Tag:

emissions

Natural Gas Remains Viable But Niche Green Fuel

It appears that in 2014 Honda will sell fewer than 1,000 Honda Civic models that run on compressed natural gas. CNG, a clean fuel produced in greatly expanding quantities in the United States, is also an economic greener alternative to gasoline and diesel. However, considering that Honda sold about twice as many Civic CNG cars (see photo) last year suggests that consumers remain hesitant about the gaseous fuel.

For years, automakers have promised to expand the number of CNG models available to U.S. shoppers. In February, Chevrolet announced that the 2015 Chevy Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD heavy-duty models would be available with CNG-capable bi-fuel 6.0-liter V8 engines, sold at all Chevrolet dealerships nationwide.

In the past few weeks, there were more announcements about new CNG offerings. Michigan-based Crazy Diamond Performance received EPA approval on two new retrofit compressed natural gas small passenger vehicles, the CNG Chevrolet Cruze and CNG Chevrolet Sonic. These platforms, which run exclusively on CNG, are the first of a series of small and fuel efficient vehicles coming from CDP.

“These vehicles provide flexibility for fleets looking to purchase a domestic small mono-fuel passenger sedan, but have not had an option until now,” said Michelle Fern, executive vice president at CDP Inc. “There are significant emissions benefits over its gasoline counterpart, with an average reduction in CO2 of 25 percent.”

Meanwhile, Mercedes in October shared information about a version of its B-Class compact that runs on natural gas. It will be sold in Europe, but could be made available in the U.S. in the future. Mercedes recently began selling an all-electric version of the B-Class in select U.S. cities. Both alternative drive Mercedes models used an “energy space” to store the fuel (or batteries) under the body of the vehicle.

The Mercedes B200 Natural Gas Drive features CO2 emissions that are 16 percent lower than ga

Article by Brad Berman, appearing courtesy ebay Green Driving.

11/10/2014 0 comment

Renewable Energy

U.S. Climate Envoy Says All Nations, Rich and Poor, Must Curb Emissions

written by Yale Environment 360

The negotiating architecture that has governed the decades-long pursuit of an international climate agreement is outdated, said Todd Stern, the U.S. special envoy for climate change at the State Department and the nation’s lead climate negotiator. In remarks delivered at Yale University’s Law School on Tuesday, Stern reiterated the U.S. position that all nations — both rich ones and developing ones — must be brought together under one agreement that includes pledges to cut emissions.

“This split between developed and developing countries in the climate convention is the singular fault line in these negotiations,” Stern said, “and has been from the beginning.” Under the recently expired Kyoto protocol, developing countries like China and India were exempted from committing to emissions cuts.

Climate talks are scheduled to resume in Lima, Peru later this year, with a goal of achieving a new and fully global treaty at a meeting in Paris in 2015. That pact, Stern argued, ought to require all nations to submit emissions reduction targets, tailored as needed to national interests and abilities. These should not be made legally binding, Stern said — a tack he described as “untenable” — but compliance could be ensured with clear rules for transparency, standardized metrics for accounting and reporting of emissions, and ideally, the passage of sound climate policies in each nation.

On the prospect for domestic climate legislation in the U.S., Stern suggested a tipping point was near: “I doubt, even year from now,” he said, “whether major political candidates will consider it viable to deny the existence of climate change.”

10/16/2014 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Planet Set to Reach CO2 Threshold in 30 Years, Researchers Say

written by Yale Environment 360

Only 1.2 trillion metric tons of carbon dioxide can be emitted in the future if nations are to avoid causing the global mean surface temperature to rise more than 2 degrees C beyond the pre-industrial average, according to researchers with the Global Carbon Project.

Historical (black dots) and projected (red dots) global CO2 emissions in trillions of metric tons. (Image credit: Friedlingstein et al., Nature Geoscience 2014)

Combined historical and future carbon dioxide emissions must remain below 3.2 trillion metric tons to have a 66-percent chance of keeping that temperature increase below 2 degrees C — the internationally accepted benchmark for restraining global warming. But two-thirds of this allotment has already been emitted, and at the current pace of emissions, the global population will burn through the rest within the next 30 years, the researchers conclude.

CO2 emissions rose 2.3 percent in 2013 and are on track to increase by another 2.5 percent in 2014, according to the report, which was released ahead of tomorrow’s UN climate summit in New York. China and the U.S. were the leading emitters in 2013 and were responsible for 28 percent and 14 percent, respectively, of global CO2 emissions.

09/24/2014 1 comment

Renewable Energy

Getting a Better Handle on CO2, NASA Will Help!

written by Environmental News Network

From all the news about how anthropogenic emissions of CO2 are increasing tremendously (remember the hockey stick graph?) you would think that these emissions are causing all the atmospheric increases of CO2. And, our use of fossil fuels is increasing exponentially, with more than half of all fossil fuels ever used by humans being consumed in the last 20 years.

