Enticed by hefty federal investments in carbon capture, companies are pitching vast pipelines to transport CO2 through the heartland. One retired scholar in Illinois rallied her community to challenge a pivotal pipeline proposal.
Vernon Loeb reports for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- Professor Kathleen Campbell spearheaded a campaign against a CO2 pipeline threatening her home and retirement.
- The proposed pipeline faced strong local opposition, leading to its cancellation.
- The pipeline was part of a controversial climate solution involving carbon capture that faces scrutiny over safety and efficacy.
Key quote:
“Even if the carbon dioxide can be injected underground, there is no guarantee that it will stay there and not leak into the atmosphere."
— 2022 report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis
Why this matters:
The pipeline debate underscores tensions between climate mitigation efforts and community impacts. It's a microcosm of the national dialogue on balancing environmental progress with human costs.
Question for the reader:
How do you balance the need for environmental initiatives with the rights of impacted communities?
In this op-ed for EHN, Seth Mullendore argues that those holding up carbon capture and hydrogen as new climate solutions are leading us down the wrong path.
AI-based tools helped produce this text, with human oversight and editing.
