Climate Change
[Due to the increasing size of the archives, each topic page now contains only the prior 365 days of content. Access to older stories is now solely through the Monthly Archive pages or the site search function.]
ARB Releases Update On Study Showing Pavley Regs Deliver Greater Total GHG Reductions Than Federal CAFE
May 09, 2008
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| Comparison of cumulative CO2e benefits achieved by Pavley Regulation and Federal CAFE by 2020 under different implementation scenarios. Click to enlarge. |
The California Air Resources Board has issued an addendum to an earlier technical study (earlier post) that shows that California’s clean cars law (the Pavley regulations) could achieve 41% greater total reductions of greenhouse gases nationwide if implemented nationally compared to the recently proposed federal fuel economy standards by 2020.
The previous ARB study, published before the schedule for achieving the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards had been released by the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) on 22 April (earlier post) assumed that attaining the CAFE standard of 35 mpg by 2020 would be on a regular year-by-year incremental basis. The schedule for implementing the CAFE standards proposed by NHTSA is instead front-loaded, requiring the bulk of the increases in fuel economy to come into effect earlier during the 2011-2015 time period.
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Argonne Releases Latest Version of GREET
May 08, 2008
Argonne National Laboratory has released the latest version (1.8b) of the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) full life-cycle model used to evaluate and compare the environmental impacts of new transportation fuels and advanced vehicle technologies.
The update will allow scientists to model combustion of ethanol produced from Brazilian sugarcane and used by US automobiles; production and use of bio-butanol as a potential transportation fuel; and production and use of biodiesel and renewable diesel via hydrogenation, coal/biomass co-feeding for Fischer-Tropsch diesel production and various corn ethanol plant types with different process fuels.
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Researchers Extract Hydrogen for Use in Fuel Cells from Formic Acid at Room Temperature
May 07, 2008
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| A CO2-H2 power supply system as envisioned by the Leibniz team. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the Leibniz Institute of Catalysis in Rostock, Germany have developed a feasible process for the on-demand release of hydrogen from formic acid (HCO2H) without the need for the high-temperature reforming process usually involved in other thermochemical hydrogen generation systems.
Björn Loges, Albert Boddien, Henrik Junge, and Matthias Beller report in the journal Angewandte Chemie that this hydrogen, generated at room temperature, can be directly introduced into fuel cells.
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Thermoelectrics’ Potential for Material Impact on Climate Crisis Questioned, Even in Vehicle Waste Heat Recovery
May 04, 2008
While the science, technology and business of thermoelectric (TE) technology—solid state “heat engines” capable of converting heat to electricity or alternatively converting electricity into cooling—has never been stronger than today, the technology’s potential for a material impact on the climate crisis appears limited, according to Cronin Vining, president of the thermoelectric consulting company ZT Services (ZTS) and publisher of Thermoelectric News.
Only a single application, recovery of vehicle waste heat, appears plausible in this respect, and even that application faces stiff barriers, he said, in an invited presentation to a roundtable on Nanotechnology and New Materials chaired by former Vice President Al Gore held on 1 May in New York City.
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Pavley or Not, California ARB Developing Scoping Plan For Further Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Passenger Vehicles
April 25, 2008
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| This chart by Dr. Lee Schipper plots real-world fuel consumption and emissions for national fleets calculated with VMT and fuel consumed. Note that Japan’s plot converges with that of the US before improving again recently. Click to enlarge. |
California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) requires reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. To achieve that reduction, California must take major steps to reduce emissions from the transport sector—the largest source of GHG emissions in the state (38% in 2004).
The Pavley Bill (AB 1493), which mandates reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from new passenger vehicles, is currently the major component of that effort. However, even if implementation of the Pavley regulation were not uncertain (EPA denied the requisite waiver and the matter is in court, earlier post), both it, and the Low Carbon Fuel Standard under development (earlier post) still leave California with a shortfall in reductions required to go back to 1990 levels. (See table below.)
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Injecting Sulfate Particles into Stratosphere Could Have Drastic Impact on Earth’s Ozone Layer
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| Earth’s ozone hole, shown in blue, could be exacerbated by some geoengineering efforts to mitigate climate change. Click to enlarge. Credit: NASA |
A much-discussed geoengineering approach to offset global warming by injecting sulfate particles into the stratosphere would have a drastic impact on Earth’s protective ozone layer, according to a new study led by Simone Tilmes of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo.
