Carbon capture and storage (CCS), the process of capturing carbon dioxide and storing it for centuries, has no place in Louisiana. And on Thursday, New Orleans became the first municipality to prohibit CCS and related infrastructure.
I’ve seen firsthand the effects of the Mississippi River chemical corridor — otherwise known as Cancer Alley — on Black communities. As CCS is debated as an alternative to traditional oil and gas facilities, I worry about the same patterns of harm on Black communities repeating themselves in a different form.
Last February, a CO2 pipeline ruptured in Satartla, Mississippi, resulting in widespread injuries and illness. We can’t take this warning lightly. Our solutions to the climate crisis must be equitable and just, particularly for communities that have long been on the frontlines.
President Joe Biden has been vocal about his commitment to environmental justice, but the administration must be willing to listen to those who will be most affected by potential solutions — or false solutions. No matter how they tout the benefits of CCS, oil and gas companies are looking for another method to boost profits without consideration for the human or environmental cost.
Carbon capture is not a safe, sustainable solution. It will encourage growth of fossil fuel industries and continue the injustice of sacrificing…
