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IT DOESN’T look like we will stop putting out carbon dioxide, but we might at least be able to bury it.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) could slow climate change by locking up CO₂. There are concerns that the gas could leak out of deep geological storage, but two of the largest pilot projects have been given a clean bill of health.

As well as adding to climate change, . In January a family living near the , Canada, . An by the has found the gas did not come from the storage reservoir.

of the University of Edinburgh, UK, who took part in the investigation, has found that CO₂ leaking from deep underground has higher levels of helium than CO₂ from other sources (). That means leaks from storage facilities can be easily identified. The Canadian water samples contained normal levels of helium.

“Carbon dioxide from deep storage has high levels of helium, so leaks can be easily identified”

In Australia, the stored 65,000 tonnes of CO₂ in a depleted gas field in 2008 and 2009. So far, it reports no signs of leaks ().