Carbon Management Implications for R&D in the Chemical Sciences and Technology (2001) / Chapter Skim
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3. An Industry Perspective on Carbon Management
3. An Industry Perspective on Carbon Management
Pages 44-59
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From page 44... ...
For example, in many ways, the existence of the Kyoto Protocol has been a fundamental stumbling block to action, since it poses such a difficult political challenge and barrier to global involvement. I frame my discussion in this chapter on the scope of the challenge in the context of the carbon cycle and the global economy, addressing the technology and infrastructure that might be required.
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From page 45... ...
In addition, there are vast natural cycles involving two-way exchanges of CO2 into and out of the terrestrial biosphere through respiration, photosynthesis, and decay. Carbon dioxide is also exchanged into and out of the ocean through the mixed layer, by thermodynamic processes of gaseous invasion and Reservoirs GTon C Fluxes GTon C/yr ATMOSPHERE 750 HUMAN 5.5 1.6 NATURAL 60 90 MIXED LAYER 1000 FOSSIL FUEL PLANTS 550 5000 SOILS 1500 DEEP OCEANS 38000 FIGURE 3.1 The carbon cycle.
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From page 46... ...
First, emissions are going to grow rapidly to meet the demands of society for prosperity and to meet basic needs. Critical assumptions that enter these are population growth, which is discussed in earlier chapters, future rates of economic development, and technology change.
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From page 47... ...
In this case, I assume that the developed world reduces its emissions to 5% below the 1990 levels and holds them at this point for the next 100 years and the developing world continues to emit as projected in the IS92a scenario. These are crude approximations.
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From page 48... ...
While it is not my point to say that the Kyoto Protocol has no effect, in terms of addressing the climate change issue, Kyoto does very little to address global CO2 emissions. The conclusion is that more difficult steps would be required if climate change proves to be serious and that these steps must address emissions in developing, as well as developed, countries.
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From page 49... ...
Achieving the commitments made by developing countries would almost certainly require the transfer of substantial resources from the developed world. INTRODUCTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY To place changes in the decarbonization of global energy consumption into historical context, we can examine shifts in primary fuels that have occurred in the last 200 years.
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From page 50... ...
Overall capacity for today's petroleum and transportation fuels industry supports the production and refining of more than 3 billion barrels per day. This produces 1.8 billion gallons of fuel, including about 1 billion gallons of gasoline and roughly 1 billion gallons of diesel fuel.
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From page 51... ...
AN INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE ON CARBON MANAGEMENT 51 FIGURE 3.7 Efficiency of "motors": historic inventions. NOTE: F = efficiency, where 1 = 100%.
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From page 52... ...
The petroleum industry expends considerable effort to control emissions in production, refining, marketing, and other areas because it is in the interest of the industry to do so. However, the real focus for climate change must be on the end use of fuels, not on operational emissions, if climate change proves to be a serious issue.
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From page 53... ...
Hydrocarbon-powered fuel cell vehicles could hasten the widespread commercial use of fuel cell vehicles by decades compared with options that rely directly on hydrogen. Production of low-carbon fuels from fossil fuels is receiving a lot of attention and will be addressed more fully in other chapters of this report.
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From page 54... ...
In estimating the cost of renewable energy it is essential to recognize that the intermittent supply produced by renewable power sources necessitates additional cost to provide conventional backup power. Such costs must be included in any realistic analysis of renewable energy.
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From page 55... ...
For example, the use of biomass, especially as a source for liquid fuels, faces an enormous set of environmental issues. The important point is that if a new energy technology fails in any of these critical dimensions, widespread commercialization will not occur.
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From page 56... ...
The goal of R&D in carbon management should be to create economically justified options for future technologies that will make a difference to the global energy situation. Taxpayer-funded research and development should seek to identify fundamental barriers to technology, as well as finding solutions that improve performance, cost, safety, environmental acceptability, and consumer acceptability.
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From page 57... ...
Europe is the most concerned about global climate effects, yet it has allocated less money for research than any other region. In the United States we say that we're concerned about global impacts, yet we are still buying larger cars that consume more gas and generate more CO2 -- the biggest sellers are the sports utility vehicles, vans, and trucks.
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From page 58... ...
They are powerful greenhouse gases, but they are only in small use so far. However, although they are such attractive targets, if you look at a regulatory regime, perfluorocarbons and the like would be gone from commercial practice or contained by the end of the first commitment period, and they would not provide an ongoing means of improvement.
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From page 59... ...
We are also undertaking research with General Motors and with Toyota on advanced vehicles, including hybrid and fuel cell powered automobiles. However, fuel cell powered vehicles cannot be rushed into widespread commercial use.
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