Main menu:

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

    GREENHOUSE GASES


    CO2 - Carbon Dioxide

    Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is released when fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) are burned. The increase in CO2 in the atmosphere is causing global warming.


    CH4 - Methane

    Methane (CH4) is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane emissions also result from the decomposition of organic wastes in municipal solid waste landfills, and the raising of livestock.


    N20 - Nitrous Oxide

    Nitrous Oxide (N20) is primarily emitted to the atmosphere from biological activity in soil and water, both natural and anthropogenic. Nitrous Oxide absorbs 270 times more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide.


    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

    SMOG CAUSING GASES


    NOx - Nitrogen Oxides

    Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) form when fossil fuels and biomass are burned at high temperatures. They contribute to ground-level ozone (or smog), and to the formation of acid rain.


    SO2 - Sulfur Dioxide

    Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) is formed when fuels containing sulfur, primarily coal and oil, are burned. SO2 combines with water and oxygen in the atmosphere to form acid rain.


    03 - Ozone

    Ground-level ozone (the primary constituent of smog) is the most complex, difficult to control, and pervasive of the six principal air pollutants. Unlike other pollutants, ozone is not emitted directly into the air by specific sources. Ozone is created by sunlight acting on NOx and VOC in the air.(Source:EPA)

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


  • PUBLIC SMOG WON'T SAVE THE GREENLAND PUMP

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

  • "Its also interesting to note that one gallon of gas burned, makes about 12 pounds of CO2 so you could 'buy' a ton by preventing about 180 gallons of gas from being burned - eg substituting out bicycling for 3500 miles of cars being driven (avg 20mpg), or not flying one person coast to coast (about the amount of fuel burned per person per cross atlantic flight)"

    - Dr. David Pepper
  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

  • THANKS TO PUBLIC SMOG CONTRIBUTORS >>

    Saul Albert

    Dr. Thomas Cahill

    Fabienne Delpy

    Simon Großpietsch

    David Hardingham

    Hari Kunzru

    Dr. Gerd Mörsch

    Josh On

    David Oppenheimer

    Fiona Parry

    Dr. David Pepper

    Kate Rich

    Dr. Birgitta Ringbeck

    Mark Van Soestbergen

    Greg Taylor

    Dr. Alexandra Thompson

    Prof. Dr. Harmut Vogtmann

    Prof. Dr. Gerd Weiss

    Et al.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . .


  • PUBLIC SMOG IS KYOTO GOLD STANDARD

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


    • (L) 2006
      Libre Commons
      Res Communes
      License
    . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

    ECONOMICS

    Emissions trading is an administrative, market-based approach for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants, by providing economic incentives to polluters to encourage compliance in cap-and-trade regimes.

    While emissions trading began in the United States in the 1990s with a regional sulfur dioxide cap-and-trade program, global greenhouse gas markets are a relatively recent phenomena.

    It was only since the move toward the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol began that the rush to commodify airborne pollutants has gained momentum.

    The logic of emissions trading is that polluters require an economic incentive to switch to less polluting practices. By commodifying pollution reduction, polluters will be more inclined to meet their pollution reduction obligations.

    This strategy exists in contrast to other approaches that would force polluting industries to reduce or stop their polluting activities outright.

    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

    THE KYOTO PROTOCOL

    The Kyoto Protocol is a 1997 agreement for countries to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases, or engage in emissions trading if they increase their emissions.

    The Kyoto Protocol contains a ‘cap-and-trade’ mechanism component, through which polluters that control their emissions by reducing them to levels under the ‘cap’, may monetize the ‘unemitted’ difference as carbon credits. These credits can be sold to other pollutors in Annex I nations that don’t meet their targets during the first period of Kyoto, from 2008-2012, or sold speculatively by traders.

    The system is haphazard, as for example, there could be a creation of credits resulting from the collapse of a country’s economy. However, conversely, in this model, a country might have to pay for the environmental costs of waging war.

    While the Kyoto Protocol didn’t come fully into force until 2005, there were already prototype emissions markets operating for buying and selling pre- and extra-Kyoto compliance and noncompliance offsets.

    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

    WHO BENEFITS?

    Perhaps private investors via the World Bank Prototype Carbon Fund, which along with the Dutch Government’s ERUPT/CERUPT ‘carbon tenders’ accounted for over half of the volume of deals closed in 2002. (Souce: PWC).

    In 2006, a £1bn windfall for carbon trade firms was projected to result from the EU Carbon Emissions Trading Scheme “because many firms have benefited from increases in electricity prices brought about by the scheme without needing to make any extra investment in return”. Peter Bedson, from IPA Consulting, said that part of the problem was that firms had been given, free-of-charge, the carbon emissions permits on which the scheme is based. This, he explained, was like the government giving energy firms free money.” (Source: BBC)

    Ultimately, as the logic of privatization points to the commodification of all common pool resources, a reduction model based on trade is contradictory to a socially just solution to global air pollution. We need another model.

    In the meantime we have PUBLIC SMOG, a way for the global public to buy back the sky on the open market.