In December, 2021, The Highlands Voice published an article asserting that carbon capture and storage is not all that it is cracked up to be as a tool to fight climate change.  Carbon capture and storage is a technology for capturing carbon dioxide either where it is released (a coal fired power plant, for instance) or in ambient air.  The carbon dioxide is then either used for another purpose or injected deep underground.

       This inspired Perry Bryant to write, contending that carbon capture and storage may not be a silver bullet to slay climate change but it was a technology that should be considered.  This was in January, 2022.

       This month’s Voice has a letter (p.14) expressing the strong opinion that Perry is wrong and that carbon capture and storage is not a viable technology for fighting climate change.

       So, is Perry right about carbon capture and storage?  Who knows?  Many people have strong opinions.  Maybe it is a useful tool for lowering carbon dioxide levels.  Maybe it is a scam to keep coal fired power plants operating after the ends of their useful lives.

       The thing that Perry is absolutely right about is how hard climate change policy is.  Every time he talks about it he talks about how hard it is, how difficult it will be to come to a solution.  Carbon capture and storage is just one of a multitude of issues.  

       Now the Legislature has poked the nuclear power bear (story, p. 1).  Carbon capture and storage is a pipsqueak compared to the controversy that a nuclear power plant could provoke.

       As a society, we don’t have any choice other than to keep working to address climate change.  We can’t give up just because, as Perry always says, it’s hard.