Bury Carbon Forever

Even if we, as a nation, move toward clean, renewable sources of energy, coal - still relatively cheap and abundant - is likely to be with us for many years. Global carbon dioxide emissions are projected to rise 60 percent by 2030, due to increased use of fossil fuels in developing nations, and the largest increase is expected to come from coal-fired power plants.
To keep the plants' CO2 emissions out of the atmosphere, scientists have developed new processes that will stow CO2 underground. Power plants can install filters to capture carbon emissions before they leave the smokestack. Once captured, carbon dioxide can be compressed into a liquid, transported, and then pumped thousands of feet underground into geologic formations - such as sedimentary rock - that hold fluids. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 99 percent of the stored carbon dioxide will remain trapped underground.
Before this three-step process - known as carbon capture and sequestration - can be widely implemented, the Environmental Protection Agency must develop clear regulations for storing CO2 underground and monitoring the repositories. NRDC has urged the EPA to draft such regulations and will remain engaged throughout the process, commenting on draft guidelines and working to ensure that the regulatory language protects humans and the environment. The rules are expected to be finalized by 2011.