CO2 Emissions

Why is this important? The answer is pretty simple. If the level of CO2 is allowed to continue to increase in an unrestricted manner, our posterity is going to face:

1. Massive bankruptcy as rising oceans

wipe out the value of all coastal

properties.

2. Massive starvation, millions of

refugees seeking food, and death as

temperate climates suffer drought

and subsequent drops in food

production.

The five largest emitters of net, new CO2 per year are:

(Data from EIA Monthly Energy Review, May 28, 2024)

1. Gasoline – 3.36 trillion lbs (137 B gallons @24.5#/gal)

2. NG for electricity – 1.58 trillion lbs

3. Coal for electricity – 1.55 trillion lbs

4. NG for industrial use – 1.23 trillion lbs

5. Diesel for large trucks – 1.11 trillion lbs (42 B gallons @

26.5#/gal)

Coal is on its way out regardless of what the government does. NG CO2 emissions will go up as coal use drops but only 1/2 as much as coal drops due to it's higher efficiency in producing electricity.

Wind and solar where possible will also hold NG CO2 growth down. Gasoline, however, continues to dwarf all other sources of net CO2 and usage is almost back to the pre-COVID level of 143 B gallons/yr.

In terms of net CO2 emissions, making ethanol from any organic waste uses carbon that's already above ground. In other words, waste carbon ethanol is a true carbon neutral motor fuel. Even corn ethanol emits less CO2 than some electric vehicles such as you count CO2 emitted when producing electricity (See table below.)

The key to reducing global warming is to stop digging up new carbon and use carbon already above ground to make motor fuel.

The three most important things to note about this table:

1. EVs emit significant amounts of CO2 if you count the CO2 emitted in generating electricity,

2. Even corn ethanol is very competitive to EVs in terms of CO2 emissions, (Note: CO2 from corn is mainly due to the fertilizer used to grow it and huge strides are being made in lowering this CO2 to zero.)

3. ethanol made from waste carbon offers lower life-cycle CO2 emissions than any electric or fuel cell vehicle

Vehicle lbs of GHG* emitted to net lbs GHG

manufacture and use fuel emitted/ mile

Chevy Equinox – 28 mpg on gasoline(3) 25.5 per gal gasoline(1) 0.91

Honda Civic CNG – 5.5 miles per lb of CNG(3,6) 3.52 per lb CNG(2) 0.64

GMC Hummer EV – 100 miles per 63 KWHr(3) 0.92 per KWHr(4) 0.58

Ford F-150 Lightning – 100 miles per 51 KWHr(3) 0.92 per KWHr(4) 0.55

Toyota Miari Fuel Cell – 30 miles per lb of H2(5) 11.64 per lb H2 0.39

E100 – 28 mpg on ethanol – corn w LUC 9.64 per gal ethanol 0.34

Tesla Model X Plaid – 100 miles per 37 KWHrs(3) 0.92 per KWHr(4) 0.34

E100 – 28 mpg on ethanol – corn w/o LUC 8.11 per gal ethanol 0.29

Nissan Leaf - 100 miles per 31 KWHr(3) 0.92 per KWHr(4) 0.29

Tesla Model Y – 100 miles per 32 KWHr(3) 0.92 per KWHr(4) 0.29

Chevy Equinox EV – 100 miles per 31 KWHr(3) 0.92 per KWHr(4) 0.29

E100 – 28 mpg on ethanol - corn stover w/o LUC 1.74 per gal ethanol 0.06

E100 – 28 mpg on ethanol – forest residue 1.77 per gal ethanol 0.06

* From GREET v1.3.0.14168 (Downloaded June 5, 2024)

Data are for GHG-100 which include CO2, CH4, N2O, VOC, and CO emissions.

LUC = Land Use Change

CO2 is the largest component of all of these, but all GHG included for completeness.

1 – 5.5 lb (w/o LUC) to refine + 20 when burned (6.3 * .87 = 5.5 lbs C per gal gasoline,

44/12 * 5.5 = 20)

2 - 0.77 to produce + 2.75 when burned = 3.52 per lb of NG (44/16 * 1 lb CNG = 2.75 lbs,

CH4 +2O2 = CO2 +2 H2) 1 gallon gasoline equivalent = 5.66 lbs of NG.

3.2 gasoline equivalents to go 100 miles or 18.112 lbs of NG or 5.5 miles per lb of NG.

3 – From window stickers or fueleconomy.gov

4 – From standard U.S. mix

5 - From Toyota website specifications (11 lbs H2 in tank, 330 miles range)

6 – Civic NG no longer sold. This included for historical comparison.

Here's the Problem with co2 emissions.

Video