In Gorrie’s article “Climate change ‘solution’ a fossil-fuel enabler”, Gorrie critiques the groundbreaking “carbon capture” technology. This technology, which was first used recently in a Mountaineer generating station in West Virginia, essentially captures and liquefies around 91,000 tonnes of emitted carbon dioxide gas and berries it underground in a layer of limestone.
Gorrie expresses that he does not endorse this technology, explaining that it greatly reduces the power plant’s efficiency and increases its cost. In addition to this, as written in Gorrie’s article, the amount of emissions captured by this technology is only 1.5 per cent of the greenhouse gasses emitted by the station on an annual basis. While this is true there are still some environment groups which believe this technology is to be followed through with and developed as a sort of reserve for if climate change were to pick up in pace.
While this technology may be deemed as inefficient, it is also a good example of our world’s effort to comply with the precautionary principle with reference to climate change. The precautionary principle essentially dictates that it is our responsibility to take action in the way of diminishing morally unacceptable harm which may be associated with human activity. Climate change is certainly one of the most predominant examples of morally unacceptable harm associated with human activity which we see today. Although the carbon capture system may be proven to not be the most efficient or effective means of reducing our carbon footprint, it represents desire to move forward and implement precautions for cleaner future. This goes to show that with a problem as large as climate change, the solution comes in steps, and the first one is to follow the precautionary principle and take action against the negative impacts of our actions.
References:
Gorrie, Peter. Climate change ‘solution’ a fossil-fuel enabler. www.thestar.com 17 October, 2009. http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/704036
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Carbon Capture storage is a relatively new technology and I believe its efficiency will improve with further research. Many believe that technology is what will prevent climate change whether it is with current technology or with future advances. I don’t believe that we should abandon carbon capture; rather we should invest more energy and time in developing this promising technology.
ReplyDeleteThe way I see it, 1.5% is still better than nothing when it comes to taking carbon out of the atmosphere. Maybe, with this technology, we can find a better means to capture carbon. Everything has to start somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI find it a little depressing that our society (large corporation in particular) are less willing to make larger and more effective changes towards fighting such things as climate change. While the use of the precautionary principle is correct and they seem to be applying it, the changes made might not be able to make a large enough change.
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