The research concluded that such an approach would delay the recovery of the Antarctic ozone hole by decades and cause significant ozone loss over the Arctic. The ozone layer is critical for life on Earth because it blocks dangerous ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
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EU Carbon Trading Policy Shifting From National To Regional Structure
April 24, 2008
by Jack Rosebro
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| EU climate and energy policies, with existing policy in yellow and proposed post-2012 policy in blue. Click to enlarge. |
The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (MNP) has released a report that evaluates current EU proposals to reform its Emissions Trading Directive (EU ETS) on carbon trading for industrial emissions after 2012. The report—Consequences of the European Policy Package on Climate and Energy—assesses the EU ETS reform scheme, and compares it to the Netherlands’ own Schoon en Zuinig (Clean and Efficient) greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction policy.
Although the EU’s own emissions reduction targets remain in place, national reduction targets for total GHG emissions will no longer be set by the Commission after 2012, shifting more of the responsibility for European climate policy to the European level, and away from separate member states. Only one EU-wide cap will limit the number of emission allowances, as opposed to the 27 national caps currently in use. The annual cap will decline over time.
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Preliminary GHG Inventory Shows EU-15 Emissions Dropped 0.9% Between 2005 and 2006
April 21, 2008
Provisional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data compiled by the European Environment Agency (EEA) show that EU-15 Member States reduced their emissions by 0.9% between 2005 and 2006, with an overall reduction of 35.8 million tonnes CO2 equivalent. EU-15 emissions now stand 2.7% below their base-year emissions. EU-15 has a common reduction target under the Kyoto Protocol of –8% to 2008–2012 compared to a base year, which is in most cases 1990, but some Member States have chosen 1995 for fluorinated-gases.
During the same period (2005—2006), EU-27 emissions decreased by 0.3% or 15 million tonnes CO2 equivalent and are now 7.4 % below 1990 levels. The EU has made a firm independent commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% between 1990 and 2020.
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Harris Poll: 67% of Americans Believe Humans Contributing to Warming
April 18, 2008
A new Harris Interactive poll has found that 67% of Americans believe the activities of human beings are contributing to an increase in global temperatures—a level only slightly changed from last year’s 65%. In the 2007 version of this poll, 21% said they did not believe the activities of humans contributed to an increase in temperatures while this year 17% do not believe this.
However, only 30% believe global warming will present a threat to them and their families within their lifetime; 39% believe it will not; 31% are not sure. Last year, 36% believed it would be a threat within their lifetime while 41% said it would not and 24% were not sure.
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MIT Study Compares 2030 Electric Propulsion Systems; Conventional Hybrids, Fuel Cell, Battery and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles Offer Comparable GHG Reductions
April 16, 2008
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| Overview of projected greenhouse gas and fuel consumption outcomes for different propulsion systems in 2030 vehicles. Click to enlarge. |
Electric propulsion systems, including gasoline hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV), fuel cell vehicles (FCV) and battery vehicles (BEV), can, with projected evolution of the supporting technologies, “reduce or eliminate the transport sector’s reliance on petroleum,” according to a study done at MIT by Matthew Kromer and Professor John Heywood.
However, the study also concludes that continued use of fossil fuels without effective carbon capture and sequestration for producing electricity and hydrogen constrain the greenhouse gas (GHG) and energy reductions of all the different forms of electric propulsion to about 60% below that of present day technology. In other words, without cleaner power pathways, PHEVs, BEVs and FCVs are not projected to offer much of a greater reduction in GHG than an HEV, and in many cases, the GHG profile is worse.
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SAE Panel: Global Auto Industry Entering Period of Prolonged and Fundamental Change
April 15, 2008
A panel comprising leaders from government, academia and the auto industry at the SAE 2008 World Congress yesterday said that the auto industry, while a growth industry globally, is being forced by the challenges of energy availability and climate change into a period of fundamental transformation that will likely endure for decades.
Although the broad strokes of the powertrain and energy pathways that will emerge as dominant from this change can be identified (i.e., move away from oil and toward electrification), the details are still very uncertain. That very uncertainty and the need for engineering creativity is a major opportunity, said Margot T. Oge, Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), who gave a keynote address opening the panel on powertrain diversity.
