Louisiana officials announced two new carbon capture projects in northwest Louisiana, expected to remove hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon dioxide annually and store it underground.
Heirloom, a direct air capture company, will develop two sites in Shreveport to begin operation in 2026 and 2027.
Critics argue the technology may divert attention from more effective emissions reduction methods and extend fossil fuel use.
Louisiana, heavily impacted by climate change and reliant on oil and gas, ranks high in natural gas production and carbon emissions.
Key quote:
“It is a drop in the bucket, but more importantly this is a blueprint and template that can be replicated in every city, every state, every country and every continent across the world.”
— Shashank Samala, CEO of Heirloom
Why this matters:
Carbon capture technology offers a potential method to reduce industrial emissions and combat climate change. However, it raises concerns about effectiveness and the continuation of fossil fuel dependence.
The utilities that control most of the country’s power plants aren’t rushing out to install carbon capture, even as the Biden administration offers the technology as a lifeline for fossil fuels.
An ocean scientist describes plans for an ‘internet of the ocean,’ with sensors and autonomous vehicles that can explore the deep sea and monitor its vital signs.
But many analysts and environmentalists remain deeply skeptical, maintaining that capturing carbon emissions as a climate change fix is at best a sideshow.
