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- Date published:
7:37 pm, August 10th, 2026 - 12 comments
Categories: climate change, disaster -
Tags: carbon capture, Kevin Anderson
British climate scientist Kevin Anderson talking to Novara Media, with 90 seconds demolishing the idea that carbon capture and storage is our saviour in the climate crisis, and the oil companies’ roles in kicking the can down the road while they make money.
The gist: CCS is a nascent technology, presented as something in the future that will save us so we can keep burning fossil fuels now. Problem is, it’s been thirty years and still isn’t working. Worse, a large amount of science is being done on the mythical beast, almost none on the radical reduction of carbon emissions that is needed to prevent utter catastrophe. .03% of all fossil fuel emissions have been captured.
The David Suzuki foundation has a primer on CCS: Why carbon capture and storage is not a real climate solution
Well said Weka.
Carbon capture is supported by oil companies. That is all you need to know.
R&D for methane reduction technologies for farm animals is supported by the agricultural industry. That's all you need to know.
Our fossil fuel industry heads trumpeted the pending use of carbon capture decades ago and were dismissive of anyone challenging the veracity of their bullshit claims. I believe that, astonishingly, some of those CEO's and politicians believe that shite – they've no history of cynicism and caution the way most commenters here, and the environmental side of the community have, and are easily convinced by industry advisors/spin-doctors. I despair at their seeming stupidity.
I also despair at the stupidity.
I think there is a general issue with ecological literacy, and the degree to which we are almost wholly immersed in a separate from nature paradigm. I want to write a post about the necessity of restoring natural cycles as a core approach to mitigation and adaptation but am struggling to bridge the gap in understanding. The solutions become clear from a nature base frame, but I think most people fear nature and don't trust that we would be ok.
CCS is the extreme of that and the FF companies have made hay from it.
I just wrote/worked on a deeply-though-through, detailed, lengthy, heart-felt response to your comment, weka then accidentally extinguished it prior to sending!
Going outside to see what daffodils might have opened overnight. I may be sometime 🙁
hate it when that happens! daffodils are the perfect remedy.
Ours are old-fashioned, whatever that means and they're looking gorgeous 🙂
I was writing about how relying upon scientific knowledge hasn't worked; it has helped and is valuable, but it's not the pathway to establishing a thriving future for ALL
It all becomes very woo. Heart not head. Very susceptible to challenge/derision, but nevertheless essential.
Until we reconnect with our germ; our god. gods, ancestors, ancients, guides, guardians, we will not be able to effect that which our hearts ache for (Seymour loves this moment; he can slay our dragon easily right here.)
Interesting interview on RNZ at around 11:20-ish – a young artist, Hutt Valley born, who "gets it" 🙂 Well worth listening-to, I reckon.
this points to the central dilemma. There is a whole section of society that understands connection but has utterly rejected science. I see this as a form of societal correction, but it makes the next steps very difficult eg those people increasingly are climate deniers, and some of their ideas are disconnected from reality in ways that matter. There's a loss of grounding, and connection to nature can be too spiritual (uber woo). Those people have their place but it's swung too far at the collective level.
On the other side is the science heads, who reject all woo and thus damn us to the uber materialist world that cannot provide solutions to the polycrisis.
It's easy to despair. Mostly I see a need to call people in and make connections that people can relate too.
I hear what you are saying.
It is the central dilemma.
It seems to me …
that we must forge-on. Everyone else must catch up 🙂
Like heating a point and having the solder flow along the line you've created.
So, heat your iron, drag it through the slag and see what flows in your wake – it's all we can do/the best we can do.
@ weka
In regards to disconnect from nature and nature having the answers I agree totally.
This article is a slight tangent but there are parallels. Tech causing the problems and nature providing the correction.
In a nutshell, get plenty of daylight during the day, loads less in the evening, loose the phone/device at night.
Like CC, folk are reluctant to try the right thing.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/health/361018161/why-you-keep-waking-3am-and-how-fix-it
The Corporate Oil Companies and the USA Bankers are running the World ATM.
https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/the-great-recycling-delusion/ ISSUE 191 Jan – Feb 2025
This from NZGeographic on various aspects of recycling, environmental concerns etc could be useful if like me you lose touch with what is happening, and thought to be happening and isn't. So confusing, and as I am left with cynicism about everything including me, I have to keep looking, reading, thinking to keep up. It's a well written piece.
Something I read stayed with me – that hearing about recycling and mitigation soothes worry about the matter and lessens individual effort which even if small, multiplied by millions is of value, and accepts responsibility for living on and through the earth's bounty and substance; blah blah. Unfortunately the blah is meaningful even if we don't wish to hear it and be reminded of that reality.
That Novara Media episode is well worth the long watch, it covers such a wide area related to climate change.