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UMD-led study finds China’s SO2 emissions down 75% since 2007, India’s up 50%; India may now be the top SO2 emitter

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Although China and India remain the world’s largest consumers of coal, a new University of Maryland-led study found that China’s sulfur dioxide emissions fell by 75% since 2007, while India’s emissions increased by 50%. Most of the two countries’ sulfur dioxide emissions come from coal-fired power plants and coal-burning factories.

India 170
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EPA says methane emissions from natural gas production have dropped 36% from 2007-2011

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In its recently released Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990 – 2011 ( earlier post ), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that methane (CH 4 ) emissions from the field production of natural gas have declined by 36% from 2007 to 2011 (from 83.1 In 2011, CH4 emissions from coal mining were 63.2

2007 285
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NASA satellite images highlight US air quality improvement with reduction of NO2

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After ten years in orbit, the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA’s Aura satellite has been in orbit sufficiently long to show that people in major US cities are breathing less nitrogen dioxide. The gas is produced primarily during the combustion of gasoline in vehicle engines and coal in power plants.

Ozone 210
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Study Finds Controlling Soot May Be Fastest Method to Reduce Arctic Ice Loss and Global Warming; Second-Leading Cause of Global Warming After CO2

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Soot—black and brown particles that absorb solar radiation—comes from two types of sources: fossil fuels such as diesel, coal, gasoline, jet fuel; and solid biofuels such as wood, manure, dung, and other solid biomass used for home heating and cooking around the world. Dessler et al., 2008] and methane [Schutz et al., Guenther et al.,

Global 230
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IPCC: GHG emissions accelerating despite mitigation efforts; major institutional and technological change required to keep the heat down

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The global economic crisis 2007/2008 only temporarily reduced emissions. Increased use of coal relative to other energy sources has reversed the long?standing giga tonne carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO 2 eq) (2.2%) per year from 2000 to 2010 compared to 0.4 GtCO 2 eq (1.3%) per year from 1970 to 2000. GtCO 2 eq/yr in 2010.

Emissions 257
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House Chairmen Waxman, Markey Release Draft of Energy and Climate Legislation; Among the Many Provisions Are Cap-and-Trade, Harmonization of CAFE and California Vehicle Regulations, and Low Carbon Fuel Standard

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The draft promotes development of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies to establish a continuing place for coal in the US energy mix. The draft includes a CCS early demonstration program, incentives for the wide-scale commercial deployment of CCS, and performance standards for new coal-fired power plants.

Climate 186
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National Academies Report Examines Hidden Cost of Energy Production and Use in US; Estimates $120B in 2005

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Damages are expressed in cents per VMT (2007 USD). The committee that wrote the report focused on monetizing the damage of major air pollutants—sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, and particulate matter—on human health, grain crops and timber yields, buildings, and recreation. Source: “Hidden Costs of Energy”. Click to enlarge.

2005 246