A dock sitting on top of a lake next to a forest with trees silhouetted against an early evening blue and orange sky.

GOP lawmakers break ranks over carbon capture projects in Louisiana

A widening rift within the Republican Party is casting uncertainty over the future of carbon capture projects in Louisiana, where homeowners and environmental concerns are driving pushback against an industry-backed climate technology.

Terry L. Jones reports for Floodlight.


In short:

  • Dozens of proposed carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects in Louisiana face resistance from Republican lawmakers, with bills introduced to ban or pause the technology citing safety, property rights, and public opposition.
  • Critics, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and local residents in areas like Lake Maurepas, argue that CCS benefits the fossil fuel industry while exposing communities to risks such as groundwater contamination, CO2 leaks, and land seizures.
  • President Trump’s administration may pull funding for direct-air capture hubs, signaling a shift in federal support for CCS that could influence national Republican sentiment.

Key quote:

“I don't think (CO2) ought to be stored under state lands, because the majority of the people of Louisiana don't support it.”

— State Rep. Danny McCormick

Why this matters:

Carbon capture and storage has long been promoted as a compromise technology — a way to keep burning fossil fuels while capturing and storing their emissions underground. But mounting backlash in Louisiana, particularly from communities historically harmed by industrial pollution, shows how this “solution” is losing favor across political lines. Many opponents question whether the promised benefits of CCS — like lowered carbon emissions — outweigh the potential costs, especially when those costs are borne by people living near pipelines, injection wells, or potential leak sites. Concerns about earthquakes, toxic groundwater contamination, and forced land use through eminent domain have stirred resistance, even in regions that once supported fossil fuel development.

Related: Op-ed: We don’t have time for another fossil fuel bridge

Power plant smokestacks spew white pollution into the sky on a sunny day.
Credit: Photo by konrad dobosz on Unsplash

EPA moves to erase power plant emissions rules, claiming climate impact is too small

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to strike down greenhouse gas limits for fossil-fueled power plants, arguing their emissions aren’t a significant threat despite overwhelming scientific consensus to the contrary.

Lisa Friedman reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
Wildfire smoke billowing above a distant forested hill.
Credit: Pixabay

Wildfire smoke threatens pregnant patients in underserved areas, study shows

Pregnant people in wildfire-prone counties face higher health risks from smoke exposure but often live far from essential maternal and neonatal care, researchers say.

Sharon Udasin reports for The Hill.

Keep reading...Show less
Bridge and clock tower over Charles River in Harvard University campus in Boston with trees and blue sky.

Harvard’s public health school faces layoffs and funding chaos after federal grant freeze

More than 130 researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health lost federal funding after the Trump administration cut grants over the university’s refusal to comply with political demands.

Jenna Russell reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
Welder  with a face shield working on a steel beam in a warehouse.

Coal-fired steel plants push air pollution levels higher in major U.S. cities

Seven U.S. cities with aging coal-burning steel plants rank among the worst in the country for air pollution, according to new research that links emissions from blast furnaces to dangerous levels of ozone and particulate matter.

Alexander C. Kaufman reports for Canary Media.

Keep reading...Show less
a view of a mountain range with trees and mountains in the background.

Trump administration accelerates logging in Black Hills, raising alarms over tribal rights and forest health

A sweeping federal directive to fast-track logging across most of the Black Hills has sparked outcry from Indigenous leaders, scientists, and environmental groups who say it threatens forest integrity, tribal sovereignty, and endangered species.

Anya Kamenetz reports for Grist.

Keep reading...Show less
Earth is more valuable than money protest sign.

Global crackdown on environmental defenders leaves thousands attacked or missing

Environmental activists face growing risks worldwide, with over 6,400 attacks — most unpunished — targeting those who challenge powerful industries and defend their land and communities.

Katie Surma reports for Inside Climate News.

Keep reading...Show less
A construction site with cranes and concrete support structures behind a closed gate.

New tech campuses are draining water from Latin America’s driest places

As AI expands, tech giants like TikTok are building energy-hungry, water-thirsty datacenters in drought-prone regions of Latin America, sparking fears of worsening water shortages and community exclusion.

Laís Martins and Francisco Amorim report for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.