Study advises Chinese government to change fuel in millions of households
June 19, 2009
In an effort to reduce China's high air pollution levels, a new study recommends increased use of coal briquettes (right) in Chinese households instead of traditional coal chunks for heating and cooking. Credit: Yingjun Chen, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Scientists in China are recommending that the Chinese government consider phasing out the direct burning of traditional chunks of coal in millions of households. It suggests that the government substitute coal briquettes and improved stoves for cooking and heating to help reduce the country’s high air pollution levels.
The recommendation stems from one of the first scientific studies showing that this approach is effective in improving air quality, including a 98 percent reduction in air pollution from tiny, inhalable particles of coal soot. Their study is scheduled for the July 15 issue of ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology.
In the new study, Yingjun Chen and colleagues note that government officials have said for years that coal briquettes and improved stoves with better ventilation may cut emissions, but few scientific studies have tested this claim. Millions of homes in rural China and other parts of the world burn raw coal chunks in small, low-efficiency stoves for cooking and heating. Studies indicate that emissions from incomplete coal combustion in these stoves contribute significantly to China’s serious air pollution levels — among the highest in the world.
The scientists compared emissions between traditional and improved stoves using either raw (unprocessed) coal chunks or coal briquettes. The briquettes consist of coal powder and clay and are molded into multihole columns. They found that burning briquettes in well-ventilated stoves dramatically reduced black carbon emissions by 98 percent and other emissions by more than 60 percent. The study concludes that this approach can bring about “explicit benefits in environment and health, together with possible gains in climate stabilization.”
More information: Environmental Science & Technology, Journal Article: “Deployment of Coal Briquettes and Improved Stoves: Possibly an Option for both Environment and Climate”
Provided by American Chemical Society (news : web)
Oct 24, 2006 |
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Scientists receiving government funds discovered "that burning briquettes in well-ventilated stoves dramatically reduced black carbon emissions by 98 percent and other emissions by more than 60 percent" and concluded that this can bring about "explicit benefits in environment and health, together with possible gains in climate stabilization."
How about just using "well-ventilated stoves" to burn whatever fuel one is currently burning?
Or does the Chinese government also own the factory making coal briquettes?
Should coal briquettes be produced in "well-ventilated" government factories?
Apparently members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have also learned how to sleep with politicians.
With kind regards,
Oliver K. Manuel
http://www.omatumr.com/
LEAVING ANY DIRT AROUND THE OPENING?
When bureaucrats become wise, . . . . they will
a.) Understand that "well-ventilated" processes are those that dump pollution directly into air, and
b.) Ask how clean-burning coal briquettes are made from dirty coal without polluting air.
THE RABBIT STARTS AT THE BOTTOM AND DIGS UP!
With kind regards,
Oliver K. Manuel
http://www.omatumr.com/
A fine example of "MORE GOVERMENT CONTROL" is the 1956 Clean Air Act in Britain. This was prompted by the London Smog Disaster of 1952 which killed 4000 people in ten days.
This Act was directed at domestic and industrial sources of smoke pollution, authorising local councils to set up smokeless zones and make grants to householders to convert their homes from traditional coal fires to heaters fuelled by gas, oil, smokeless coal or electricity.
There was initial resistence to the legislation as some people resented being told what they could or couldn't do in there own homes, but few now doubt that this level of regulation of both private and commercial smoke emissions was necessary.