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Environment & Energy
In reply to the discussion: Der Spiegel: How German Electricity Became A Luxury Item. [View all]NickB79
(20,359 posts)13. I see two major errors with that study
1) They make no mention of taking into account major positive feedback mechanisms we're just now starting to notice, primarily methane release from a warming Arctic. The amount of GHG trapped in the permafrost and hydrates is enough to devastate the climate, and there are signs they've already entered feedback status.
2) They say this:
The U.S.the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases per person, among major countrieshas continued a transition to less CO2-intensive energy use that started in the early 20th century. Natural gaswhich emits 40 percent less CO2 than coal when burnednow dominates new power plants (nearly 188 gigawatts added since 2000) along with wind (roughly 28 gigawatts added), a trend broadly similar to other developed nations such as Japan or Germany.
The switch to natural gas in the US hasn't actually translated into a reduction in GHG's, because: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=us-methane-emissions-prove-higher
The study also focuses attention on Texas and nearby states as a source of nearly a quarter of the country's human-related methane emissions. "We've learned that methane emissions from the south-central United States are probably a lot higher than existing estimates," Miller explained.
Miller's research finds that, in 2007 and 2008, U.S. emissions of methane from human-related sources were 33.4 teragrams of carbon equivalent per year. That number is significantly higher than EPA's methane budget, which puts U.S. emissions for 2008 at 22.1 teragrams of carbon equivalent per year.
"The results show that the emissions ... are about 1½ times the EPA estimate," said Steven Wofsy, a professor of atmospheric and environmental chemistry at Harvard and a co-author of the study.
Miller's research finds that, in 2007 and 2008, U.S. emissions of methane from human-related sources were 33.4 teragrams of carbon equivalent per year. That number is significantly higher than EPA's methane budget, which puts U.S. emissions for 2008 at 22.1 teragrams of carbon equivalent per year.
"The results show that the emissions ... are about 1½ times the EPA estimate," said Steven Wofsy, a professor of atmospheric and environmental chemistry at Harvard and a co-author of the study.
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The opening statement is correct, the sarcasm afterwards may be addressed by noting...
NNadir
Dec 2013
#3
How Much Global Warming Is Guaranteed Even If We Stopped Building Coal-Fired Power Plants Today?
FreakinDJ
Dec 2013
#9
Meaning: the high speed and low cost of renewables is crucial to a transition from carbon.
kristopher
Dec 2013
#11
"Germany has the second highest electricity prices in Europe, after Denmark"
kristopher
Dec 2013
#18
Actually your evocation of "experts around the world," reminds me of Amory Lovin's 1976 "paper"...
NNadir
Dec 2013
#19
There isn't a single anti-nuke "solar will save us" maven who ever uses any word BUT "could..."
NNadir
Dec 2013
#21
Um...um...I really don't think that you are any more qualified to give grammar lessons than you...
NNadir
Dec 2013
#33