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IMO Environment Meeting Approves Revised Regulations on Ship Emissions, Next Steps for GHG Reduction
April 09, 2008
The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has approved proposed amendments to the MARPOL (“Marine Pollution”)—the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships—Annex VI regulations that would result in reduced emissions from ships.
The main changes are: a progressive reduction in sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions, with the global sulfur cap reduced initially to 3.50% (35,000 ppm) from the current 4.50% (45,000 ppm), effective 1 January 2012; then progressively to 0.50% (5,000 ppm), effective 1 January 2020, subject to a feasibility review to be completed no later than 2018. Should the 2018 review reach a negative conclusion, the effective date would default to 1 January 2025.
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US Air Force Heading Initiative on Lifecycle Emissions Inventory for Fuels
The US Air Force (USAF) is convening a working group comprising government, private industry, academia and environmental organizations to begin discussions on how to develop a comprehensive lifecycle inventory of various aviation fuels from alternative sources, including the Fischer-Tropsch coal to liquids fuels being tested in USAF aircraft.
The resulting consortium would be an initial step in what William Anderson, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics, describes as a much larger and more comprehensive project to develop lifecycle inventories for all energy sources to enable industry and government to make informed purchasing decisions.
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New LDV Fleet in UK Shows 2.8% Drop in CO2 in Q1 2008
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| Sales-weighted average CO2 emissions per vehicle by manufacturer for new cars sold in the UK in Q1 2008. Red line shows the EU 2012 target of 130 g/km. Click to enlarge. |
The sales-weighted average CO2 emissions for new light duty vehicles (LDV) sold in the UK during the first quarter of 2008 dropped 2.79% to 161.13 g CO2/km, down from 165.76 g CO2/km in the first quarter of 2007, according to figures compiled by Clean Green Cars. Between Q1 2006 and Q1 2007, the average from new vehicles had shown a 1.23% decrease. However, since the EU target is 130 g/km by 2012, the rate of decrease will have to reach 5.3% per year to meet the target.
The data shows a wide variation between the performances of individual manufacturers; some have made improvements of more than 10% and some have made no improvements. Reflecting the progress made by parent BMW, Mini is now the lowest CO2 manufacturer on a sales-weighted basis in the UK, followed by Fiat, Peugeot, Citroën and Toyota.
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New System Quantifies US Fossil Fuel CO2 Emissions in High Space and Time Resolution
April 08, 2008
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| New analysis by Purdue researchers of greenhouse gases shows that the emissions are greater in the southeastern United States than was previously thought. The amount of red represents the increased amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from previous estimates, and the blue represents a reduction in atmospheric CO2. Click to enlarge. Credit: Kevin Gurney |
A high-resolution, interactive map of US carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels produced by a new analytic system has revealed that the actual geographic intensity of CO2 emissions is quite different than perceived by many. Researchers have been attributing too many emissions to the northeastern US, for example, while the new maps and system indicate that the southeastern US is a much larger source than estimated previously.
The maps and system, called Vulcan, show CO2 emissions at more than 100 times more detail than was previously available. Until now, data on CO2 emissions were reported, in the best cases, monthly at the level of an entire state. The Vulcan model examines CO2 emissions at local levels on an hourly basis.
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Devil Is In The Details: How Realistic Are The IPCC’s Reference Emissions Scenarios?
April 06, 2008
by Jack Rosebro
The four exhaustive Assessment Reports produced by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1990, 1995, 2001, and 2007 have all served in their time as the most comprehensive literature reviews and syntheses of our influence on the world’s climate as we know it.
In this as well as subsequent installments of our occasional series Devil Is In the Details, we will periodically discuss strengths and weaknesses of those reports in the context of global society and its changing economic, environmental, and social policies and pressures. We will also look at climate data that has come to light since the last components of the most recent Fourth Assessment Report were published late last year.
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Researchers Map Layers of Lava Flows Beneath North Atlantic; New Technique to Further Oil Exploration
March 30, 2008
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| Location of seismic profiles across the North Atlantic. Click to enlarge. |
Scientists have mapped the layers of once molten rock that lie beneath the North Atlantic Ocean and which measure more than eight miles thick in some locations. The research, reported in the journal Nature, provides a better understanding of what may have happened during the break-up of continents to form new mid-ocean ridges. The same volcanic activity in the North Atlantic may also have caused the subsequent release of massive volumes of greenhouse gases which led to a spike in global temperatures 55 million years ago.
