Using CO2 for Fracking

“After almost ten years of relief from the destructive fracking industry, fossil fuel profiteers have once again come knocking in New York,” said Food & Water Watch Northeast Region Director, Alex Beauchamp. “Southern Tier Corporations’ proposal to drill thousands of new gas wells is explicitly against the intention of New York’s fracking ban."

“What’s more, the corporation’s proposal to use proven-to-fail carbon capture technology to skirt state regulation is absurd and dangerous for our climate and communities,” he added.

Hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as “fracking,” is the process of extracting oil and natural gasses from deep underground using pressurized liquids. The technique is used to obtain fossil fuels from places that are usually inaccessible via normal drilling means. Typically, water, chemicals and sand — often a proprietary mixture — is highly pressurized and pumped into cracks in the ground. The goal is to create and enlarge fractures in the hard rock to free up the targeted gasses.

Concerns regarding the negative effects of fracking have followed the practice for decades and as such, fracking has become a very contentious topic.

The practice of fracking raises many issues, spanning from environmental concerns like pollution and seismic disturbances, to public health problems like air and water contamination. 

The state’s fracking ban restricts the 12 million acres of natural gas field that exists under New York’s Southern Tier.

Since the ban, energy companies have tried to find “alternative” methods to fracking in order to access the Marcellus Shale. Some tried sidestepping the ban with the use of gelled propane instead of the typical water and chemical mixtures, arguing the injection materials are different, which doesn’t constitute the process as fracking under law. 

Southern Tier Solutions is adopting the same strategy. 

The company, which was founded in 2023, is based in Texas and recently reached out to residents in New York’s Southern Tier Region, asking them to lease their land for a new local energy harvesting project. 

Their strategy is to pump carbon dioxide, captured with carbon sequestration technology, into the ground and extract the natural gasses. The idea is to combat atmospheric carbon dioxide levels by capturing it and pumping it underground where it can be stored. The process would also extract natural gasses. 

Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo and Senator Lea Webb have sent a letter to the State Department of Environmental Conservation concerning Southern Tier Solutions’ letters to landowners about leases for the extraction process.

The letter, addressed to DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos, requests information on the company’s proposed gas extraction method and how it aligns with current state and federal law.

The lawmakers say their letter was sent in response to inquiries from concerned constituents, some of whom received land lease solicitations from the company.

Carbon capture and sequestration is a relatively new concept that aims to combat climate change by limiting greenhouse gasses and their negative effects. Critics, however, argue the practice isn’t the answer. 

“It’s dangerous, it’s unproven and it’s unnecessary,” said Eric Weltman, a senior organizer at Food & Water Watch, who believes carbon capturing is a false solution to climate change. 

Southern Tier Solution’s proposal raised eyebrows and environmental organizations quickly picked up the story. They argue that the alternative method is still equally dangerous. The method still poses dangers to seismic disturbances and contaminations. Furthermore, the idea of using carbon dioxide to extract natural gasses is “baffling,” according to Weltman.

“It’s outrageous that this company is intending to use CO2 to extract even more fossil fuels that will pollute and contaminate our environment and undermine New York’s climate laws,” said Weltman.

Next TCCPI Meeting

Friday, January 26, 2024

9 to 11 am

TCCPI meetings have moved online. Contact Peter Bardaglio, the TCCPI coordinator, for further details at pbardaglio@gmail.com.

Christmas in Ithaca arrived on a balmy winter day, with temperatures reaching the low 50s, and nary a snowflake in sight. Ingrid Zabel said she remembers snowy winters being the norm when she was a kid growing up in Ithaca.

“I can remember as a kid in the early ’70s, playing in the snow, and digging through these big drifts of snow and my brother making tunnels,” Zabel said. “And I sometimes thought about [how] we don’t seem to get as much snow anymore. But is that really true?”

Indeed it is, according to climate data reviewed by Zabel, who has a doctorate in physics and is the Cayuga Nature Center’s climate change education manager. 

A Holistic Approach

Holistic agrivoltaics systems look at agriculture and solar energy production as complements rather than as competitors. These systems improve environmental and economic sustainability while facilitating a transition to a renewable energy economy. 

Successful and robust implementation of agrivoltaics depends on many different factors, including soil nutrient composition and quality, precipitation levels, microclimate, and land topography, as well as the skillset, interests, and beliefs of a farmer and farm community.

Farmers do not have the time or economic freedom to pull fields out of production and experiment with new technologies to determine the best solar panel heights and layout, crop species, livestock, and equipment for planting and harvesting. This legislation intends to establish a research program where region-specific best practices are established to maximize both energy and crop output from an agrivoltaics program. 

The New York State College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University will establish a 3-year Agrivoltaics Research Program to develop science-based and region-specific recommendations for the co-location of crops and solar power arrays while promoting biodiversity of flora and fauna. The research will guide best practices on implementing agrivoltaics throughout New York State that will be disseminated through cooperative extensions across the state. 

“Too often agriculture and solar compete for the best farmland, but this does not need to be the case. I’m proud that this law establishes a program to bring together research scientists from agriculture, plant sciences, engineering, environmental sciences, and sociology to design agrivoltaic best practices," said Kelles. "The program will emphasize both the diversity and productivity of crops and livestock grown and raised under solar panels and determine the best solar structure design and field layout and compatible tools and machinery to maximize energy production and agricultural yields."

“The Center for AgriVoltaics will leverage our extension networks and faculty expertise to create a dual-use economic opportunity for farmers, who are critical allies in meeting New York’s renewable energy goals,” said Ben Houlton, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of CALS. “I’m grateful to Gov. Hochul, Assemblymember Anna Kelles, and Sen. Michelle Hinchey for their leadership in establishing this research center, which will pursue science-based solutions that generate co-benefits for rural communities, our state, and the planet.”

The expectations for COP28, given the track record of recent U.N. climate conferences, were low. Held in Dubai earlier this month, it appeared from the outset to be a captive of the global fossil fuel industry. About 2,400 people connected to the coal, oil and gas industries, an all-time high, registered for COP28. As the dust settled following the talks, however, a mixed picture emerged, one with a few important achievements alongside some notable failures.

The president of the summit, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber (center), is chief executive of the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. Photo by UNclimatechange licensed under CC BY NC-SA 2.0 DEED.

Significant Achievements

• Loss and Damage Fund: The Loss and Damage Fund, dedicated to aiding vulnerable nations already grappling with the devastating consequences of climate change, marked an historic breakthrough. It acknowledges the responsibility of developed nations and their obligation to support those on the frontline of the crisis.
• Fossil Fuel: For the first time, a COP agreement explicitly called for “transitioning away from fossil fuels.” The pact represented a compromise and is not legally binding, but it should signal to investors and policymakers that a turning point has been reached.

• Methane Mitigation: Recognizing methane's potent warming effect, COP28 implemented several measures to buttress COP26's Global Methane Pledge, aimed at reducing anthropogenic methane emissions by 30% by 2030. The U.S. and European Union put in place new regulations and oil and gas producers announced new pledges to curb methane emissions. The latter commitments, though, were strictly voluntary.
• Adaptation: Adaptation received increased attention, with targets established on water security, ecosystem restoration, and health. By 2025, all countries must have in place a detailed plan to adapt to the current and future impacts of climate change in their countries, and must demonstrate progress in implementing such a plan by 2030.
• Financial Commitments: Data published in the run up to COP28 indicated that developed countries finally fulfilled their long overdue promise to provide $100 billion in 2022 to help poorer countries deal with climate change. In addition, initial contributions of $429 million to the Loss and Damage Fund reinforced this acknowledgement of financial responsibility.

Critical Failures

Despite these achievements, COP28 fell short in several critical areas:

• Ambition Gap: The agreed-upon measures are insufficient to limit warming to 1.5°C. The “carbon budget” for 1.5°C will be exhausted in around five years at current levels of emissions. Developed nations need to significantly ramp up their ambition and action.
• Fossil Fuel Loophole: The language about the need to transition away from fossil fuels stopped short of calling for a "phase out," leaving room for interpretation and potential loopholes. Fossil fuel interests will continue to exert undue influence, hindering a definitive shift towards clean energy.
• Finance Shortfall: While the $100 billion target for 2022 was finally met, it barely scratches the surface of the actual need. Adaptation finance remains "woefully inadequate," leaving developing nations struggling to cope with climate impacts.
• Equity and Justice: The voices of developing nations and marginalized communities were largely ignored at COP28. The principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" remains unrealized, with historical polluters failing to take commensurate action.
• Human Rights Concerns: Hosting COP28 in Dubai, with its record of widespread human rights violations, raised concerns about silencing dissent and hindering meaningful participation.

The Road Ahead

COP28's mixed bag leaves the world at a crossroads. While the achievements offer a glimmer of hope, the failures highlight the urgency of the moment. Here are some key takeaways for the road ahead:

• Increased Ambition: Developed nations must significantly ratchet up their emissions reduction targets and concretely implement their commitments.
• Just Transition: A just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels is crucial. Investments must prioritize vulnerable communities and support workers in high-carbon industries towards alternative livelihoods.
• Enhanced Finance: Developed nations must scale up adaptation funding and fulfill their responsibility to support the most vulnerable.
• Amplifying Marginalized Voices: The voices of developing nations, Indigenous communities, and other marginalized groups must be heard and acted upon. Inclusive decision-making is essential for effective climate action.
• Holding Polluters Accountable: Developed nations, historically responsible for most emissions, must take ownership of their role and provide adequate financial and technological support to developing nations.

Clearly, COP28 did not deliver the transformational change needed, but it did offer some signs of progress as well as stepping stones for future action. The time for incremental steps, though, is over. The window of opportunity is closing and we must move quickly if we hope to avoid the onset of runaway climate change. Finally, if nothing else, the climate talks underscored the importance of local climate action for generating tangible results.

Peter Bardaglio

TCCPI Coordinator