However, in comparison with the amount of carbon that enters the atmosphere from natural sources, our fossil fuel emissions are modest. “Carbon dioxide generated by human activities amounts to only a few percent of the total yearly atmospheric uptake or loss of carbon dioxide from plant life and geochemical processes on land and in the ocean,” said Gregg Marland, a professor in the Geology Department of Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina. “This may not seem like much, but humans have essentially tipped the balance.”

Scientists are able to accurately measure the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, both today and in the past, and the impact of our activities is apparent in those measurements. Before the Industrial Revolution, there were about 280 molecules of carbon dioxide out of every million molecules in the atmosphere, that is, 280 parts per million. By 2014, the concentration had risen to about 400 parts per million.

Although we know the concentration of carbon dioxide, much about the processes that govern the gas’s atmospheric concentration remains a mystery. We still do not know precisely where all of the carbon dioxide comes from and where it is being stored when it leaves the air. That information is crucial for understanding the impact of human activities on climate and for evaluating options for mitigating or adapting to climate change.

Scientists expect to get some answers soon to these and other compelling carbon questions, thanks to the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, a new Earth-orbiting NASA satellite scheduled to launch on July 1. OCO-2 will allow scientists to record detailed daily measurements of carbon dioxide — around 100,000 measurements of the gas around the world every day.

“Now that humans are acknowledging the environmental effects of our dependence on fossil fuels and other carbon dioxide-emitting activities, our goal is to analyze the sources and sinks of this carbon dioxide and to find better ways to manage it,” Marland said.

Article by Roger Greenway.

06/26/2014 3 comments

Renewable Energy

Air Pollution Smartphone App Seeks to Shame China’s Polluting Factories

written by Yale Environment 360

A new smartphone app seeks to shine a spotlight on major Chinese polluters by letting users see in real-time which factories are violating air pollution emissions limits.

The app, developed by Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE), uses data from some 15,000 factories throughout China that are now required to report emissions to local officials and the Environment Ministry on an hourly basis.

The government made all the data public at the beginning of this year, but now, for the first time, those data are available in one place through IPE’s new app and website. The app allows users to check air quality data for 190 cities and share air emissions data from polluters in those areas.

Factories producing excessive emissions are shown in red, making them easily identifiable. “If the air quality is bad you can switch (to the factory map) and see who is in your neighborhood,” IPE’s senior project manager explained. “It will be a very effective tool for people to voice their concerns.” Environmental groups applauded IPE’s efforts and said public supervision is essential to stopping local officials from simply ignoring pollution from profitable factories.

06/11/2014 2 comments

Renewable Energy

EPA Doles Out Grants to Replace Old Diesel Engines on Tug Boats

written by Environmental News Network

The shipping industry is one of the most under-regulated industries in the world due to outdated and international regulations that are difficult to enforce on a global scale. And as these ships enter our harbors and ports close to home, their operations have the potential to generate smog-forming emissions and other pollutants that are linked to various health problems in susceptible populations.

In an effort to combat some of the pollution expelled from dirty diesel engines, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has allotted over one million dollars to help two specific organizations replace their old engines with less polluting models.

According to the EPA, the projects will cut emissions of harmful nitrogen oxides and particulate matter among other pollutants which are linked to asthma, lung and heart disease and premature death.

Diesel engines often remain in use a long time. Older diesel engines that predate current and stricter air pollution standards emit large amounts of air pollutants. EPA grants such as those announced today are helping to reduce air pollution from some of the more than 11 million older diesel engines that continue to emit higher levels of pollution.

“Older diesel engines generate significant amounts of air pollution that can make people sick,” said EPA Regional Administrator, Judith A. Enck. “Replacing or retrofitting old polluting diesel engines reduces people’s exposure to pollutants that can lead to asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments, lost work days and many other health impacts.”

The Connecticut Maritime Foundation, a not-for-profit organization, will use a $600,000 EPA grant to replace two old engines on the Patrick J. Hunt, an 80-foot marine tug boat, which operates out of New York harbor, with new and cleaner EPA-certified engines. The new engines are estimated to emit 40% less nitrogen oxides and 62% less particulate matter than the current engine. The project is expected to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides by 17.9 tons per year and particulate matter by 1 ton per year in addition to conserving 10,825 gallons of fuel annually.

The New Jersey Clean Cities Coalition, a not-for-profit organization, will use a $587,918 EPA grant to replace the old engines in two tug boats and one supply boat that operate out of New York harbor with new and cleaner EPA-certified engines. The new engines are estimated to emit 69% less nitrogen oxides and 80% less particulate matter than the current engines. The project is expected to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides by 816.2 tons and particulate matter by 40.6 tons over the life of the engines in addition to conserving between 1.8 and 2.25 million gallons of fuel over a lifetime of about 12 years.

Article by Allison Winter.

