Comments on: Florida and Climate Change: The Costs of Not Acting http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/11/28/florida-and-climate-change-the-costs-of-not-acting/ Blogging the science and policy of global warming Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:13:20 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5.2 hourly 1 By: Sheryl Canter http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/11/28/florida-and-climate-change-the-costs-of-not-acting/comment-page-1/#comment-625 Sheryl Canter Wed, 12 Dec 2007 21:51:05 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/11/28/florida-and-climate-change-the-costs-of-not-acting/#comment-625 I talked to one of our experts here about this. She says: "Other additives used to reduce emissions or improve fuel efficiency (i.e. MTBE, PuriNOx) have proved to be either troublesome or economically unfeasible. Everything is worth exploring and considering but with caution and scrutiny." I talked to one of our experts here about this. She says:

"Other additives used to reduce emissions or improve fuel efficiency (i.e. MTBE, PuriNOx) have proved to be either troublesome or economically unfeasible. Everything is worth exploring and considering but with caution and scrutiny."

]]> By: mike http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/11/28/florida-and-climate-change-the-costs-of-not-acting/comment-page-1/#comment-624 mike Thu, 29 Nov 2007 06:32:31 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/11/28/florida-and-climate-change-the-costs-of-not-acting/#comment-624 Perhaps we need to remember what Bob Marley wrote for one of his most famous songs.........Emancipate yourself from mental slavery......One of the major hurdles we face to move quickly towards reducing the human contribution to climate change or global warming is a majority consensus that we could be the problem. The debate goes on and on. If we are too believe that time is fleeting for some major solutions we must get out of the debate and begin to focus on implementation. I offer some solutions: There is really NO debate as to whether man made air pollution has numerous negative effects. It effects our health and our environment in very negative ways. So, rather than arguing about whether Global Warming is caused by all of our greenhouse emissions why don't we just decide to clean the air first? If the tons of emissions were significantly reduced and the impact slows warming then we can all look back, declare a winner and move on and if it has no clear effect we all win by breathing better and living in a less polluted world. Then there is a solution that gets very little attention. Most focus for reducing emissions deals today with how we deal with capturing the emissions produced rather than reducing the amount being produced. The long term solutions for cleaner fuels obviously will eventually help but if we are too believe that we may not have the time for such implementation then we had better deal more effectively with major solutions for capturing what is already being produced. I have been working with such a solution for many years and I believe that it is the most cost effective way to significantly reduce ALL harmful emissions from fuel combustion and greatly reduce consumption at the same time. This solution was actually developed many years ago as a way to improve combustion efficiency. It is a pure high molecular weight hydrocarbon polymer called polyisobutylene..PIB. When mixed at very low concentrations with hydrocarbon fuels it physically alters the fuel hydrocarbons leading to a much more efficient combustions.....less heat, less unburned fuel and less emissions including PM and NOX. Less fuel required to do the same amount of work is the icing on the cake. What about the cost? Less than $0.03 to treat a gallon. Because it is a pure hydrocarbon there are no negative effects on the environment. The FDA actually lists PIB as a food grade additive found in chewing gum and many other products. You can actually find it today in many fuel blends as a keep clean additive (a detergent). For those who are looking for some quick fixes consider that PIB is already being manufactured and blended with refinery diesel fuel right now. Millions of gallons have already succesfully been treated to accomplish needed emission reductions. If PIB was found in all the diesel fuel tomorrow the reduced tons of total emissions would be staggering. There is just absolutely no reason that such a cost effective already proven and working solution such as this should not be high on our list as a solution available today. Mike Anfinson, Ph.D. Perhaps we need to remember what Bob Marley wrote for one of his most famous songs………Emancipate yourself from mental slavery……One of the major hurdles we face to move quickly towards reducing the human contribution to climate change or global warming is a majority consensus that we could be the problem. The debate goes on and on. If we are too believe that time is fleeting for some major solutions we must get out of the debate and begin to focus on implementation.
I offer some solutions: There is really NO debate as to whether man made air pollution has numerous negative effects. It effects our health and our environment in very negative ways. So, rather than arguing about whether Global Warming is caused by all of our greenhouse emissions why don't we just decide to clean the air first? If the tons of emissions were significantly reduced and the impact slows warming then we can all look back, declare a winner and move on and if it has no clear effect we all win by breathing better and living in a less polluted world.
Then there is a solution that gets very little attention. Most focus for reducing emissions deals today with how we deal with capturing the emissions produced rather than reducing the amount being produced. The long term solutions for cleaner fuels obviously will eventually help but if we are too believe that we may not have the time for such implementation then we had better deal more effectively with major solutions for capturing what is already being produced.
I have been working with such a solution for many years and I believe that it is the most cost effective way to significantly reduce ALL harmful emissions from fuel combustion and greatly reduce consumption at the same time.
This solution was actually developed many years ago as a way to improve combustion efficiency. It is a pure high molecular weight hydrocarbon polymer called polyisobutylene..PIB. When mixed at very low concentrations with hydrocarbon fuels it physically alters the fuel hydrocarbons leading to a much more efficient combustions…..less heat, less unburned fuel and less emissions including PM and NOX. Less fuel required to do the same amount of work is the icing on the cake.
What about the cost? Less than $0.03 to treat a gallon.
Because it is a pure hydrocarbon there are no negative effects on the environment. The FDA actually lists PIB as a food grade additive found in chewing gum and many other products. You can actually find it today in many fuel blends as a keep clean additive (a detergent).
For those who are looking for some quick fixes consider that PIB is already being manufactured and blended with refinery diesel fuel right now. Millions of gallons have already succesfully been treated to accomplish needed emission reductions.
If PIB was found in all the diesel fuel tomorrow the reduced tons of total emissions would be staggering. There is just absolutely no reason that such a cost effective already proven and working solution such as this should not be high on our list as a solution available today.
Mike Anfinson, Ph.D.

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