Abstract
Climate change is an ongoing phenomenon, threatening life on Earth by exacerbating many existing natural hazards. Caused by the continual anthropogenic input of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, the solution to curbing the climate crisis must include the reduction of anthropogenic emissions. One technology that is gaining support from the most heavily emitting industries is that of carbon capture and storage (CCS). CCS has the potential to reduce the carbon dioxide content of production emissions, however the emerging technology may pose additional environmental concerns for air, water, and seismicity that must be considered before widespread backing or industrialization. To address these potential concerns, a review of the available scientific literature was synthesized. Conclusions were then assembled into materials such as reports, fact sheets, infographics, and comment letters that could be distributed to relevant environmental groups and decision-makers as a means to spread awareness about the dangers of CCS. Given that some of the largest emitting sectors – such as the cement industry – are worth billions of dollars and have no well-established solution for replacement of their products, alternative mitigation strategies were also assembled to stand in place of CCS. While addressing the potential role and harms of CCS, this project emphasized the importance of respecting all relevant environmental concerns during the process of addressing a single one: in this case, the concern of climate change. Future work pertaining to this subject includes the continual research and development of clean and sustainable energy sources and products.
Ultimately, backing CCS is a counterproductive strategy in the long-term mitigation of climate change, as it serves as a means to continue the current reliance on unsustainable fossil fuels.