Consider This from NPR When Big Oil Gets In The Carbon Removal Game, Who Wins?
Sep 6, 2023
In this insightful discussion, NPR reporter Camila Domonoske sheds light on the controversial intersection of carbon capture technology and the oil industry. She explores how Occidental Petroleum's trillion-dollar investment in direct air capture prompts questions about genuine climate action versus profit motives. With new plants sprouting in Texas, Camila examines whether these innovations are a leap towards sustainability or merely a way to perpetuate fossil fuel reliance. Her analysis challenges listeners to think critically about the role of big oil in combating climate change.
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Oil Extraction Challenge
- Oil companies face the dilemma of extracting all oil from wells, similar to getting shampoo out of a bottle.
- Geologist Bob Trentum explains how oil resides in tiny holes within rocks deep underground.
DAC's Dual Purpose
- Direct air capture (DAC) technology can extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, a process supported by environmental groups and President Biden.
- Oil companies can use this captured CO2 to enhance oil recovery, raising questions about the technology's true purpose.
Oxy's DAC Plant Groundbreaking
- Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) held a groundbreaking ceremony for Stratos, a billion-dollar DAC plant in Texas.
- While climate groups champion DAC, this event was hosted by an oil company, not climate activists.