“How Effective is the IEA’s Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Regulatory Framework?” A Critique of the Global Anthropogenic CO2 Emissions from

Fossil Fuel Industries Protection

JENKINS  DIVO  MACEDO,  M.A.  IDSC  M.S.  Cand.,  Environmental  Science  and  Policy  2014  

What  is  the  Carbon  Capture  and  Storage/SequestraAon?  

CCS  is  a  process  where  CO2  from  a  sta@onary  source  is  captured,  transported,  and  permanently  sequestered,  typically  

in  underground  forma@ons.    

Why  the  CCS  Framework?  “Carbon  capture  and  sequestra@on  (CCS)  has  long  been  touted  as  a  poten@ally  cri@cal  means  for  reducing  greenhouse  gas  (GHG)  emissions  from  

carbon-­‐intense  industrial  sources”    (Campopiano  and  Henderson,  2013).  

Source: WRI 2012

April  25,  2013  

Merits  of  the  CO₂  SequestraAon    q   The  sequestra@on  of  CO2  enhances  oil  reserve  recovery  (EOR)  by  30-­‐60%  or  more  than  conven@onal  systems.    q   Sulfur  deriva@ves  captured  through  the  CCS  system  can  be  used  for  manufacturing  fer@lizers.  

q CCS  and  Federal  Safe  Drinking  Water  Act  (SDWA)  >  EPA’s  Class  VI  well  injec@on  systems.  

Demerits  of  the  CO₂  SequestraAon  q   High  cost  associated  with  CCS  technology  comparable  with  non-­‐CCS  technologies.    q   Economic  depression  impacts  CCS  development.    q   Diversion  of  climate  change  and  government  policies  towards  “fits  and  starts” regulatory  approaches.  

q The  developing  carbon  based  markets  induce  some  uncertainty  over  the  carbon  price,  raising  ques@ons  of  viability  of  the  value  of    carbon  credits.    q   The  lack  of  effec@ve  data  collec@on  methodology  for  effec@ve  and  reliable  CO2  sequestra@on  report.  

q   Environmental  protec@on  regula@on  such  as  the  Clean  Air  Art,  Na@onal  Environmental  Policy  Act,  and  the  California  Environmental  Quality  Act  present  regulatory  challenges  to  CCS.  q   Decreasing  governmental  incen@ves.  q   Public  distrust  of  CCS  technology  and  effec@veness.    

Ramifica@on  of  CCS  Development    

q   Reduced  cost  of  CCS  technologies  

q   Concurrent  environmental  regulatory  programs  should  be  less  restric@ve  of  CCS  programs.  

q     Provision  of  incen@ves  for  the  usability  of  CCS  technologies.  

q   The  development  of  effec@ve  and  reliable  data  collec@on  and  processing  methodologies.  

q   Increase  public  awareness  through  educa@on  to  reduce  s@gma@za@on  associated  with  CCS  technologies.  

q   Introduce  cap  and  trade  system/carbon  price  to  enhance  effec@ve  regula@on.  

Lessons  Learned  from  this  Cri@cal  Research    q   The  CCS  approach  is  purely  base  on  the  cost-­‐

benefit  analy@cal  framework  to  enhance  the  global  economy  by  con@nuously  inves@ng  in  the  fossil  fuel  energy  industries.  

 q   It  is  more  of  an  economic  decision  than  

environmental.    q     There  are  lots  of  research  done  about  the  

promising  aspira@ons  of  CCS  programs,  but    very  li`le  its  environmental  consequences.  

q   The  IEA  thinks  fossil  fuel  is  not  going  to  be  depleted  for  a  long  @me,  thus  why  not  consume  more  and  try  reducing  our  ecological  footprint?  

q   CCS  is  just  another  regulatory  framework  to  promote  the  con@nuous  burning  of  fossil  fuel  in  order  to  maintain  the  status  quo,  while  reducing  new  CO2  emissions  into  the  Earth’s  atmosphere.  

q   Do  we  want  to  really  go  this  way?