Squeaky Clean Coal: a myth demystified

Is it really clean? Can Coal combustion ever be clean? Well, the answer is a flat out NO! In fact there is no such thing as “Clean Coal”.  CCT as it is more fondly referred to in the industry is just a term coined to describe technologies developed with an aim to reduce environmental impacts of greenhouse gases that accumulate in the atmosphere causing global warming and climate change.

Clean Coal Technology addresses problems arising from coal combustion and some of these technologies include carbon capture and storage (CCS), coal gasification, chemically washing impurities off coal, flue gas treatment to remove sulfur dioxide. Recent efforts have concentrated on the build up of CO2 in the atmosphere as it is recognized to play a sheet anchor’s role in contributing to climate change.

According to the IPCC’s (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) fourth assessment report,  coal combustion is a major contributor to global warming and climate change. Coal being so readily available coupled with the ever rising population, our dependence on coal use promises to go up. Coal is the dirtiest of fossil fuels, compared with natural gas it produced twice the amount of CO2. That makes it a leading cause of global warming.

As it stands today, some of the world’s biggest economies rely heavily on coal. United States and Germany produce 50% of their power from coal whereas in developing countries like India and China, the number stands at 70% and 80% respectively.Coal mining provides great job opportunities for thousands of people worldwide. Therefore, it becomes imperative to invent better techniques of coal utilization.  These so-called “Clean coal” technologies really mean “Low emission” technologies, aimed at reducing the amount of greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere.

In the US alone, the use of coal as a medium to generate electricity has tripled since 1990. On a more positive note, its coal based electricity generation plants have also become 77 percent cleaner compared to 1990, an indication of how important it is to develop technologies that will reduce the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases.

The world’s first “clean coal” power plant began operating in September 2008 in Spremberg, Germany and without doubt many more will follow suit.

-Yash Divekar

As Carbon cycle(s) from Japan to Denmark

The Kyoto protocol was an international attempt in December 1997 designed towards stabilizing six greenhouse gases (CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons) that are widely believed to anthropogenically interfere with the climate system. The United States was the only country not to have ratified the protocol, for reasons not difficult to comprehend for the common man,thereby becoming the world’s highest CO2 emitter( recently surpassed by China). Under this agreement, industrialized nations agreed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2% compared to the year 1990.

As has been predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the average temperature of the earth would rise anywhere between 1.4° C to 5.8°C  from 1990 to 2100. The main objective of the Kyoto Protocol was to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases that would otherwise contribute to this temperature rise. It was a collective effort launched to tackle the challenges brought about by global warming.

Under Kyoto, an emissions trading system was announced, which is an administrative approach used to curb pollution by providing economic incentives to countries that succeed in reducing their GHG emissions. A government or an international body sets an upper limit (cap) on the amount of a pollutant that can be emitted. Individual businesses and organizations are issued emission permits and are required to hold an equivalent number of allowances (or credits) which represent the right to emit a specific amount. The total amount of allowances and credits cannot exceed this upper limit, curbing total emissions to that level. Businesses needing to increase their emission allowance must buy credits from those who pollute less. The transfer of allowances is referred to as a trade. In effect, the buyer is paying a charge for polluting, while the seller is being rewarded for having reduced emissions by more than was needed. This, in theory, ensures that businesses can carry out their operations as usual, while also paying a careful attention on the amount of harmful gases they release into the atmosphere.

Another major agreement reached in Japan was the establishment of  Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). CDM allows industrialized nations to invest in clean energy projects in developing countries as an alternative to the more expensive emissions reductions in their own countries. There are over 1,400 projects currently registered under the CDM theme, designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 220 million ton CO2 equivalent per year.

Kyoto was a great head start in our collective effort to tackle global warming and climate change. Like all good things come to an end, the good deeds created by Kyoto have to be saved and filed away, paving the path for Copenhagen! COP15 is a United Nations Climate Change Conference to be hosted by Denmark in December 2009. It is expected that the world, developed and developing, will agree and establish a comprehensive climate change agreement.

-Yash Divekar

Carbon footprints in the sands of climate change!

