Say no to CO2 sequestration
Last Monday’s (Nov. 3) evacuation of downtown Los Altos brings to mind a related concern about sequestration of carbon dioxide.
To reduce the effect of burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, there are sometimes proposals to collect the carbon dioxide and permanently keep it out of the atmosphere. These proposals usually plan to pump the carbon dioxide gas into depleted oil and gas fields. In my opinion, such a suggestion is quite dangerous.
(Last week’s) leak was of natural gas, which is lighter than air. It rises, and emergency responders can still work in the area. In contrast, when there is a leak of carbon dioxide, it is heavier than air and stays at or near the ground. Carbon dioxide does not support life, so emergency workers could not breathe air, nor use equipment that needs air, such as trucks, fire engines, bulldozers, etc.
On Aug. 21, 1986, Lake Nyos, in Cameroon, Africa had an event when carbon dioxide escaped from the lake. The eruption killed 1,746 people and 3,500 livestock within 16 miles of the lake.
A carbon sequestration project would need to contain much more carbon dioxide than was released in the 1986 disaster.
To reduce the climate change caused by carbon dioxide, the gas would have to be contained for as long as we hope to have air-breathing life
on the planet. It would need to be guarded and protected long after anyone remembers where it’s buried, or why.
Keep this danger in mind if anyone suggests trying to sequester carbon dioxide underground.
Mark G. Leonard
Los Altos
