Drilled
HomePodcastsInvestigationsNewsDocumentsSearchAbout
All Podcasts
Drilled
S15, Ep 1 | The Carbon Goldrush

Drilled • Season 15 Episode 1

S15, Ep 1 | The Carbon Goldrush

Agriculture
Latin America + Caribbean

About This Episode

Transcript

An American ethanol kingpin got the corn ethanol industry going in Brazil and now he's poised to bring carbon capture to the country, too. Who is this guy and what's this business venture all about?

You can find the Portuguese version of the show on The Intercept Brasil’s feed. https://www.intercept.com.br/

Additional resources:

  • The link between corn ethanol and deforestation: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-12/documents/environmental_challenges_associated_with_corn_ethanol_production.pdf
  • Peer-reviewed research on the climate problems associated with corn ethanol: https://news.wisc.edu/at-bioenergy-crossroads-should-corn-ethanol-be-left-in-the-rearview-mirror/
  • An explainer on BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration): https://www.actionaidusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/BECCS-Explainer.pdf
  • Reading list on enhanced oil recovery (EOR): https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/enhanced-oil-recovery
  • Read more about the Summit Pipeline project: https://drilled.media/news/summit-carbon-pipeline
  • Carbon Herald on the push to connect Midwest ethanol plants to carbon capture: https://carbonherald.com/from-corn-to-co2-how-the-midwest-is-powering-the-carbon-capture-drive/#:~:text=Summit%20Carbon%20Solutions%20is%20now,ethanol%20plants%20to%20underground%20storage
  • Brazilian government document on technical mission to US midwest: https://atosoficiais.com.br/anp/decisao-de-diretoria-n-488-2025-afastamento-do-pais-visita-tecnica-a-beccs-dakota-do-norte-usa
  • Travel schedule of Brazilian government officials while in the Midwest: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28076897-travel-schedule-beccs-gevo-technical-visit/
  • Read more about the explosion of corn ethanol in Brazil: https://drilled.media/news/ethanol-story1
  • Share this episode

    In this episode

    False Solutions and Climate Delay

    Climate disinformation doesn’t begin and end with science denial. As the world moves towards climate action, the fossil fuel industry has begun using familiar tactics to advocate for solutions it knows will never actually do anything but keep profits flowing.

    UpdatedMay 12, 2026May 12, 2026


    Carbon Capture
    Related Articles

    Isolated and Without Food in Brazil's Corn Ethanol Capital

    Lucas do Rio Verde in Mato Grosso, birthplace of Brazil's first 100% corn ethanol plant, claims to be sustainable while its population suffers from pesticide contamination, high temperatures, food shortages, and extreme weather shifts exacerbated by climate change.

    UPDATED December 15, 2025
    Agriculture
    Latin America + Caribbean

    Why Is Brazil’s Climate Fund Giving Hundreds of Millions to Big Ag?

    Almost $500 million has flowed from the Climate Fund to corn ethanol projects from companies with environmental violations.

    UPDATED November 19, 2025
    Agriculture
    Latin America + Caribbean
    • Home
    • Podcasts
    • Investigations
    • News
    • Documents
    • Search
    • About

    Drilled © 2023

    Contact

    Please get in touch to:

    • Syndicate our reporting
    • Collaborate on a reporting project
    • Notify us of spotted inaccuracies in our reporting
    • Provide a tip
    • Leak us documents
    • Pitch us a story

    Email

    [email protected]

    If you want to share information securely, we have multiple ways for you to do that here.

    Drilled © 2023