14 Nations Will Try Methane Control Program

[hatrack]

WASHINGTON – "Fourteen countries agreed Tuesday to a global plan proposed by the Bush administration to curb methane emissions by capturing the greenhouse gas and using it as an energy source before it is released into the atmosphere.

Methane ranks second to carbon dioxide among human-generated contributors to global warming: Carbon dioxide accounts for 50 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, methane for about 16 percent. The administration pledged to spend up to $53 million over the next five years to encourage companies to provide participating countries with technologies that can trap the gas and make it available to power utilities, private homes and even pottery kilns.

In the United States, most methane comes from decomposing trash in landfills, though it also escapes during mining operations and drilling for natural gas. There are 370 landfills in the country where companies recover methane and convert it to fuel, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

James Connaughton, who chairs the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality, predicted that by 2015 the effect of reducing methane emissions would be equivalent to taking 33 million cars off the road. China, India, Japan, Mexico and Russia are among the countries that agreed to participate."

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http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/news/nation/10203763.htm


Oh, just in case you were wondering about that 33 million car stat., here are some projections on total global car sales:

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"The global new car market is projected to increase by 3.8% to 50.7m units in 2004 driven mainly by growth in Asia;

The global car market accelerates still further with growth of 4.5% in 2005 when most regions of the world are projected to see volume increases as cyclical recovery takes hold, led by a robust world economy;

A cyclical slowdown to market growth emerges in 2007, following slower growth of the world economy;

Car demand prospects remain weak in western Europe but rising replacement and market growth in southern Europe gives some support to the long-term forecast;

Emerging markets present the main opportunity for long-term car sales growth and they propel the global car market to over 60m units by 2009;

EDIT

So, using these figures, let's say 600 million cars (roughly) by 2015, to use Connaughton's date. And this plan will be the equivalent of removing 33 million of them - that is, a net reduction of about 6%.

http://www.just-auto.com/store/products_detail.asp?art=30186&lk=new