CHICAGO SUN*TIMES
July 27, 2023
Piping up on the dangers of CO2
pipelines and carbon capture
A single incident could unzip a CO2
pipeline for miles, leaving mass asphyxiation and trapped emergency
vehicles in its wake.
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The Sun-Times’ Editorial Board’s
warning that “Transporting carbon dioxide to Illinois must be done
safely” cannot come soon enough. Corporations like Navigator CO2 stand
to make billions of dollars off these dangerous pipelines, thanks to
generous tax credits in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act. Wasting
no time, a trio of pipeline profiteers are rushing to ram thousands of
miles of CO2 pipelines from Illinois to North Dakota before adequate
rules to guarantee safety can be finalized.
It’s far too dangerous to build this cart as we ride it. A single
incident could unzip a CO2 pipeline for miles, leaving mass
asphyxiation and trapped emergency vehicles in its wake. If industry
has its way, networks like those proposed for the Midwest will be only
the beginning, and millions of people will be put at risk.
What’s more, we are being asked
to sacrifice safety for a scam. The carbon capture technology these
projects rely on to qualify for federal climate-friendly credits is
proven to fail. A Food & Water Watch study shows that no carbon
capture projects have come close to performing as advertised.
Building hundreds of miles of dangerous pipelines to bolster a failed
technology is a terrible idea. And that’s why opposition is growing;
more than 150 groups sent a letter to President Joe Biden this spring,
demanding that he issue an executive order pausing all permitting for
CO2 pipelines and related infrastructure until robust safety
regulations are finalized. We should not risk public safety for a
corporate tax scam masquerading as climate action.
Jim Walsh, policy director, Food & Water Watch, Washington D.C.
Cook County needs to step up veteran funding
I would like to thank Emmanuel Camarillo for reporting on Veterans of
Foreign Wars service officer John DeGroot’s recent appearance before
the Cook County Board.
Dutch, as he prefers to be called, addressed next year’s budget and
the county’s historical funding shortfall for Cook County veterans.
Sadly, the county funds the Veterans Assistance Commission of Cook
County at a much lower rate compared with the collar counties VACs.
This is unacceptable, especially since our county veteran population
dwarfs our neighbors.
It’s past time county leadership adequately funds the Cook County VAC
to better serve veterans and their families. Also, a recent change in
the Cook County VAC leadership has brought much needed energy and a
desire to work on behalf of the Cook County veteran community.
The VACCC can be reached at 312-433-6010. I challenge Cook County
veteran residents to contact their local commissioner and let their
voices be heard.
Ramon Prieto, Niles
Green Play Ammonia™, Yielder® NFuel Energy.
Spokane, Washington. 99212
www.exactrix.com
509 995 1879 cell, Pacific.
Nathan1@greenplayammonia.com
exactrix@exactrix.com
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