A bipartisan group of Michigan state senators recently sponsored a bill to support carbon-capture technology in the state. The hope is that these bills will help set up a statewide organization to oversee carbon capture efforts.
According to the MIT Climate Portal, carbon capture "refers to a collection of technologies that can combat climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions."
The goal is to capture pollution released from burning coal, oil, and gas before it's released into the atmosphere. Most of the pollution is liquified and then stored somewhere deep underground, and some is recycled in product manufacturing.
It is estimated current carbon-capture programs are storing about 10 million passenger cars worth of pollution a year. But the question of what to do with the captured pollution is one that regularly sparks controversy and debate.
These are questions the bills in Michigan hope to answer. They aim to not only oversee the capture of carbon pollution but also the transportation and storage deep underground in naturally occurring geological formations. "These formations include reservoirs of non-drinkable water, depleted oil and gas fields, and basalt."
Some of the captured pollution can be used to produce new products, such as chemicals and other fuels. This could be great for the environment, as it not only leads to less pollution but can also lower the cost of those products.
Some concerned citizens are understandably wary of liquid pollution being injected underground. They are especially worried about the safety and security of their drinking water.
However, supporters of the bills, which not only include politicians from both sides of the aisle but also a wide coalition of pro-environment and pro-business groups, remain confident. "We [Michigan] have … lots of protection from where it's being stored to where we are living, and that we're not going to disrupt any of our drinking water sources," explained Autumn Haagsma, director of the Michigan Geological Repository for Research and assistant director of the Michigan Geological Survey.
Michigan is not the only state pursuing carbon-capture solutions. California recently announced its own program. However, many remain skeptical that these technologies and programs work effectively at all. Some worry that they only serve to bolster companies that rely on and produce dirty energy around the globe.
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In Michigan's case, it seems the debate will rage on. "Instead of prioritizing carbon capture, we should invest in clean, renewable energy solutions like community solar and wind power, real solutions that benefit the whole ecosystem, not just corporate interests," said Chris Gilmer-Hill, a policy associate for the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition.
But others remain enthusiastic about the idea. "We can certainly tackle all of Michigan's emissions for hundreds if not thousands of years … And that doesn't account for the potential decrease in our emissions as our processes become more efficient," Haagsma said.
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