Carbon footprint is a result of what we do directly or indirectly as individuals or organizations. From our very basic activities of making the early morning cup of coffee to the very complex ones such as flying an airplane contribute towards our unique individual carbon footprint. In scientific terms, any activity that we engage in, which contributes towards the total greenhouse gas emissions, whether we like it or not is a carbon footprint!

The greed for world dominance and the hunger for prosperity is driving these greenhouse gas emissions to atrocious levels and if left unabated will one day cause destruction of catastrophic proportions. The only way to reduce our carbon footprint is to know the exact size of it. Worldwide interest in alternate sources of energy namely, renewable is one concrete way of managing our carbon footprint.

Two ways currently exist to classify our carbon footprint, primary and secondary. The former refers to a measure of CO2 emissions caused directly from the burning of fossil fuels, from daily activities such as transportation and energy consumption. The term “primary footprint” refers to the fact that we have direct control over these with respect to avoiding CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. Secondary emissions, on the contrary refer to a measure of CO2 emissions caused indirectly from the manufacturing and consumption of products. Simply stated, the more we consume the more we contribute to the increasing CO2 levels in the atmosphere.

Here are a few small but effective changes which take a second to implement and also helps save the planet!

* Prefer to generate electricity from renewable sources of energy (electricity is currently the largest contributor to carbon emissions).

* Turn off all electrical appliances when not in use.

* Encourage efficient use of central heating or cooling systems.

* Turning down the water heating setting by just 2 degrees will make a significant saving in energy costs.

* Only use the dishwasher and the washing machine with a full load, this will reduce the need for frequent usage, thereby saving energy and water costs.

* Fill the kettle with only as much water as you need.

* Unplug your mobile phone as soon as it has finished charging.

* Defrost your fridge/freezer from time to time.

* Save on making frequent trips to the grocery store, instead try to shop for it all in a single trip.

* Discourage the use of a dryer, instead, hang out the clothes to dry.

* Do we really need to go the gym? Go for a run instead.

These are very basic steps that each one of us could put into practice, thus enabling us to continue to enjoy simple pleasures of life that we otherwise take for granted!

So friends, lets leave footprints in the sands of time..not carbon prints!

-Yash Divekar

Green Gremlins: Greenhouse gases!

Greenhouse Gases (GHG)are those gaseous culprits running amok, thanks to our hunger for industrialization. These are the gases that result in global warming and climate change. GHG’s in the atmosphere are heat absorbing which in turn emit radiation in the thermal infrared range. Simply put, this is the fundamental cause of greenhouse effect. So what exactly are Greenhouse gases? CO2, CFC’s, Methane, water vapor, nitrous oxide, and ozone are these little culprits that are responsible for increasing the average surface temperature of the earth.

Along with causing havoc, these GHG’s actually help us assess the temperature of the earth. We can tell with the help of these gases how hot or cold the earth is and without them it would be impossible to sustain life on earth!! Without any greenhouse gases, scientists anticipate the average earth temperature would be a cool minus 15ºC, instead of a relatively comfortable 14ºC. Human activities across the world, however, have been the cause of steady increase in the levels of these greenhouse gases. Our addiction to coal based energy generation coupled with increased deforestation around the world has contributed to increase levels of these gases substantially, compared to pre-industrial levels.

Much of the attention these days is paid towards the increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. When ranked according to their contribution to greenhouse effect, water vapor actually occupies the top position followed by carbon-dioxide. Contrary to popular belief, CO2 by itself isn’t dangerous. It occupies around .04% of the atmosphere and is a part of the life sustaining carbon cycle that has been happening for millions of years.

In the thirst for technological dominance, we have made this planet quite a difficult place to live. China is now the worlds highest emitter of CO2 followed by the United States. Together they make up over 40% of worlds CO2 emissions alone.

Uncontrolled levels of these gases in the atmosphere will lead to catastrophic events across the world. Coastal cities are at greater risks from rising sea levels caused by the melting of the polar ice caps. Our ever growing dependence on fossil fuels contribute to perpetually increasing levels of these gases in the atmosphere. Global warming and climate change will, in turn cause life threatening effects from disruption in the change, type and distribution of vegetation to sea level changes.

It is of vital importance that we control the atmospheric levels of these gases. There is considerable global effort underway to ensure greenhouse gas emissions will peak around 2015 and then decline to pre-industrial levels.

