Future carbon management needs to take India and China into account

Scientists from around the globe have said at a symposium that in order to reduce the effects of carbon emissions on the climate, a global aspect needs to be taken into account, with the proposed solutions working for countries like India and China.

Washington, Feb 18 : Scientists from around the globe have said at a symposium that in order to reduce the effects of carbon emissions on the climate, a global aspect needs to be taken into account, with the proposed solutions working for countries like India and China.

The symposium was organized by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to provide an overview of the scientific, political, industrial and international perspectives related to climate change and carbon management challenges.

Globally, 85 percent of energy comes from hydrocarbons - coal, oil, natural gas and biomass. As demand for energy continues to rise, carbon emissions will increase.

"To have a meaningful impact on managing carbon emission, we need to think about the problem globally," said Mike Davis, who leads the Energy and Environment Directorate at the Department of Energy's PNNL.

"The solutions have to work for China, India, our own country and many others. Solutions have to be realistic and respect standards of living, the economy and national security," he added.

According to Davis, "Dramatic changes are in store for the global energy system."

"Collaboration among scientists, policy makers and industry must happen at unprecedented levels with science providing the basis for viable solutions," he added.

According to Douglas Ray of PNNL, capturing carbon dioxide that continues to be generated will require new chemical processes to cheaply and efficiently snag the gas before it disappears into the air.

He added that storing the carbon dioxide safely and effectively will require a better understanding of the chemical reactions that happen between carbon dioxide and other compounds in the ground.

Being able to predict how stored carbon will affect its surroundings is key to tackling global warming, according to Ray.

According to Edmonds, an economist and environmental scientist from the Joint Global Change Research Institute, analyses make it clear that to reduce carbon dioxide to levels at which warming ceases, we need to stop carbon dioxide from hitting the air - as soon as possible.

"We're presenting insights that other people haven't caught up to yet," he said.

ANI