05/28/2014 0 comment

Renewable Energy

IPCC Issues Stark Report on Present and Future Climate Impacts

written by Yale Environment 360

Rapidly rising levels of greenhouse gases are already having a major impact on the earth’s natural systems and the problem is likely to grow significantly worse unless these emissions are brought under control, according to a new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The report, released in Yokohama, Japan, said that steadily rising temperatures are melting polar ice caps, sharply diminishing Arctic sea ice, intensifying heat waves and heavy rains, causing the death of coral reefs, and placing water and food supplies under stress.

The report on climate impacts, drafted by several hundred of the world’s leading climate scientists, emphasized that the world’s food supply is at considerable risk. Already, the report said, heat waves and water stress are affecting the output of wheat and corn on a global scale, impacts that are only expected to intensify in the future, further exacerbating food shortages. “Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change,” said IPCC chairman Rajendra K. Pachauri.

04/01/2014 0 comment

Clean Transportation

Kicking Vehicle Efficiency into High Gear

written by Walter Wang

When the President took office, the fuel efficiency standards for our cars had been stuck at 27.5 miles per gallon for twenty years – two decades of lost time when it comes to developing new technologies that can get more miles per gallon out of every tankful of gas. That’s why one of the very first actions the President took in office was to direct

02/19/2014 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Climate Benefits of Natural Gas Questioned in Major New Report

written by Yale Environment 360

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been underestimating methane leaks from natural gas production and use by 25 to 75 percent, according to a comprehensive assessment of more than 200 studies.

When the methane leaks are accounted for, natural

02/17/2014 0 comment

Renewable Energy

European Union to Cut Emissions by 40% by 2030

written by Edouard Stenger

The European Union has long been regarded as a leader on climate change. Now it appears to becoming a laggard as the EU has unveiled unambitious goals for 2030.

If in 2007 the EU led the fight on climate change with an impressive triple goal of 20 percent emissions reductions by 2020, 20 percent renewables and 20 percent increased energy efficiency (compared to 1990), the situation is not the same now.

The European Commission pledged to cut emissions by 40 percent by 2030 as well as to cover 27 percent of its energy needs by renewables.

These goals are unambitious as the EU has almost reached its 20 percent emissions reduction goals, seven years ahead of schedule as we have seen in this previous article.

In 2012, this had led a majority of European Parliament members (MEPs) to call for increased action and 30 percent cuts by 2020. The MEPs who voted for such cuts believe that cutting EU emissions by 20 percent wouldn’t be sufficient to prevent global temperatures to warm by just 2°Celsius.

The European Commission’s decision of yesterday is even more puzzling when faced to the previous decision of cutting emissions by a minimum of 80 percent by 2050.

By agreeing to 40 percent cuts by 2030 it states that between 1990 and 2030 it will cut its emissions by one percentage point per annum and that in the remaining twenty years, it would cut them by two percentage point per annum.

As Kees van der Leun, a Dutch expert on climate and energy issues, noted on his Twitter : ” EU CO2 emission reduction from -18% now to -40% by 2030 is not even 2% per year. For 2050 target (-80..95%) we need sustained 4-7% per year! “

There is ample evidence that 40 percent emissions cuts won’t be enough. An example of this is the many negative reactions the European Commission decision brought from many newspapers such as the Financial Times, consultancies such as Ecofys and NGOs.

Let’s hope the vote by the European Parliament will bring more ambition. Our climate, our economies and our jobs are at stake.

01/25/2014 1 comment

Renewable Energy

Natural Gas Has Sharply Reduced Emissions from Power Plants

written by Yale Environment 360

The dramatic increase in using natural gas to produce electricity in the United States has led to an equally dramatic decline in the amount of pollutants and carbon dioxide emitted from the nation’s power plants, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by researchers at the National

01/13/2014 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Solar Plays Key Role in India’s Energy Future, World Bank Says

written by Walter Wang

In a recent report, The World Bank said that solar power is one of the key elements of its Country Partnership Strategy with India. The organization said it will circulate the findings of the study to central and state governments to spread an understanding of the issues and analysis presented.

The Bank said in a statement that in just three years

12/23/2013 0 comment

Clean Transportation

Could China Get left Behind in Electrification Trends?

written by CleanTechies.com Contributor

Is China getting left behind in electrification trends by focusing on plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles? Is it ignoring alternatives that would achieve its goals of cutting emissions and reducing dependency on imported oil more quickly than full-on electrification? Paul Rivera, director of the global product group for hybrids and electrical

12/18/2013 0 comment

Renewable Energy

The Linkage of CO2 to Long Term Climate Change

written by Walter Wang

Carbon dioxide is known to contribute to climate. When levels of CO2 increase, the atmosphere reacts with rising temperatures. The linkage here is well understood, and accepted as a proven hypothesis. It follows that if we reduce our emissions of CO2 that atmospheric levels will gradually reduce and the impacts to global

11/26/2013 0 comment

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