods of carbon removal, including direct air capture and natural solutions like planting trees. While her optimism might seem infectious, it also raises questions about the practicality and scalability of these solutions.

STORY: Banking on Climate Chaos – The Fossil Fuel Finance Report

The Hard Facts of Carbon Capture and Storage

Finally, we sit down with Morey Wolfson, an energy expert and environmental activist, who provides a sobering analysis of the current state of CCS. Maury debunks many of the myths surrounding CCS, highlighting the enormous costs, technical challenges, and the political and corporate interests that often drive these projects. He argues that CCS is more about greenwashing and less about genuinely solving the climate crisis.

Tune in to gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and false promises of carbon capture and storage.

Climate Emergency is Here

Most of us understand we are in a global climate emergency. Data confirmed last month was the hottest May on record, putting the Earth on a 12-month streak of record-breaking temperatures. What we need is to immediately transition away from the burning of fossil fuels toward renewable power sources, but also a focus on more efficient energy use, and most importantly, a comprehensive plan for massive conservation and rethinking the way we do business. But global corporations want to continue with their present business model focused on coal, oil, fossil gas, ethanol, and industrial agro-fueled biodiesel. And the way they do it is advancing “solutions” like Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage.

STORY: The Truth About Hydrogen: Green Fuel or Greenwash?

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This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of our planet. It challenges the mainstream narrative and encourages critical thinking about the solutions being proposed to tackle climate change. Are we investing in real solutions, or are we falling for false promises? Well, the news is not so great.

Clip Taylor Brobry from Bioneers: https://youtu.be/17NNiLXQoaM?si=SC4qROI6KlpuAO8v

What You Need to Know About Carbon Removal | Gabrielle Walker | TED
Clip from TED Talk Gabrielle Walker: https://youtu.be/60e6u_1TEIs?si=Rm7HXkPPn1S51p9m

Resources/Articles:
Info on Project Tundra in North Dakota: https://www.projecttundrand.com/
“The carbon capture crux: Lessons learned,” Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis
https://ieefa.org/resources/carbon-capture-crux-lessons-learned

Taylor Brorby [https://taylorbrorby.com/] grew in the dynamic shortgrass prairie of western North Dakota, a youth that coincided with the brutal physical and psychic scarring of his surroundings by the coal and oil industry, a fate not made any easier by being a young gay boy enthralled by classical music, art, fishing, and poetry. From here, Taylor became a poet, writer and dedicated activist, an eloquent critic of the fossil fuel industry, penning, among other works, the memoir: Boys and Oil: Growing Up Gay in a Fractured Land, the essays in Civil Disobedience, and co-editing: Fracture: Essays, Poems, and Stories on Fracking in America.

Morey Wolfson has spent his career in energy and environmental policy. He is a Former Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) regulator, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) employee, and governors’ energy policy advisor.

Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He writes a column on PBS SoCal called High & Dry. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia, a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs.

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Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt
Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats
Episode 224
Photo credit: Kanenori on Pixabay

Updated 11 September 2024