Carbon Capture Use and Storage: Still Deep in Controversy

From: Vermont Law School | COP20/CMP10 Observer Delegation

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On Tuesday at the Technical Expert Meeting: Carbon Capture, Use and Storage, (CCS) a panel consisting of representatives from Parties and industry presented CCS financing, challenges, barriers, and opportunities. CCS, in brief, is a process where CO2 is captured and separated from industrial and energy-related sources and then injected deep into porous rock reservoirs. Under the UNFCCC, CCS discussions revolve the possibility of using CCS for clean development mechanism (CDM) project activities.

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Carbon capture and storage—reality or still a dream?

From: Phys.org

by Stephen Bygrave

To have any chance of avoiding dangerous climate change we’ll have to reduce the carbon emissions from our energy sectors—currently the largest human source of greenhouse gas emissions globally. And we’ll have to do it quickly.

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High cost—for what gain?

So why use CO2 to retrieve oil at all? One reason is to offset to considerable costs of retrofitting the coal power station, and countering the 21% drop in power output.

The essential goal behind CCS is to preserve capital assets while transitioning to zero carbon emissions. But this argument doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.

Jim Prentice says to wind down carbon capture fund in Alberta, new projects ‘on hold’

From: Financial Post

CALGARY – The day after Saskatchewan fired up the world’s first commercial-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, Alberta’s new premier said he aims to wind down funding for such projects in his province.

On Friday, Alberta Premier Jim Prentice said the province “has done more than its fair share at this point in terms of very significant public investments in CCS.” To date, the provincial government has committed $1.3-billion to two projects that capture carbon dioxide from industrial operations and store it underground.

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Double Trouble Carbon Regulation

From: The Wall Street Journal/Opinion

The D.C. Circuit will hear an important challenge to EPA abuse.

President Obama prophesied at the United Nations last week that climate change is the “one issue that will define the contours of this century more dramatically than any other,” and perhaps this vision of Apocalypse explains why he thinks he can disregard the law to regulate carbon. Whatever they think about warming, the courts may pay more respect to statutes.