426: Carbon capture opponents are "ignorant" and "uninformed" says coal industry spokesman

North Dakota is on the bleeding edge of carbon capture and storage technology, but when the news media reports this, we're often treated to a litany of pessimism from environmental activists.

Case in point, a recent news article produced by North Dakota News Cooperative reporter Michael Standaert which was long on nay-saying and short on affirmative arguments in favor of using carbon capture and storage technology to keep our state's coal industry relevant.

Jason Bohrer, president of the Lignite Energy Council, which represents our state's coal interests, says knee-jerk opponents of this nascent technology are "ignorant" and "uninformed."

"Either it's coming from a place of igorance or it's disingenuous opposition," he said on this episode of Plain Talk, arguing that much of the antagonism is rooted in the belief that there is no place for coal power in future energy production.

Bohrer, as you might expect, doesn't see it that way. He acknowledges that humanity, and in particular carbon-heavy industries like coal, oil and gas, ethanol production, and concrete manufacturing, have an impact on our climate. As we read news reports about record-setting temperatures, he thinks humanity needs to act in ways that go beyond trying to make us dependent on energy sources like wind and solar which, so far, have not proven that they can carry the load.

Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss a controversial political raffle, North Dakota's too-lax campaign finance laws, and a new ballot measure aimed at setting an age limit on serving in Congress, and by extension challenging U.S. Supreme Court precedent holding that such state-based prerequisites are unconstitutional.

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