Thursday, September 25, 2008

Curbing Coal Emissions Alone Might Avert Climate Danger


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080910160757.htm

Article 4


CO2 is a common greenhouse gas which contribute to global warming. It highly generates from burning fossil fuels such as oil and gas. The atmospheric CO2 might be kept below harmful level if burning of coal can be reduce in the next few decades. The researcher shows that when fossil fuels running out, atmospheric CO2 might be increase since there are huge amount of coal left. It means that coal is generate more CO2 and cause global warming more significant than fossil fuels. Therefore, reducing in emission of coal is critical to avoid climate change due to coal is much more plentiful then oil and gas. Coal is the largest source of fuel for the generation of electricity world-wide, as well as the largest world-wide source of CO2 emissions. In terms of carbon dioxide emissions, coal is slightly ahead of petroleum and about double that of natural gas.

The researcher suggests the that a dangerous level of global warming may occur if CO2 exceeds a concentration of about 450 ppm. That is a 61 percent increase from the pre-industrial level of 280 ppm, but only 17 percent more than the current level. Most indicate that CO2 highly generate from industrial and transportation which using fossil fuel. Now we are trying alternatives to substitute fossil fuel since it near its end of production. Thus, we are using other materials rather than fossil fuel to prevent lack of fossil fuel in the future. That's why fossil fuel may not contribute to the 17 percent remain to reach dangerous level. The problem is burning of coal, it is an alternative power generation due to its abundance amount on earth and price.

Coal is primarily used as a solid fuel to produce electricity and heat through combustion. World coal consumption is about 6.2 billion tons annually, of which about 75 percent is used for the production of electricity. China produced 2.38 billion tons in 2006 and India produced about 447.3 million tons in 2006. 68.7 percent of China's electricity comes from coal. The USA consumes about 1.053 billion tons of coal each year, using 90% of it for generation of electricity. The world in total produced 6.19 billion tons of coal in 2006.

The purpose to prevent and control of global warming might achieved by a phase-out of carbon dioxide emissions from coal within the next few decades. Nevertheless, there are various factors contribute to global warming as well. Therefore, we should consider the other factors to obtain more efficient effect.


1 comment:

lauchialan said...

So far in the global effort to curb climate change, focus point is on the reduction of emission from fossil fuel. This research gives us an alternative in the effort to curb global warming by reducing coal emission. In my opinion, it is a good alternative as global coal comsuption is high. Reducing coal emissions is absolutely essential to avoid dangerous climate change.