Submission by Tom DeWeese, American Policy Center

The fight to stop the carbon capture pipeline across five Midwest states is yielding some positive results. But the forces behind it haven’t given up. Now, three more states are being targeted. This tyranny over farmers can be stopped — but only if citizens’ freedom-fighting determination and dedication remain strong.

The carbon capture pipeline is one of the worst environmental scams ever. In all my years of fighting the lies and insane policies of the radical Left, this is, without a doubt, their dumbest plan — but also one of the most dangerous we have ever faced, especially for farmers.

Thousands upon thousands of acres of privately owned, food-producing Corn Belt farmland are being targeted for a 1,300-mile-long carbon capture pipeline. The targeted states are South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Nebraska.

The scam? To capture CO2 — carbon dioxide — and transport it underground.

The CO2 is to be buried in underground tanks — supposedly to stop global warming! The worst part of this idiotic scheme is that it ignores basic biological science. CO2 is not a pollutant. It is natural food for trees and plants — none can live without it.

Here’s a scientific fact the radical Greens ignore: for life to thrive on Earth, we need an average of 1,600 parts per million (ppm) of CO2 in our atmosphere. However, according to a chart provided by the U.S. Navy, we currently have only 400 ppm. That means we are facing CO2 starvation!

Yet these so-called environmental “experts” want to bury what little CO2 we have — all in the name of saving the environment! This project is just as stupid and dangerous as Bill Gates’ plan to deploy a sky-level shield to block out the sun. And he proposed that with a straight face!

As I’ve warned for over thirty-five years, this is all part of the agenda outlined in Agenda 21, Agenda 2030, the Green New Deal, and the Great Reset — in their words, “a blueprint for the reorganization of human society.” It has nothing to do with protecting the environment. It’s a scare tactic designed to make you surrender your liberty to global control.

Now, America’s farmers are on the front lines of this ground war. Control the food — control society. They’re up against powerful forces: rich corporations grabbing federal tax money to build the pipeline; unelected government boards wielding eminent domain to let those corporations take any farmland they want; and ignorant or corrupt elected officials who refuse to stand up for landowners.

I’ve encountered them all. It started a couple of years ago when I was sponsored by the John Birch Society to travel to Iowa and address the carbon capture pipeline issue. I learned that the two main corporations pushing the pipeline were Summit Carbon Solutions and Navigator CO2 Ventures.

These companies sent letters to farmers along the proposed pipeline path, saying, “Our goal is to reach voluntary agreements with all landowners along the project route…” Their goal was to get landowners to sign easements and “voluntarily” give up land for the project.

But the pipeline path isn’t along property edges where it wouldn’t interfere with crops. No — it meanders across farms however the corporations choose, sometimes as close as 60 feet from a home. And it’s not just the pipe — it includes buffer zones up to 20 feet wide or more. The farmer loses control of that entire section.

Worse, the Summit letter explained that if a landowner didn’t cooperate voluntarily, “…we may need to request the right of eminent domain (condemnation)” from the unelected Iowa Utilities Board. In other words, they would just take the land. Imagine how the farmers felt. Who was standing with them to protect their land and livelihood?

I then received a copy of a letter from some Iowa county supervisors. They claimed not to support the pipeline, but said, “There’s not much we can do. It looks like it’s just going to happen.”

That’s when I began barnstorming the state. Speaking to local audiences, I challenged the supervisors: “How dare you! Who do you represent? Who will stand for these citizens? You swore an oath to represent them.” I reminded them that the Iowa Utilities Board wasn’t elected and had no authority over them. “You cowards!” I said. “When will you stand up and serve the people who elected you?”

One local activist recorded my speech. He made 300 DVDs and distributed them across the state, including to many county supervisors. He even rented a movie theater to show the speech to a wider audience.

The result? Some county supervisors took action. A few counties passed property rights protection laws to serve as roadblocks to the pipeline — even as others did nothing. It was a great start.

The battle then shifted to South Dakota, where many farmers publicly opposed the pipeline. Again, I traveled the state, speaking to local activists and sharing strategies for protecting land and farmers. Some activists credited me with inspiring positive action.

In South Dakota, the fight turned vicious. One outspoken farmer, Jared Bossly, posted signs warning pipeline surveyors to stay off his property. Summit Carbon Solutions decided to make an example of him.

One day, without warning, as Jared was out in the field, Summit employees entered his land and even his barn. His frightened wife called Jared, and in a brief six-second phone call, he told her they’d need to involve the sheriff.

Jared never directly spoke to the surveyors, yet they claimed he had threatened them. He did no such thing. Still, a judge issued a restraining order as if he were a threat to these corporate trespassers.

Less than two weeks later, Summit returned with armed guards and massive equipment to drill 90-foot-deep holes, destroying Jared’s soybean and corn crops. Per the judge’s order, Jared wasn’t even allowed to confront them — on his own property.

It was an obvious attempt to intimidate and silence opposition. But it backfired. Farmers rose up like never before. Within days, they held a rally at the South Dakota Capitol, demanding action to protect property rights.

The tide turned. Navigator canceled its pipeline plans. And recently, South Dakota Lt. Governor Larry Rhoden signed a bill banning the use of eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines.

That’s a major victory — but the fight isn’t over. Summit Carbon Solutions is pursuing legal action to overturn the ban. It’s also exploring a new route around South Dakota into North Dakota. Meanwhile, a new carbon capture pipeline has been announced in Ohio, West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania.

This carbon capture pipeline is a scam. It has nothing to do with protecting the environment. It’s a weapon to seize farmland while evil forces advance a global agenda. The key to stopping this threat is fighting for property rights. Local elected officials must decide whom they represent: private corporations and unelected boards, or the people who elected them.