 |
|
Carnegie Mellon researchers urge development of low carbon electricity
April 28, 2008Low-carbon electricity to power plug-in hybrids
PITTSBURGH-Carnegie Mellon University's Constantine Samaras and Kyle Meisterling report that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions that fuel global warming, but the benefits are highly dependent on how the electricity system changes in the coming decades.
In a recent article in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, the authors urge federal legislators and the electricity industry to increase the deployment of low-carbon electricity technology to power plug-in hybrid vehicles.
"Plug-in hybrids represent an opportunity to reduce oil consumption, leverage next-generation biofuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The types of power plants installed in the next two decades will not only affect how much we can reduce emissions from electricity, but also from vehicles if we plan on plug-in hybrids playing a substantial role," said Samaras, a Ph.D. candidate in Carnegie Mellon's departments of Engineering and Public Policy (EPP) and Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE).
"We are finding that even when the impacts from producing batteries are included, plug-in hybrids still produce slightly less greenhouse gases than hybrids that run only on gasoline. But plug-in hybrids could cut emissions in half if they are charged with electricity from low-carbon sources," said Meisterling, a Ph.D. candidate in EPP.
Already, automakers have discussed plans to develop plug-in hybrids and California recently ruled that the auto industry must sell nearly 60,000 plug-ins statewide by 2014. With the price of gas heading beyond $4 per gallon, interest in alternative vehicles continues to grow. Samaras and Meisterling also say plug-ins may allow greater use of the limited supply of biofuels because they use a lot less gasoline than regular cars.
The researchers found that life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from plug-in hybrids are about one-third less than a traditional gasoline-powered car. They also argue that with coal-fired electricity, emissions from plug-in hybrids are still lower than traditional cars, but are higher than ordinary hybrids. The call for increased low-carbon electricity supplies comes at a time when the U.S. electricity industry plans to build 154 new coal plants in the next 24 years to replace older plants being phased out.
"The type of power plants we build today will be around for a long time. We need to begin developing policies that allow us to make big dents in oil dependence and greenhouse gas emissions," said Samaras, the recipient of a prestigious Teresa Heinz Fellowship for Environmental Research, which she is using to analyze public policies involving plug-in hybrids and low-carbon electricity.
Additional research support for this project came from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the Climate Decision Making Center and the Electric Power Research Institute, and from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation through Carnegie Mellon's Electricity Industry Center.
Carnegie Mellon University
"Plug-in hybrids represent an opportunity to reduce oil consumption, leverage next-generation biofuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The types of power plants installed in the next two decades will not only affect how much we can reduce emissions from electricity, but also from vehicles if we plan on plug-in hybrids playing a substantial role," said Samaras, a Ph.D. candidate in Carnegie Mellon's departments of Engineering and Public Policy (EPP) and Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE).
"We are finding that even when the impacts from producing batteries are included, plug-in hybrids still produce slightly less greenhouse gases than hybrids that run only on gasoline. But plug-in hybrids could cut emissions in half if they are charged with electricity from low-carbon sources," said Meisterling, a Ph.D. candidate in EPP.
Already, automakers have discussed plans to develop plug-in hybrids and California recently ruled that the auto industry must sell nearly 60,000 plug-ins statewide by 2014. With the price of gas heading beyond $4 per gallon, interest in alternative vehicles continues to grow. Samaras and Meisterling also say plug-ins may allow greater use of the limited supply of biofuels because they use a lot less gasoline than regular cars.
The researchers found that life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from plug-in hybrids are about one-third less than a traditional gasoline-powered car. They also argue that with coal-fired electricity, emissions from plug-in hybrids are still lower than traditional cars, but are higher than ordinary hybrids. The call for increased low-carbon electricity supplies comes at a time when the U.S. electricity industry plans to build 154 new coal plants in the next 24 years to replace older plants being phased out.
"The type of power plants we build today will be around for a long time. We need to begin developing policies that allow us to make big dents in oil dependence and greenhouse gas emissions," said Samaras, the recipient of a prestigious Teresa Heinz Fellowship for Environmental Research, which she is using to analyze public policies involving plug-in hybrids and low-carbon electricity.
