“CCS is not just a potential waste of money. It might also create a false sense of security about climate change, while depriving potentially cheaper methods of cutting emissions of cash and attention-”

A similar argument applies to plug-in electric cars. That currently popular answer is also a potential waste of money that could mislead about the CO2 reduction benefits while delaying work on much more promising approaches. Connecting cars through the utility grid to coal fired power plants is less effective than simply implementing hybrid technology as represented by the Prius, and that hybrid technology is well proven. Then we could go much further by seriously addressing the aerodynamic effects.

However, cracking using fossil power creates more CO2 than it cracks. So renewable power should be used to crack coal emissions. That would provide a form of energy storage for wind and solar, which otherwise would go to waste because they are too intermittent to rely on for baseload power. Carbon recycling, by simultaneous electrolysis (syntrolysis) of CO2 and H2O to produce syngas (CO + H2), could be the solution.

Or put through an anaerobic digester and burn the biogas.

Algae can daily double in cell count, so should obtain very much higher weights per unit area.

Essentially caron neutral, but if paid enough (not much) the biogas could be sepearted into the burnable methane and the acid gas (almost pure CO2) which is then ready for sequestration. Doing the latter it is carbon negative (which is good).

It should be pretty obvious very few CCS plants beyond this prototype will get built…its just too financially unsound. But let them build this thing so everyone can see just how bad it is (and there’s no wiggle room).

We just need Obama and the EPA to step up to the plate and say no new Coal plants without CCS from here on out. Forget waiting on the stupid Cap and Trade.

Any solution must be clearly defined and understandable by the average consumer. It should not contain magic. And should not have such a “cross your fingers” type of risk.

We don’t have time to learn from our mistakes. And we can’t wait.

Fierce winds push north-west Spain’s wind farms to provide 40% of the country’s electrical power
http://www.guardian.co.uk/ environment/ 2009/ mar/ 06/ spain-wind-power

The peak of 11,180mw of electricity supply came mid-morning yesterday, as fierce winds swept across much of north-west Spain, where most of the country’s extensive wind farms are situated.