Carbon Dioxide Capture
If all carbon dioxide capture facilities in the U.S. that are under construction or in development are completed, what portion of the nation's current CO2 emissions would be captured?
Correct Answer
Carbon dioxide is an organic gas that is generally colorless, odorless, non-toxic, non-carcinogenic, and non-combustible. It is also the most significant manmade greenhouse gas. Per a recent report by the Congressional Budget Office, "the federal government has provided financial support for more than a decade to spur the development and use of technologies for capturing CO2 emissions," and "recent legislation has significantly boosted annual funding for those efforts." The report found that current facilities "have the capacity to capture 0.4% of the nation's total annual CO2 emissions," and if all the facilities under construction or in development are completed, this figure would rise to 3%. Part of the reason why these portions are "small" is because the technology is "generally used in sectors that have the lowest costs for capturing CO2 - such as natural gas processing and ammonia and ethanol production - and those sectors account for a small share of total U.S. CO2 emissions."
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