Additional research support for this project came from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the Climate Decision Making Center and the Electric Power Research Institute, and from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation through Carnegie Mellon's Electricity Industry Center.
Carnegie Mellon University
Greenhouse Gas Current Events and Greenhouse Gas News RSSORNL, Los Alamos pioneer new approach to assist scientists, farmers
Sustainable farming, initially adopted to preserve soil quality for future generations, may also play a role in maintaining a healthy climate, according to researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge and Los Alamos national laboratories.
TEEB report released on the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity for policy makers
Policy makers who factor the planet's multi-trillion dollar ecosystem services into their national and international investment strategies are likely to see far higher rates of return and stronger economic growth in the 21st century.
Record highs far outpace record lows across US
Spurred by a warming climate, daily record high temperatures occurred twice as often as record lows over the last decade across the continental United States, new research shows.
UT Knoxville and ORNL researchers turn algae into high-temperature hydrogen source
In the quest to make hydrogen as a clean alternative fuel source, researchers have been stymied about how to create usable hydrogen that is clean and sustainable without relying on an intensive, high-energy process that outweighs the benefits of not using petroleum to power vehicles.
Controversial new climate change results
New data show that the balance between the airborne and the absorbed fraction of carbon dioxide has stayed approximately constant since 1850, despite emissions of carbon dioxide having risen from about 2 billion tons a year in 1850 to 35 billion tons a year now.
Reducing greenhouse gases may not be enough to slow climate change
Because land use changes are responsible for 50 percent of warming in the US, policymakers need to address the influence of global deforestation and urbanization on climate change, in addition to greenhouse gas emissions.
Researchers Hail Innovative Plan to Save Rainforest, Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
An innovative proposal by the Ecuadorian government to protect an untouched, oil rich region of Amazon rainforest is a precedent-setting and potentially economically viable approach, says a team of environmental researchers from the University of Maryland, the World Resources Institute and Save America's Forests.
Report on US-China collaboration on carbon capture and sequestration
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Julio Friedmann, in collaboration with the Center for American Progress, the Asia Society Center and with partner Monitor Group, today released the report, "A Roadmap for U.S.-China Collaboration on Carbon Capture and Sequestration."
Study gives clearer picture of how land-use changes affect U.S. climate
Researchers say regional surface temperatures can be affected by land use, suggesting that local and regional strategies, such as creating green spaces and buffer zones in and around urban areas, could be a tool in addressing climate change.
Iron controls patterns of nitrogen fixation in the Atlantic
Scientists including researchers from the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton and the University of Essex have discovered that interactions between iron supply, transported through the atmosphere from deserts, and large-scale oceanic circulation control the availability of a crucial nutrient, nitrogen, in the Atlantic.
More Greenhouse Gas Current Events and Greenhouse Gas News Articles
|
Greenhouse Gas Protocol: The Ghg Protocol for Project Accounting by World Business Council on Sustainable Development (Author), World Resources Institute (Author) This report, released in December 2005, is a tool for determining the greenhouse gas emission reduction benefits of climate mitigation projects. The report provides specific principles, concepts, and methods for quantifying and reporting GHG reductions - i.e., the decreases in GHG emissions, or increases in removals and/or storage. It was produced using a collaborative process involving businesses, NGOs, governments, academics, and others. | |
|
Energy Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Ministry Econ Dvlp/% H Dang | |
 |
Reduce Your Greenhouse Gas by Sweetfilter Greenhouse gases destroy our Earths Ecosystem. High levels of CO2 gas (carbon dioxide) are a major cause of Global Warming. Major contributors of greenhouse gases are fully vented landfills and septic systems. Sweetfilter Zeocarbon septic vent pipe filters remove odors and greenhouse gases for up to 5 years. Then they are recycled as an ornamental gardening, nitrogen rich, fertilizer. It takes up to one year for one tree to fix the CO2 in the equivalent of 3 litres of gas. Vent pipe filters can do the same thing in one day, every day, for up to 5 years. |
