News (blog)

Carbon capture and storage is receiving considerable attention as a means to diminish carbon dioxide emissions in order to combat global warming.  Promoted as clean coal, millions of tons of carbon dioxide produced by coal-fired power plants would be captured and stored underground.  The clean energy bill passed by the US House of Representatives last year would allocate billions of dollars to this technology.

A fascinating commentary in the January 6, 2010 issue of JAMA entitled "Health and safety risks of carbon capture and storage" at http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/303/1/67 points out that the headlong push to move forward with the untested technology of carbon capture and storage is potentially fraught with risk. Yet the legislation proposing this methodology does not call for health and safety evaluation and monitoring.

High concentrations of carbon dioxide are lethal.  Unintentional release of stored carbon dioxide could result in serious injury and death.  The impact on ground water is uncertain but contact with stored carbon dioxide could lead to water acidification and leaching of toxins into water supplies.

We are learning about the possible health effects of climate change.  At the same time, technological "solutions" should not be worse than the problem itself.  We public health professionals understand the need for  scientific evaluation of the feasibility and public safety of carbon capture and storage.  Our voice is important in this debate.