Welcome back to Climate Movement Mondays in which we discuss all things climate. Today I want to share info regarding carbon capture and storage which is touted as a viable “solution” to climate catastrophe. But before I get into that, I want to state that Israel’s current “collective punishment” bombing campaign against the Palestinian people is not only an act of genocide, but also an attack on a frontline community already enduring massive drought as a result the climate crisis. Per Palestinian Environmental NGOs Network Coordinator, Abeer Butmeh: “We will see these effects on soil, water, marine habitat, air and, most importantly, on human health. Currently, Israel has cut off the water resources in Gaza and Gaza has run out of drinkable water. Palestinians live under two threats: Israeli occupation and climate change.”

PLEASE continue to call and email Biden plus your two Senators and one Representative, demanding a CeasefireNOW if you object to your tax dollars funding a genocide.

This post is about educating ourselves on carbon capture and storage (CCS) which I don’t know much about but keeps showing up for me lately. For instance, I just learned there was a proposed $3.5 billion, 1,300-mile CO2 pipeline to transport[ing] CO2 from ethanol and fertilizer plants to be sequestered underground in Illinois.” The project was named Heartland Greenway and would span “parts of South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. Grassroots opposition to these projects has been intense, with farmers, landowners and environmentalists raising questions about their feasibility and safety.”  Last week, Navigator CO2 Ventures announced it was cancelling the project due to regulatory processes in South Dakota and Iowa. I’d venture a guess that opposition from those groups made it more difficult to continue. Here’s a press release from Food & Water Watch regarding the cancellation: “While the federal government keeps trying to waste billions of dollars to promote these massive carbon pipelines, grassroots organizing is winning the fight to stop these egregious handouts to corporate polluters. These carbon pipelines will not reduce emissions – they are dangerous, wasteful schemes to prolong and expand polluting industries. Instead of throwing away money supporting polluters, the government should invest in proven clean energy solutions, not carbon capture pipe dreams.”

I also learned there’s an organization called PipelineFighters.org and they have a map showing proposed pipelines around the country. Go HERE for an interactive map.

If you’re interested in learning about CCS, Yale Climate Connections published an article by Cameron Oglesby earlier this month: “What’s the deal with carbon capture and storage?” It’s lengthy, but well worth the read. The one issue that jumps out at me is that CCS requires a lot of water, so it seems incredibly unwise to pin hopes on a process that will further deplete our already scarce groundwater.

Thank you for reading this far. I know there’s lot of info out there on CCS so if you come across other articles and perspectives, please share in the comments. Also, if you take a look at that Pipeline Fighters map and see a proposed project in your state, I’d love to hear your thoughts on that. In the meanwhile, take care. Solidarity! ✊🏽