University of Toronto Munk Centre for International Studies Program On Water
Issues - BURYING CARBON DIOXIDE: Political Folly or Climate Change Solution?

    
                   Presentation and Expert Panel Discussion

                        Wednesday, September 23, 2009
                             9:00 am to 4:30 noon
                Vivian and David Campbell Conference Facility
                    Munk Centre for International Studies
                             1 Devonshire Place
                               Toronto, Ontario
    

TORONTO , Sept. 21 /CNW/ - According to many experts, carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a key solution to climate change. The governments of Canada and Alberta propose to capture huge quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial smokestacks, compress the gas into fluid and dispose of it forever in deep underground saline formations.

But some critics say it's a bad idea. They question how billions of tonnes of highly compressed carbon dioxide will behave underground. Could it leak? Who would be responsible? Who will monitor it?

Who is right? The clock is ticking. The answers are especially important to Canada , where many pin hopes on CCS being the solution to carbon emissions from Alberta's Athabasca oil sands.

On Wednesday, September 23 , the Program on Water Issues at the University of Toronto's Munk Centre on International Studies will release Burying Carbon Dioxide in Underground Saline Aquifers: Political folly or climate change fix? The paper, by award winning writer Graham Thomson , looks at many facets of the CCS issue - the science and technology, the challenges of scale, the politics of "business as usual" and "clean coal" and the risks to water. It also looks at liability and regulations, and the utility of CCS in Alberta's Oil Sands.

The release of Burying Carbon Dioxide in Underground Saline Aquifers will be accompanied by an expert panel discussion which will be webcast, with panelists including experts in health, law, and emission detection technology.

    
    What:     Burying Carbon Dioxide in Underground Saline Aquifers:
              Political folly or climate change fix?
              Presentation and Expert Panel Discussion

    Who:      Graham Thomson (author) and expert panelists See conference
              agenda,
    http://www.powi.ca/pdfs/events/Agenda-Conference-Carbon-Capture-and-Storage-and-Water.pdf

    When:     Wednesday, September 23, 2009
              9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

    Where:    Vivian and David Campbell Conference Facility
              Munk Centre for International Studies
              1 Devonshire Place, Toronto

    REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED
    

For further information: [email protected], [phone]