Yash Divekar

Green Gossip #1

You can have spray-on solar panels by 2011!!

Did you know that an ingenious team in Australia has developed a technique to enable spray-on solar panels?

This incredible breakthrough in the solar world was brought about by the collaboration of ANU, Spark Solar Australia andBraggone Oy. Not only will this technique reduce the price of solar cell production dramatically, it might also boost the energy production efficiency which is one of the team’s goals. This team made use of a new method that uses a spray-on hydrogen film and a spray-on anti-reflective film. These films are sprayed on the cells as they traverse on a conveyor belt. This technique completely eliminates the need for the plasma form of hydrogen and silicon nitrate, the two chief culprits that increase the cell price.

Well done mates!!

Priyanka Vaidya

 

Our fatal attraction to Coal!!!

Why are we addicted to coal one might ask? Simple, because it is the most abundant of fossil fuels! After all, this was the fossil fuel that launched the industrial development activity in powerhouses like China and India, which together have the world’s most polluted cities and rivers. Such is their fatal attraction to coal, that the Chinese are building about two coal-fired power plants every week. China is not the only carbon culprit, worldwide, coal is seen as a major source of electricity generation, so much so that about 41% of the world’s electricity is now coal-generated.

In this 21st century it is unimaginable to live without electricity and improving access to electricity is seen as a major factor to alleviating poverty. Thermal coal is used in coal-fired power stations to generate electricity. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the world power demands are likely to rise by 60% in 2030 and it is expected that fossil fuels will account for 85% of the energy market by 2030. Burning coal however has serious environmental implications in terms of releasing greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The human race is slowly awakening to the dark side of coal. Coal combustion gives rise to acid rain and air pollution which causes global warming.

Greenhouse gases which are blamed for global warming are mainly, water vapor, CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and CFC’s. Together, these absorb and emit radiation, thereby increasing the average surface temperature of the earth. The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased 35% since the age of industrialization, thanks to our addiction to coal coupled with deforestation linked to the ever growing population across the world.The other sinister effect of coal combustion is climate change.Climate change is caused by many factors, one of which is increased level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.Climate change is verified from changes in indicators that reflect anything from change in type and distribution of vegetation to sea-level rise. An eye opening example of the causes of climate change is the collapse of Harappa and the civilization in ancient Egypt. These examples should serve as an opener that global warming and climate change is real.It is time we reduce our addiction of coal and start to think about alternate sources of energy. Together, let us cut the coal and go GREEN!

Yash Divekar

Fossil Fuels: 101

Fossil fuels as Wikipedia describes, are fuels formed by natural resources such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms that lived millions of years ago. This decomposition process is said to have formed under intense heat and pressure which thus resulted in fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas, which together generate all of the world’s energy.

Their abundance coupled with low economic costs have made fossil fuels the natural choice for energy generation on a large scale worldwide. Because fossil fuels have been formed over millions of years, they are non-renewable sources of energy, thus making it imperative to develop alternative renewable forms of energy. Our current addiction of fossil fuels mean, these reserves are depleted faster than they can be created.

The primary sources of energy today remain petroleum, coal and natural gas of which petroleum accounts for almost 40% of the world’s energy consumption. In 2006, coal is said to have overtaken natural gas in terms of percentage consumption worldwide with coal said to be at 26% and natural gas at 23%. It is estimated that the world’s energy consumption is increasing at a rate of 2.5% per year.

The environmental importance of consuming fossil fuels comes from the fact that approximately 22 billion tons of CO2 is produced per year of which only half is absorbed by natural processes. CO2 emissions therefore become of paramount importance when consuming fossil fuels at the rate we do today. It has been widely accepted that carbon dioxide along with other gases are greenhouse gases that contribute towards global warming and climate change. These gases absorb and emit radiation thereby increasing the average surface temperature of the earth.

Fossil fuels are great sources of energy with serious implications to the environment. It must be well understood that these fossil fuels are non-renewable, which therefore gives rise to the need for development of alternative sources of energy which are not only cleaner but economically feasible as well. Some alternate sources of energy include wind, solar, geothermal, nuclear and hydroelectric.

Yash Divekar