The overwhelming bulk of the world’s energy needs are met through the combustion of fossil fuels – coal, oil, and natural gas. While some non-fossil energy sources are growing rapidly in importance, fossil fuels will remain an important energy source, in both the developed and developing worlds, for decades to come. Given the potential impacts of fossil fuel combustion-generated CO2 and other Greenhouse Gases on world climate, the possibility of capturing CO2 emissions and storing them in the earth’s crust has attracted attention as a means of reducing atmospheric CO2 emissions. Indeed, the oil industry has injected CO2 into oil reservoirs to enhance oil recovery for over 30 years. However, storage of emissions on a global scale would need other types of geological storage and substantial new infrastructure. Development of this process on a commercial basis will require confidence that the storage is safe and reliable, reduction in the costs of CO2 capture, and development of an effective legal and regulatory framework.
Coffee and cookies before the presentation at 3:15 pm, and refreshments after the presentation will both be served in Room 128.