Climate Change, Oil, Ozone and Pollution

Study finds rising temperatures increase risk of unhealthy ozone levels absent sharp cuts in precursors

Green Car Congress

MAY 5, 2014

Ozone pollution across the continental United States will become far more difficult to keep in check as temperatures rise, according to new work led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Ozone formation. Even short periods of unhealthy ozone levels can cause local death rates to rise.

Ozone

Ozone Climate Change Pollution Climate

UNEP study: small number of measures targeting black carbon and tropospheric ozone could yield immediate climate benefits

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 22, 2011

The climate change benefit is estimated for 2050 and human health and crop benefits are for 2030 and beyond. Black carbon and tropospheric ozone are harmful air pollutants that also contribute to climate change. Click to enlarge. Both near-term and long-term strategies are essential, the report concludes.

Ozone

Ozone Climate Carbon Climate Change

Fast action on black carbon, ozone and methane could help limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees C

Green Car Congress

JUNE 15, 2011

The climate change benefit is estimated for a given year (2050) and human health and crop benefits are. Fast action on pollutants such as black carbon, ground-level ozone and methane may help limit near term global temperature rise and significantly increase the chances of keeping temperature rise below 2 °C (3.6 °F)—and

Ozone

Ozone Carbon Climate Change Global

California Air Resources Board posts revised draft of strategy to reduce “Super Pollutants”

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 29, 2016

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has posted a revised draft of California’s proposed Short-Lived Climate Pollutant (SLCP) Strategy. SLCPs are a category of pollutants which remain in the atmosphere for a relatively brief period, but have global warming potentials that are much higher than those of CO 2.

Pollution

Pollution California Emissions Climate

PSI team develops web tool for consumers to compare environmental impact of passenger cars in detail

Green Car Congress

MAY 17, 2020

The system will graph lifecycle impact for a range of specified powertrains, for a large number of impact categories: Climate change [kg CO 2 -eq.]. Depletion of fossil energy resources [kg oil-eq.]. Deterioration of the ozone layer [kg CFC-11-eq.]. Depletion of fresh water reserves [m 3 ].

Mariner

Mariner Climate Change DC Cars

International study identifies 14 key measures to reduce methane and black carbon emissions; reduction in projected global mean warming of ~0.5 °C by 2050

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 13, 2012

Circle areas are proportional to values for (A and B) climate change, (C and D) human health (values for population over age 30), and (E and F) agriculture. Methane is both a potent greenhouse gas and an important precursor to ground-level ozone. National benefits of the CH 4 plus BC measures versus the reference scenario.

Carbon

Carbon Ozone Emissions International

California ARB moves forward with climate and air quality actions

Green Car Congress

MARCH 24, 2017

CARB also adopted a new plan to curb destructive “super pollutants” including black carbon, fluorinated gases and methane. The plan, California’s Short-lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy, maps out the route to more rapid greenhouse gas reductions by clamping down on these super pollutants.

Climate

Climate California Ozone Pollution

Test of Planet-Cooling Scheme Could Start in 2022

Cars That Think

DECEMBER 19, 2021

Up there, 10 to 50 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, ozone molecules absorb the sun’s ultraviolet light, protecting life far below. Even less is understood about the potential risks to people and the environment—could the particles deplete the ozone layer, for example, or significantly alter the weather? Research takes a long time.

Ozone

Ozone Solar Climate Change Climate

Researchers describe the “where” and “when” of life cycle emissions from gasoline and ethanol in the US

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 11, 2012

Researchers from the University of Minnesota have produced a spatially and temporally explicit life cycle inventory (LCI) of air pollutants from gasoline, ethanol derived from corn grain, and ethanol from corn stover for the contiguous US (the lower 48 states). The researchers included a sixth pollutant, ammonia (NH 3 ).

Gasoline

Gasoline Emissions Gasoline-Electric Pollution

Study finds that environmental impact of corn-ethanol E85 is 23% to 33% higher than that of gasoline; environmental problem-shifting

Green Car Congress

MARCH 16, 2012

eutrophication; ET = ecological toxicity; FEC = fossil energy consumption; WU = water use; LO = land occupation; “The rest” includes acidification; smog formation; ozone layer depletion; and human health effects. For gasoline, the study reflects the US context in which crude oil is to a large extent imported and refined domestically.

Gasoline

Gasoline Water Emissions Minnesota

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

Green Car Congress

APRIL 1, 2009

One key issue that the Waxman-Markey discussion draft does not address is how to allocate the tradable emission allowances that restrict the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from electric utilities, oil companies, and other sources. Title III, Reducing Global Warming Pollution , (the cap-and-trade title), has eight subsections.

Climate

Climate Standards Carbon California

EPA proposes new standards to reduce methane and VOCs emissions from oil and gas industry

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 18, 2015

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its latest set of proposed standards to reduce emissions of methane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the oil and natural gas industry. The proposed updates also add emissions reduction requirements for sources of methane and VOC pollution that were not covered in the 2012 rules.

EPA

EPA Oil Gas Industrial

Study identifies Bakken Formation alone as responsible for ~2% of global ethane emissions

Green Car Congress

APRIL 29, 2016

The Bakken Formation, a shale oil and gas field in North Dakota and Montana, is emitting roughly 2% (about 250,000 tons per year) of the globe’s ethane, according to new study led by researchers at the University of Michigan. Between 2005 and 2014, the Bakken’s oil production jumped by a factor of 3,500, and its gas production by 180.

Global

Global Ozone Emissions North Dakota

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

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 22, 2009

A new report from the National Research Council examines and, when possible, estimates, “hidden” costs of energy production and use—such as the damage air pollution imposes on human health—that are not reflected in market prices of coal, oil, other energy sources, or the electricity and gasoline produced from them. Click to enlarge.

2005

2005 Cost Of Energy Coal

Berkeley study identifies diesel as main source of vehicular secondary organic aerosols

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 23, 2012

Organic aerosol (OA) in the atmosphere is detrimental to human health and represents a highly uncertain forcing of climate change. The use of petroleum-derived fuels is an important source of reactive gas-phase organic carbon that provides key precursors to the formation of secondary OA (SOA) and tropospheric ozone.

Diesel

Diesel Los Angeles Exhaust Gasoline

EV Driven

Study finds rising temperatures increase risk of unhealthy ozone levels absent sharp cuts in precursors

UNEP study: small number of measures targeting black carbon and tropospheric ozone could yield immediate climate benefits

Fast action on black carbon, ozone and methane could help limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees C

California Air Resources Board posts revised draft of strategy to reduce “Super Pollutants”

PSI team develops web tool for consumers to compare environmental impact of passenger cars in detail

International study identifies 14 key measures to reduce methane and black carbon emissions; reduction in projected global mean warming of ~0.5 °C by 2050

California ARB moves forward with climate and air quality actions

Test of Planet-Cooling Scheme Could Start in 2022

Researchers describe the “where” and “when” of life cycle emissions from gasoline and ethanol in the US

Study finds that environmental impact of corn-ethanol E85 is 23% to 33% higher than that of gasoline; environmental problem-shifting

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

EPA proposes new standards to reduce methane and VOCs emissions from oil and gas industry

Study identifies Bakken Formation alone as responsible for ~2% of global ethane emissions

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

Berkeley study identifies diesel as main source of vehicular secondary organic aerosols

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