Climate change and energy - Geoengineering

Title

Air pollution impacts from carbon capture and storage (CCS)

Reference

EEA Technical report No 14/2011

Author(s)

European Environment Agency

Study type

Report

Abstract

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) consists of the capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) from power plants and/or CO2-intensive industries such as refineries, cement, iron and steel, its subsequent transport to a storage site, and finally its injection into a suitable underground geological formation for the purposes of permanent storage. It is considered to be one of the medium term 'bridging technologies' in the portfolio of available mitigation actions for stabilising concentrations of atmospheric CO2, the main greenhouse gas (GHG).

Policy theme(s)

Air pollution >> Source of emissions >> Industrial emissions
Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Geoengineering
Environmental technologies >> Climate change mitigation >> Carbon capture and storage

Keywords

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/carbon-capture-and-storage
This study is free to view

Contact the study author at:

http://www.eea.europa.eu/enquiries

Title

Assessing the health risks of natural CO₂ seeps in Italy

Reference

PNAS October 4, 2011 vol. 108 no. 40 16545-16548

Author(s)

Jennifer J. Roberts, Rachel A. Wood, and R. Stuart Haszeldine

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Industrialized societies which continue to use fossil fuel energy sources are considering adoption of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology to meet carbon emission reduction targets. Deep geological storage of CO₂ onshore faces opposition regarding potential health effects of CO₂ leakage from storage sites. There is no experience of commercial scale CCS with which to verify predicted risks of engineered storage failure. Studying risk from natural CO₂ seeps can guide assessment of potential health risks from leaking onshore CO₂ stores. Italy and Sicily are regions of intense natural CO₂ degassing from surface seeps. These seeps exhibit a variety of expressions, characteristics (e.g., temperature/flux), and location environments. Here we quantify historical fatalities from CO₂ poisoning using a database of 286 natural CO₂ seeps in Italy and Sicily. We find that risk of human death is strongly influenced by seep surface expression, local conditions (e.g., topography and wind speed), CO₂ flux, and human behavior. Risk of accidental human death from these CO₂ seeps is calculated to be 10-8 year-1 to the exposed population. This value is significantly lower than that of many socially accepted risks. Seepage from future storage sites is modeled to be less that Italian natural flux rates. With appropriate hazard management, health risks from unplanned seepage at onshore storage sites can be adequately minimized.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Geoengineering
Risk assessment >> Hazards >> Industrial accidents

Keywords

carbon dioxide, storage leak, public acceptance, engineered sequestration, aquifer

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert / 
Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.pnas.org/content/108/40/16545.full 
This study is free to view

Contact the study author at:

Jen.roberts@ed.ac.uk

Title

Quantification of undersea gas leaks from carbon capture and storage facilities, from pipelines and from methane seeps, by their acoustic emissions

Reference

Proc. R. Soc. A  doi: 10.1098/rspa.2011.0221

Author(s)

T. G. Leighton and P. R. White

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

In recent years, because of the importance of leak detection from carbon capture and storage facilities and the need to monitor methane seeps and undersea gas pipelines, there has been an increased requirement for methods of detecting bubbles released from the seabed into the water column. If undetected and uncorrected, such leaks can generate huge financial and environmental losses. This paper describes a theory by which the passive acoustic signals detected by a hydrophone array can be used to quantify gas leakage, providing a practical (as opposed to research), passive and remote detection system which can monitor over a period of years using simple instrumentation. The sensitivity in detecting and quantifying the flux of gas is shown to exceed by more than two orders of magnitude the sensitivity of the current model-based techniques used commercially for gas leaks from large, long pipelines.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Geoengineering
Marine ecosystems >> Marine pollution
Risk assessment >> Hazards >> Industrial accidents

Keywords

carbon sequestration, methane seeps, gassy marine sediments, acoustic, leak monitoring

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://rspa.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2011/10/14/rspa.2011.0221
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Contact the study author at:

tlg@soton.ac.uk

Title

Regional climate consequences of large-scale cool roof and photovoltaic array deployment

Reference

Environmental Research Letters Volume 6 Number 3 (2011) 034001
doi:10.1088/1748-9326/6/3/034001

Author(s)

Dev Millstein and Surabi Menon

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Modifications to the surface albedo through the deployment of cool roofs and pavements (reflective materials) and photovoltaic arrays (low reflection) have the potential to change radiative forcing, surface temperatures, and regional weather patterns. In this work we investigate the regional climate and radiative effects of modifying surface albedo to mimic massive deployment of cool surfaces (roofs and pavements) and, separately, photovoltaic arrays across the United States. We use a fully coupled regional climate model, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, to investigate feedbacks between surface albedo changes, surface temperature, precipitation and average cloud cover. With the adoption of cool roofs and pavements, domain-wide annual average outgoing radiation increased by 0.16 ± 0.03 W m - 2 (mean ± 95% C.I.) and afternoon summertime temperature in urban locations was reduced by 0.11-0.53 °C, although some urban areas showed no statistically significant temperature changes. In response to increased urban albedo, some rural locations showed summer afternoon temperature increases of up to + 0.27 °C and these regions were correlated with less cloud cover and lower precipitation. The emissions offset obtained by this increase in outgoing radiation is calculated to be 3.3 ± 0.5 Gt CO₂ (mean ± 95% C.I.). The hypothetical solar arrays were designed to be able to produce one terawatt of peak energy and were located in the Mojave Desert of California. To simulate the arrays, the desert surface albedo was darkened, causing local afternoon temperature increases of up to + 0.4 °C. Due to the solar arrays, local and regional wind patterns within a 300 km radius were affected. Statistically significant but lower magnitude changes to temperature and radiation could be seen across the domain due to the introduction of the solar arrays. The addition of photovoltaic arrays caused no significant change to summertime outgoing radiation when averaged over the full domain, as interannual variation across the continent obscured more consistent local forcing.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Geoengineering
Urban environment >> Urban planning >> Construction

Keywords

photovoltaics, cool roofs,  CO₂ offsets, radiative forcing, urban environment

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.globalcoolcities.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Regional-Effects-of-Cool-Roofs.pdf
This study is free to view

Contact the study author at:

dmillstein@lbl.gov

Title

The dependency of geoengineered sulfate aerosol on the emission strategy

Reference

Atmospheric Science Letters
Special Issue: Geoengineering
Volume 12, Issue 2, pages 189-194, April/June 2011
EU funded

Author(s)

U.Niemeier, H.Schmidt, C.Timmreck

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

The climatic effect of geoengineered stratospheric sulfate aerosol depends on the strategy for sulfur emission that determines the microphysical evolution of the resulting sulfate layer, in particular the radius and radiative impact of the aerosols. Simulations with a three-dimensional general circulation model (GCM), including an aerosol microphysical model, show e.g. decreasing sulfate lifetime with increasing emission rate. Furthermore, scenarios that differ with respect to location, local and temporal distribution and chemical composition of the emissions are studied. The study shows detailed information on particle radius, sulfate burden and radiative impact for these scenarios.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Geoengineering

Keywords

geoengineering; sulfate aerosol; aerosol microphysics; stratosphere

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/asl.304/abstract
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

Ulrike.Niemeier@zmaw.de