 |
The Corporate Greenhouse: Climate Change Policy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Yda Schreuder (Author) This timely book addresses the political economy of climate change. The author questions the disconnect between the current nation-state based negotiation framework and the forces in the global economy that: are driven by neo-liberal policies, organized around transnational corporations or international production networks and, refute effective climate change policy. With the emergence on the world economic and carbon scene of China and India and several other developing economies, the debate on "who is to blame, and who is to pay" can no longer be ignored. Carefully researched and sourced from original work and case studies, The Corporate Greenhouse argues that failing to account in climate change treaties for the activities of transnational corporations will hinder solutions to... |
 |
Meat the Truth Starring: Marianne Thieme Directed By: Gertjan Zwanikken & Karen Soeters Also With: Claudine Everaert & Monique van Dijk (Producer), Karen Soeters (Writer) Meat the Truth is a high-profile documentary, presented by MP Marianne Thieme (leader of the Dutch party for the Animals), which forms an addendum to earlier films on climate change. Although such films have succeeded in drawing public attention to the issue of global warming, they have repeatedly ignored one of the most important causes of climate change: the intensive livestock production. Meat the Truth draws attention to this by demonstrating that livestock farming generates more greenhouse gas emissions worldwide than all cars, lorries, trains, boats and planes added together. The calculations used in the film derive from and have been validated by the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the UN (FAO), the World Watch Institute, the Institute for Environmental Studies of the Free... |
 |
The New Business Climate: A Guide to Lower Carbon Emissions and Better Business Performance by Rocky Mountain Institute Using The New Business Climate as a guide, businesses can gain competitive advantage, manage risks, and increase profitability by choosing a proactive carbon emissions reduction strategy. |
 |
GEN-2NG Natural Gas CO2 Generator by GEN-2 Gen-2 Natural Gas CO2 Generator with Electronic IgnitionCarbon Dioxide (CO2) is one of the easiest ways to accelerate plant growth. Plants grown with supplemental CO2 can produce up to 40% more flowers or fruit. A propane or natural gas CO2 generator is the most cost effective way to add CO2 to your environment. Many greenhouses use CO2 generators to boost CO2 levels safely and economically.C.A.P. has developed some of the safest and most reliable CO2 Generators. They are capable of producing between 3 and 26 cubic feet of CO2 per hour. C.A.P. manufactures 2 models, The GEN-1e and the GEN-2e. The GEN-1e is recommended for small to medium size areas up to 15 x 15. The GEN-2e is recommended for larger areas up to 30 x 30.Both the GEN-1e and the GEN-2e units feature a Pilotless Electronic... |
 |
State of Resolve Also With: PBS (Producer) |
 |
Greenhouse Gas Carbon Dioxide Mitigation: Science and Technology by Martin M. Halmann (Author), Meyer Steinberg (Author) Any mention of the "greenhouse effect" tends to ignite controversy. While the rising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases-especially carbon dioxide- are certainly among the most pressing issues today, theoretical and perceived consequences have been subject to conjecture and misinformation.That raging debate has obscured an important fact: scientists and engineers are hard at work on methods to reduce CO2 emissions, and devise practical methods for their remediation.Greenhouse Gas Carbon Dioxide Mitigation: Science and Technologysheds light on the most recent advancements, documented by two of the world's leading researchers on CO2.Aware of the complexity and still-unknown factors behind climatic change, the authors consider the need to make CO2 mitigation viable for both... |
 |
Tracking Your Carbon Footprint: A Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding and Inventorying Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Judith Purman (Author) Knowing your carbon footprint is a hot button issue today. Consumers now expect their employers, government, and schools to embrace the notion that one's style of living can negatively affect the environment today and for future generations. Likewise, homeowners, businesses, and organizations are moving to more sustainable modes of operating, not just because it is the right thing to do, but because sustainability, being "green," and reducing your carbon footprint have value in the marketplace. Sustainability is marketable and bank-able, whether in dollars saved, in revenues generated, or in public relations impact.Tracking Your Carbon Footprint: A Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding and Inventorying Greenhouse Gas Emissions will introduce you to the basics of global climate change, the... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |