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Monday 16 October 2023

The gods themselves battle in vain



Can we imprison carbon dioxide?

Carbon dioxide is the big villain in the causes of global warming - the "most wanted" for crimes against the climate that we'd love to lock up.

In Merseyside and North Wales, they're putting a posse together.

It's called HyNet and it's a group of around 40 carbon-intensive industries brought together as a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) cluster.



‘Your Excellency does not read Schiller, I suppose. You are probably not acquainted with his celebrated line: mit der Dummheit kämpfen die Götter selbst vergebens.’

‘What does it mean?’

‘Roughly: Against stupidity the gods themselves battle in vain.’ ‘Good morning.’


W. Somerset Maugham – The Door of Opportunity (1951)

5 comments:

DiscoveredJoys said...

I suppose if we find out in due course that Carbon Dioxide does not contribute significantly to Global Warming and that the climate is actually slowly cooling we can always free the captured Carbon Dioxide (although that my have an insignificant effect too). Then everybody will look silly, again.

Sam Vega said...

"It's called HyNet and it's a group of around 40 carbon-intensive industries brought together as a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) cluster."

Define a group of industries, contact them, have preliminary meetings, write the ToR, set up a committee structure and a "steering group", employ a few PR types, write a few articles, have regular meetings, set some targets, refine the constitution, set up an external liaison department, appoint an education manager, produce some glossy brochures....

Certainly a CCS. Career Creation Scheme.

A K Haart said...

DJ - I have a sneaking suspicion that they will eventually have to adapt to looking silly so freeing captured CO2 could then be done without anyone taking too much notice.

Sam - that's how it's likely to go and it's probably best to look at in those terms. A useful time-wasting scam for professional people with not enough to do.

Doonhamer said...

1. For every one Carbon atom they "capture" they also take two Oxygen atoms out of atmosphere. When all the Oxygen is removed then Gaia starts from scratch. Clean sheet. No life.
2. Search for Lake Nyos disaster. I hope these idiots have good insurance.

A K Haart said...

Doonhamer - good point, the Lake Nyos disaster ought to be a reminder of how lethal CO2 is in very high concentrations. Deaths in enclosed spaces such as sewers should be a reminder too.