The High Stakes Campaign Against Oil & Gas

Carbon capture and sequestration, or CCS, has been promoted by many policymakers as a tool to increase oil and gas activity in Louisiana. Yet Rise St. James has taken an uncompromising stance against such projects in Louisiana.

Concerns about safety deserve to be taken seriously. But rejecting CCS outright removes one of the few technological pathways that allow energy producing states to reduce emissions without dismantling their industrial base. Louisiana’s economy has long depended on refining, petrochemicals, and energy infrastructure. Blocking carbon capture projects while simultaneously opposing new industrial facilities risks narrowing the state’s economic options.

Statements attributed to Lavigne also raise questions about tone and engagement. In one interview, she reportedly said she would not take money from the enemy in reference to CCS. In another instance, she suggested that members of the Black community do not understand CCS and think it is beneficial because they do not know the health effects of it. Such rhetoric may deepen divisions rather than encourage informed debate.

If Louisiana is to balance environmental protection with economic sustainability, conversations about CCS must be rooted in data, engineering standards, and regulatory oversight. Sweeping claims and absolutist positions may energize activists, but they do little to foster compromise or productive policy solutions.