Burying CO2 may not be the answer
We've recently heard claims that capturing heat-trapping carbon dioxide from factory exhaust is going to save our environment. The captured CO2 would be entombed in porous rocks and buried beneath the earth. Does this sound like a safe alternative to you?Well curiously enough, the WWF thinks so, and they're willing to fight for this type of environmental change to take place very soon. They say it's not an answer, but simply a method of buying time until something more effective can be created. Their argument is that it's better than nothing at this critical point. But many environmental groups, such as Greenpeace, are vehemently against this, calling it a scam and a way for more coal-burning power plants to be created under the veil of no newly harmful environmental impact.
I tend to agree with Greenpeace on this one. Locking away our toxicity hasn't worked for us before (see also overfilling landfills and nuclear waste storage). It only postpones the harmfulness for our future generations. That's certainly not saving the earth.
It's Energy Independence Day! 
Green Your 4th of July Celebration
The Importance of Pollination - It's Not Just Bee Sex
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-06-2008 @ 8:53AM
Thanh T. said...
There have been many recent discussions on new creative approaches to help clean up carbon emissions from coal burning power plants.
I would agree, burying or storing CO2 underground entombed in porous rocks buried beneath the earth is only a temporary alternative solution… there’s also creative approach to use CO2 to pump more oil to boost output.
In a recent study, today’s U.S. power plants produce nearly 40% of North America’s carbon emissions. A large portion of carbon emissions is from coal burning power plants. Other power plants which operate on natural gas produces less carbon emission output than coal, but its market prices may fluctuate.
Hmmm…why not develop a system of carbon dioxide filters specifically for power plants-smoke stacks?
Take for instance; coffee makers uses coffee filters, air conditioning units uses air filters, a vehicle uses 1 or 2 catalytic converters to filter out harmful gases...
Why not develop carbon dioxide filters specifically for power plants. (Filtering solids, liquids and gases.) Hmmm, cost to implement…?
Reply
5-25-2008 @ 11:22AM
Natalie Chillington said...
Thanks for covering this interesting issue Shawn. I will be referring to your comments on my own blog - Environmental Communities - http://nataliechillington.wordpress.com/
Reply