PODCAST: Burying the problem

Carmen Dybwad, CEO of IPAC-CO2 and Keith Stewart, Greenpeace Canada

Carbon capture and storage was a hopeful answer to Canada’s emission problems. The process buries carbon dioxide emissions safely underground.

But earlier this month, Cameron and Jane Kerr released evidence of carbon leaks on their farm near Weyburn, Saskatchewan. The gases were supposed to have been sealed permanently underground. The Kerrs say the carbon dioxide instead bubbled up and caused the death of nearby cats, rabbits and goats. The case is under investigation by a number of research groups, including IPAC-CO2, an international carbon dioxide research organization.

Though still under review, this recent claim has reignited an environmental dilemma: Is carbon capture and storage the best solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

Capital News Online reporter Kayla Tishcoff spoke with Dr. Carmen Dybwad of IPAC-CO2 and Keith Stewart of Greenpeace about the effectiveness and safety of CCS projects in Canada.

Front page photo courtesy of Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures