Fifteen years ago, on this day, December 27th, 2010,
Queensland has axed its funding for a cutting-edge 530-MW power plant that was to run on gasified coal and store 90% of its greenhouse gas emissions underground through the use of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, just weeks after the project was short-listed to receive additional support from the Australian federal government, it was revealed at the weekend
Cooper, M. (2010) Queensland government withdraws ZeroGen CCS project funding 27 December Platts International Coal Report
The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 390ppm. As of 2025, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.
The broader context was as per the post a few days ago, CCS had been an ongoing strand of technophilia in Australia, breaking through into public awareness in 2004.
The specific context was – Copenhagen had fallen over, the numbers weren’t adding up and everyone was pulling the plug.
What I think we can learn from this – these are literally pipe-dreams.
What happened next – the CCS soap opera continued, because our Lords and Masters have no other option. They couldn’t possibly question the hyperconsumerism they have foisted upon us all. We’re so fubarred.
What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.
Also on this day:
December 27, 1989 – Greenhouse effect = “socialist hokum”
December 27, 2004 – ACF boss says “cough up” – All Our Yesterdays
December 27, 2009 – Art exhibition in Copenhagen saves the world