Independent evaluation of point source fossil fuel CO2 emissions to better than 10%.

ABSTRACT: Independent estimates of fossil fuel CO2 (CO2ff) emissions are key to ensuring that emission reductions and regulations are effective and provide needed transparency and trust. Point source emissions are a key target because a small number of power plants represent a large portion of total global emissions. Currently, emission rates are known only from self-reported data. Atmospheric observations have the potential to meet the need for independent evaluation, but useful results from this method have been elusive, due to challenges in distinguishing CO2ff emissions from the large and varying CO2 background and in relating atmospheric observations to emission flux rates with high accuracy. Here we use time-integrated observations of the radiocarbon content of CO2 ((14)CO2) to quantify the re

SUBMITTER: Turnbull JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5027441 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature