Articles and Speeches

Carbon Sequestration Investigation
28-Oct-05, Windsor Express Article.

"Global warming…greenhouse gases…extreme weather…climate change…CO2 emissions.  These are all phrases which have come to be used more and more in modern life.  One of the busiest hurricane seasons on record in the Caribbean basin is currently underway; the devastation in New Orleans, Mexico and Florida after hurricanes Katrina and Wilma struck shows just how seriously we must take the issue of climate change.

I was delighted to be asked to serve on the Parliamentary Science and Technology Select Committee.  We are currently looking at ways of reducing the effects on the environment of global warming.  Wind farms both on and offshore are being used to try to create the energy that we need without damaging the environment and other technologies are being investigated.  One particularly interesting new technology is Carbon Capture and Storage.

This technology catches harmful CO2 emissions from power stations and industrial plants before they are released into the atmosphere.  The gas can then be stored securely in various ways, including by being injected deep into rocks.  This then prevents the harm caused by greenhouse gases.

Carbon Capture and Storage technology is already being used in Norway and the United States to reduce harmful emissions and our job on the Select Committee is to investigate whether this will be a viable way for Britain to reduce its carbon emissions.

It is a very exciting project to work on.  I really do hope that the technology works and can be used to protect our precious planet from harm."