The scientists, led by Professor Robert White, FRS at the University of Cambridge (UK), also developed a new method of seeing through the thick lava flows beneath the seafloor to the sediments and structures beneath. The technique is now being employed to further oil exploration of the area which was previously restricted by the inability to image through the lava flows.
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EPA Requests Comments on National Water Program Strategy to Respond to Climate Change
March 29, 2008
The US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Water has made available for comment a review draft of the National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change. The draft document represents the National Water Program’s initial effort to identify potential impacts of climate change for clean water and drinking water programs and define actions to respond to these impacts, which may include: increases in certain water pollution problems; changes to availability of drinking water supplies; and significant collective impacts on coastal areas.
The draft strategy proposes 46 specific actions that the National Water Program will take to respond to climate change in areas including adaptation, research, mitigation, and education. Only those actions that can be initiated in FY 2008 or 2009 with an assumption of level funding are included in the draft Strategy.
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Study: Black Carbon Pollution Major Factor in Global Warming
March 23, 2008
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| Left, reconstructed levels of black carbon pollution from 2004 and 2005 in south Asia, illustrated through a measurement of aerosol optical depth. Right, the reconstructed data with the effects of biofuel cooking removed. Click to enlarge. Source: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD |
Black carbon, a form of particulate air pollution most often produced from burning biomass, cooking with solid fuels and diesel exhaust, has a warming effect in the atmosphere that is three to four times greater than prevailing estimates, according to a new study published online in the journal Nature Geoscience. (Earlier post.)
Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego atmospheric scientist V. Ramanathan (earlier post) and University of Iowa chemical engineer Greg Carmichael said that soot and other forms of black carbon could have as much as 60% of the current global warming effect of carbon dioxide, more than that of any greenhouse gas except CO2. The researchers also noted, however, that mitigation would have immediate societal benefits in addition to the long term effect of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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California ARB Releases Discussion Outline of Low Carbon Fuel Standard Regulation
March 21, 2008
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| Sample compliance schedule for gasoline and diesel. The diesel carbon intensity values are adjusted by the vehicle efficiency factor. Click to enlarge. |
The staff of the California Air Resources Board (ARB) has released the Proposed Concept Outline for the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard Regulation as part of the process of developing the rule to implement the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) mandated in 2007 by Governor Schwarzenegger’s Executive Order S-1-07. (Earlier post.)
The California LCFS calls for a reduction of at least 10% in the average fuel carbon intensity (AFCI) of California’s transportation fuels by 2020. The structure of the rule could serve as a model for other similar efforts nationally and globally. The document is intended to provide stakeholders an opportunity to review and provide input to the proposed LCFS staff recommendations, which are not final and are still under development.
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EEA Report Studies Six Successful Local and Regional Transport Policy Efforts for GHG Reduction
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| A range of policy instruments for the transport sector that can be used to implement measures that reduce GHG emissions and alleviate other environmental problems. Click to enlarge |
The European Environment Agency (EEA) has released a report on six road transport policy projects—implemented in the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom—that have helped to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The projects, which also helped improve air quality and reduce noise, are not based on new vehicle technology. Measures include replacing business travel with teleconferencing, limiting driving speed, promoting behavioral change with ecodriving, introducing congestion charges and environmental zones, and improving energy efficiency by means of freight consolidation centers.
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Envisat Provides Data Showing Regionally Elevated CO2 from Man-made Emissions
March 18, 2008
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| The findings from the analysis of SCIAMACHY data shows an extended plume of CO2 over Europe’s most populated area, the region from Amsterdam in the Netherlands to Frankfurt, Germany. Click to enlarge. Credits: ESA - DLR - IUP, Univ. Bremen |
Using data from the SCIAMACHY instrument aboard the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Envisat environmental satellite, scientists have, for the first time, detected regionally elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide originating from man-made emissions.
Dr. Michael Buchwitz from the Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP) at the University of Bremen in Germany and his colleagues detected the relatively weak atmospheric CO2 signal arising from regional anthropogenic CO2 emissions over Europe by processing and analysing SCIAMACHY data from 2003 to 2005.
