Innovation

With world recoverable coal reserves approximated to be 800 to 900 gigatonnes – could capturing and storing carbon dioxide provide us with a cheap source of power into the future?

As the world moves to more renewable forms of energy, many argue that transitional technologies such as carbon sequestration will be a critical to a smooth transition. But there are many unanswered questions about this yet unproved technology. Pilot projects testing the viability of carbon sequestration have begun in North America, Europe and Australia.

A recent dissertation, "Carbon Dioxide Capture And Storage: Grasping At Straws In The Climate Debate?," by Anders Hansonn at the Department of Technology and Social Change, Linköping University, in Sweden raises some risks and challenges associated with the technology.

"In full scale this technology only exists in the imaginations of the people developing it," says Anders Hansson. "It’s overly optimistic to place such great faith in it, considering all the uncertainties found in the scientific literature."

At the same time the United Nations Climate Panel sees carbon capture and sequestration as being a key mechanism to reduced GHG emissions between 15 and 55 percent.

Is it a good idea to put such tremendous faith in an unproven technology that has yet to be proved to be safe for environment?

Michael Drummond is a Principal with the Earnscliffe Strategy Group, one of the oldest independent public policy strategy firms in Canada, and a leader in government affairs and strategic communications.