BEIJING (AP) -- U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu says all countries need to embrace technologies for capturing and burying carbon dioxide pollution to counter climate change and increase energy production.
The U.S. is strongly committed to the process, known as carbon sequestration, and plans to have 10 commercial demonstration projects online by 2016 storing 16-17 million tons of carbon per year, Chu said Thursday following talks on the issue in Beijing.
"The energy and climate problems we face can't wait. We have to solve them we have to begin quickly and go further faster and make it more widespread," Chu said.
"Make carbon capture utlization and storage part of every country's economic development."
Stored carbon can also be commercially exploited to wring additional production out of depleted oil wells.
China is also pressing ahead with the technology and Science Minister Wan Gang said the next decade would be crucial for developing the technology's commercial viability.