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EPA Analysis Finds Climate Security Act Could Cut GHG Emissions 25% Below 1990 Levels By 2050 at a Cost of 0.06 to 0.16 Percentage Points of GDP per Year; Transportation Contributes Little
March 17, 2008
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| Sources of GHG abatement under EPA’s ADAGE modeling. Click to enlarge. |
An analysis by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act (S. 2191) currently pending before the full Senate concluded that under the act total US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are approximately 40% lower (~ 3,749 MtCO2e) than reference case emissions in 2030 (~11% below 1990 levels) and 56% lower (~ 6,030 MtCO2e) in 2050 (~25% below 1990 levels).
These reductions would be achieved at a projected cost to GDP of between 0.9% ($238 billion) and 3.8% ($983 billion) lower in 2030 and between 2.4% ($1,012 billion) and 6.9% ($2,856 billion) lower in 2050 than in the Reference Scenario. That works out to a cost of about 0.06 to 0.16 percentage points per year from 2010 to 2050.
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UK’s King Review of Low-Carbon Cars Publishes Recommendations for Action
March 14, 2008
Professor Julia King has issued the final report of her Review of low-carbon cars—Part II: recommendations for action—which builds on the analysis of environmental challenges and opportunities for road transport that were set out in Part I: the potential for CO2 reduction, published last year. (Earlier post.)
The King Review was launched by the previous UK Chancellor at Budget 2007 to examine the vehicle and fuel technologies that could help to decarbonize road transport, particularly cars, over the next 25 years. The final report makes recommendations in four key areas: reducing vehicle emissions; cleaner fuels; consumer behaviour; and research and development. Among the short-term recommendations is moving the focus of European policy back to automotive technology from biofuels.
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Report: Climate Change a Potential “Threat Multiplier” for European Security and Foreign Policy
March 12, 2008
by Jack Rosebro
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana Madariaga has released a report that assesses future effects of climate change on the European Union’s relations with other countries. According to the report’s findings, the EU could face increased competition over dwindling resources, influx waves of environmental refugees, and energy wars.
The report, which is entitled Climate change and international security, is now online, and is scheduled to be presented to European leaders during the Spring European Council, which opens on Thursday.
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EPA Officials Tell Congress That Agency’s Own Efforts to Regulate Motor Vehicle CO2 Were Halted in December 2007
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| A proposal to regulate motor vehicle greenhouse gases developed by EPA would have resulted in a fleet fuel economy much closer to that resulting from implementing the California regulations than the one currently mandated by EISA 2007. Click to enlarge. |
Senior EPA officials have told the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that, after the agency concluded in December that CO2 emissions were a danger to the United States and proposed significant cuts in motor vehicle emissions, the agency’s regulatory efforts on this were halted.
According to a letter sent by Committee Chairman Henry Waxman to EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson, EPA officials said that the agency’s analysis showed that motor vehicles could achieve CO2 emission reductions equal to a fleet fuel economy standard of 35 mpg by 2018. This nationwide standard is not as stringent as the California proposal, which called for achieving the equivalent of 35 mpg by 2017 and more than 40 mpg by 2020, but it is “significantly more stringent” than the 35 mpg by 2020 standard set by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA).
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Denver Launches Pilot Program to Quantify the Impact of Driving Behavior on Fuel Consumption and GHG Emissions
The City of Denver, Colorado, is launching what it calls the world’s first vehicular greenhouse gas (GHG) management and reduction pilot program—Driving Change. Driving Change measures the environmental impact of individual driving behavior through the installation of accelerometers that connect to internal vehicle systems and the use of an Internet-based GHG management system.
The Driving Change initiative allows for the real-time measurement of a number of driving behaviors, including idling, speeding, fast stops and hard braking, that have a direct impact on fuel consumption.
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National Research Council Report: Climate Change Will Have a Significant Impact on US Transportation Infrastructure and Operations
March 11, 2008
While every mode of transportation in the US will be affected as the climate changes, potentially the greatest impact on transportation systems will be flooding of roads, railways, transit systems, and airport runways in coastal areas because of rising sea levels and surges brought on by more intense storms, according to a new report from the National Research Council.
Although the impacts of climate change will vary by region, it is certain they will be widespread and costly in human and economic terms, and will require significant changes in the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of transportation systems, according to the report, The Potential Impacts of Climate Change on US Transportation.
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EPSRC Funds CO2 to Methane and Methanol Project
The UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is providing £167,530 (US$336,000) in funding for an 18-month research project that aims to develop an efficient, inexpensive aerogel photocatalytic diode that will reduce carbon dioxide and generate methane and methanol for use as fuels. The project begins 1 April 2008.
The project, left by Professor Andrew Mills at the University of Strathclyde, is in partnership with Johnson Matthey, a specialty chemical company with skills in catalysts, precious metals, fine chemicals and process technology.
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New Analysis Concludes China CO2 Emissions Growing More Rapidly Than Expected
The growth in China’s carbon dioxide emissions is far outpacing previous estimates, making the goal of stabilizing atmospheric greenhouse gases much more difficult, according to a new analysis by economists at the University of California, Berkeley, and UC San Diego.
The authors of the study, Maximillian Auffhammer, UC Berkeley assistant professor of agricultural and resource economics, and Richard Carson, UC San Diego professor of economics, based their findings upon pollution data from China’s 30 provincial entities.
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Government of Canada to Require New Oil Sands Operations to Implement Carbon Capture and Storage Starting in 2012
March 10, 2008
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| Projected reductions in the future growth of greenhouse gas emissions based on the Turning the Corner Plan. Click to enlarge. |
The Government of Canada has published details of its regulatory framework originally announced on 26 April 2007 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The newly published requirements include setting a target that will require oil sands starting operations in 2012 to implement carbon capture and storage.
Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions—to which the oil sands industry is a major and growing contributor—currently are more than 25% higher than they were in 1990, putting Canada more than 32% above its Kyoto target. Without immediate action, Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions are projected to grow a further 24% by 2020 to reach about 940 megatonnes—58% above 1990 levels.
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Lotus Engineering Shows Exige 270E Tri-fuel at Geneva; Researching Synthetic Methanol from CO2 as Future Fuel
March 09, 2008
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| The Exige 270E Tri-fuel is intended to give Lotus insight into flex-fuel combustion that may include methanol. |
At the Geneva Motor Show, Lotus Engineering unveiled the Lotus Exige 270E Tri-fuel, the most powerful road version yet of the Exige and one that runs on any mixture of gasoline, bioethanol or methanol.
Lotus Engineering also said that it is researching the use of sustainable synthetic alcohols—specifically methanol—as potential future fuels, with technology available from Lotus for introduction in four to five years. The Exige 270E Tri-fuel is part of Lotus’ research to understand the combustion process involved in running on mixtures of alcohol fuels and gasoline.
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EPA: US Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2006 Decreased 1.5% from Prior Year; Transportation Accounts for 27% of Total GHG, 33% of CO2
March 08, 2008
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| Recent trends in greenhouse gas emissions. Y-axis starts at 5,000 Tg CO2 Eq. Click to enlarge. |
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published the draft annual US Greenhouse Gas Inventory. The major finding in this year’s draft report is that overall emissions during 2006 decreased by 1.5% (111.8 Tg CO2 equivalent) from the previous year. Total US greenhouse gas emissions in 2006 were 7,201.9 Tg CO2 Eq.
The primary factors contributing to the decrease, according to the EPA, were: (1) compared to 2005, 2006 had warmer winter conditions, which decreased consumption of heating fuels, as well as cooler summer conditions, which reduced demand for electricity; (2) restraint on fuel consumption caused by rising fuel prices, primarily in the transportation sector, and; (3) increased use of natural gas and renewables in the electric power sector.
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EEA Report: EU Fails to Curb Transport GHG Emissions; Focus on Vehicle and Fuel Technologies is Not Enough, Demand Must Be Constrained
March 03, 2008
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| Greenhouse gas emissions from transport in the EU-27 increased by more than 26% between 1990 and 2005 in EEA member countries. EU-15 Member States are responsible for 83% of the total (not including international aviation and maritime transport). This increase in emissions has occurred even though vehicle fleets are more efficient. Click to enlarge. |
The current focus on vehicle and fuel technologies as a mechanism to reduce transport GHG is insufficient to offset the steady increase in passenger volumes and growth in freight transport, according to a new report published by the European Environment Agency (EEA). Emissions from the transport sector in the EU-27 have risen by 26% from 1990 to 2005, as opposed to decreasing 7.9% as did total EU-27 emissions over that period.
The report—Climate for a transport change—is the annual publication from the EEA’s Transport and Environment Reporting Mechanism (TERM), which monitors the progress and effectiveness of attempts to integrate transport and environment strategies.
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US Western Governors Agree to Speed Adoption of Alt Fuels; Commit to Regional GHG-Based Standard for Fuels
February 27, 2008
Governors of 19 Western US states and three US-Flag islands agreed to take action within their states and as a region to speed the development and use of alternative fuels, improve vehicle fuel efficiency and reduce dependence on petroleum.
A resolution adopted by the Western Governors’ Association (WGA) incorporates many recommendations contained in its new report, Transportation Fuels for the Future, and includes the development of a regional framework for a performance-based greenhouse gas standard for transportation fuels, such as a low-carbon fuel standard. The governors will also work together to promote an analytic methodology for evaluating the entire lifecycle of fuel production and use in terms of greenhouse gas emissions as well as other impacts upon the land, water, and air.
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Total GHG Emissions in Europe Drop 7.9% Between 1990 and 2005; Transport Sector Sees 26% Increase
February 23, 2008
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| Changes in greenhouse gas emissions for the EU-27 from 1990-2005. Click to enlarge. |
Total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU-27, excluding emission and removals from land-use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF), decreased by 0.7 % between 2004 and 2005 and by 7.9 % between 1990 and 2005, according to data from the European Environment Agency (EEA). Between 1990 and 2005, greenhouse gas emissions decreased in all sectors except in the transport sector, where they increased significantly.
Transport accounted for 21% of GHG emissions in the EU-15 in 2005, and has increased 25.6% for those countries from 1990 to 2005. Transport sector GHG emissions for the EU-27 have increased 26.0% from 1990 to 2005.
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Porsche Cars GB and London Mayor Clash over Proposed Congestion Charge Hike
February 21, 2008
by Jack Rosebro
The Times of London and other UK newspapers are reporting that Porsche Cars Great Britain will apply for judicial review of proposed increases in London’s congestion charge (earlier post), which will see the cost of driving the highest GHG-emitting cars (Band G, > 225 g/km) in the capital rise from £8 ($15.50) a day to £25 ($49) a day. The increased charges are scheduled to be implemented starting 27 October 2008.
Porsche says that the proposed increase in the congestion charge for Band G cars is disproportionate and that it will not reduce emissions in central London. All but two of the 56 Porsche model variants on sale in the UK are in Band G, according to VCA carfueldata.org. Drivers of the two that are not are in Band F will be levied the original £8 fee. By contrast, Transport for London’s analysis concludes that by 2010, CO2 emissions would be reduced by an additional 500 to 7,500 tonnes per year under the new charging scheme.
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British Columbia Intends to Levy Carbon Tax on Fuels Beginning July 2008
February 20, 2008
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| Proposed BC Carbon tax rates for liquid fuels. Click to enlarge. |
As part of the release of its budget program for 2008, the government of the Canadian province of British Columbia announced that it intends to introduce legislation that, if passed by the Legislature, would impose a broadly-based carbon tax on the purchase and use of fossil fuels such as gasoline, diesel, natural gas, heating fuel, propane and coal. The carbon tax is also intended to apply to tires when used as fuel.
The tax rate will begin at C$10/tonne (US$9.82/tonne) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions from the combustion of each fuel, and will increase in $5 annual increments to C$30/ton in 2012. The government intends the proposed carbon tax to be revenue neutral; revenues from the carbon tax will be offset through reductions in other provincial taxes.
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ELCAT Wraps; CO2 Conversion to Fuels Feasible, But Needs More Work
February 19, 2008
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| ELCAT uses catalysts within carbon nanotubes for the photoelectrochemical conversion of CO2 to hydrocarbon fuels. |
With the EU-funded ELCAT (Electrocatalytic gas-phase conversion of CO2 in confined catalysts) project (earlier post) wrapping up, the project partners took stock at a final meeting in Brussels.
They agreed that the project had proven the feasibility of gas-phase CO2 conversion in a catalytic process that recycles carbon dioxide into liquid hydrocarbons and alcohols. However, they said that more work is needed before the technology can be put into operation.
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European Commission Launches “Covenant of Mayors”; Pushes for Accelerated Response to Climate Change
February 18, 2008
by Jack Rosebro
The European Commission has announced the Covenant of Mayors, an EC initiative intended to bring together the mayors of Europe’s “most pioneering cities” to exchange and apply good practices to improve energy efficiency in the urban environment. A primary focus of Covenant of Mayors is a formal commitment by the cities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions beyond the European union’s objectives of 20% by 2020.
Covenant cities and regions would be required to submit annual public reports on the state of advancement of the Covenant’s Action Plan.
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Los Alamos Developing Process for CO2 Capture and Stripping from Air for Synthetic Fuels Production
February 13, 2008
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| Process flow diagram for CO2 capture and recovery based on the Green Freedom electrolytic stripping process. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a process—called Green Freedom—for large-scale production of carbon-neutral, sulfur-free fuels and organic chemicals from air and water. The primary targets for the Green Freedom fuels are vehicles and aircraft.
Green Freedom consists of two major components: syngas (synthesis gas) production and syngas conversion. The innovation of the new process resides primarily in the method for the production of the syngas; Green Freedom relies on commercially available technology to convert the resulting syngas into product.
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London Increasing Daily Congestion Zone Fee to £25 (US$49) for High GHG-Emitting Vehicles
February 12, 2008
Completing a process he initiated in 2006 (earlier post), Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has confirmed that the city will levy a substantially larger daily charge for high greenhouse gas-emitting vehicles entering the city’s Congestion Zone: £25 (US$49). At the same time, the city will provide a 100% low CO2 discount for cars that produce less than 120g/km CO2 and meet the Euro 4 standard for air pollution emissions, or that produce no more than 120g/km of CO2 and appear on the PowerShift register.
To be implemented starting 27 October 2008, the changes are intended to encourage drivers within the charging zone to travel in vehicles that produce lower levels of carbon dioxide and to discourage the use of vehicles with high CO2 emissions.
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Researchers Propose On-Board Fuel Processing with Carbon Capture for Zero-GHG, Hydrogen-Fueled Combustion Engine Vehicles
February 11, 2008
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| The vision of a sustainable carbon economy for transportation relies on the on-board conversion of a liquid hydrocarbon fuel with CO2 capture and recycling. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are exploring a conceptual strategy to capture, store and eventually recycle carbon dioxide emissions from mobile and small distributed stationary sources—such as automobiles, transportation vehicles and distributed industrial power generation applications (e.g., diesel power generators). Nearly two-thirds of global carbon emissions are created by such mobile and stationary sources.
Georgia Tech’s strategy involves using an on-board fuel processor to reform a liquid hydrocarbon fuel (fossil or synthetic) to produce hydrogen to power the vehicle or stationary source. The carbon in the original fuel is captured and stored on board in a liquid form, until it is disposed of at a refueling station.
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California Bay Area Air Quality Management District Proposing Annual Greenhouse Gas Fees on Stationary Sources
February 10, 2008
The California (San Francisco) Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) is proposing the assessment of annual fees on businesses based on the amount of greenhouse gases that they emit.
The fee, $0.42 per metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (CDE), would affect all permitted facilities with stationary source GHG emissions, without any exception or threshold for lesser amounts of GHG emissions. This may be the first such GHG assessment in the US, and would apply to all facilities, from oil refineries to small businesses.
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Washington State Legislators Propose Passenger Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Excise Tax
February 08, 2008
Six Washington State legislators have introduced a bill (Senate Bill 6923) that would establish a passenger vehicle greenhouse gas excise tax, the amount of the tax to vary based on the EPA combined fuel economy ratings for each vehicle.
Proceeds of this tax would be used for the design, construction, and operation of transportation facilities and services that provide alternatives to the use of single-occupant vehicles and for programs that encourage the use of these facilities and services. Allowable uses of these revenues would include—but would not be limited to—transit, high-capacity transportation, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and transportation demand management programs.
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Researchers Describe “Tipping Elements” for Earth’s Climate System
February 05, 2008
Anthropogenic forcing could push the Earth’s climate system past critical thresholds, so that important components may “tip” into qualitatively different modes of operation. An international team of researchers has devised a new term—“tipping elements”—to describe those components of the climate system that are at risk of passing a tipping point.
Drawing on a workshop of 36 leading climate scientists in October 2005 at the British Embassy, Berlin, Germany, a further elicitation of 52 experts in the field, and a review of the pertinent literature, the researchers compiled a short-list of nine potential tipping elements. These tipping elements are ranked as the most policy-relevant and require consideration in international climate politics.