E10 petrol still emits carbon dioxide (CO2) when burned, just as biomass fuelled power stations do. So if there really was a ‘climate emergency’ this proposed change would have zero immediate effect on it. The report claims E10 ‘contains less carbon and more ethanol than fuels currently on sale’, but that’s negligible. What happens is that they offset the burned CO2 against CO2 captured when crops used to make the ethanol are grown. But the land used for ethanol production was probably used for agriculture before that anyway, so the argument is weak to say the least. But governments love their greenwash.
– – –
A more eco-friendly petrol could be introduced to garages in the UK from next year, says BBC News.
The government is consulting on making E10 – which contains less carbon and more ethanol than fuels currently on sale – the new standard petrol grade.
The move could cut CO2 emissions from transport by 750,000 tonnes per year, the Department for Transport said.
However, the lower carbon fuel would not be compatible with some older vehicles.
Current petrol grades in the UK – known as E5 – contain up to 5% bioethanol.
E10 would see this percentage increased up to 10% – a proportion that would bring the UK in line with countries such as Belgium, Finland, France and Germany.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to chair his first cabinet committee on climate change on Wednesday.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the change in petrol could be equivalent to taking up to 350,000 cars off the road each year.
“The next 15 years will be absolutely crucial for slashing emissions from our roads, as we all start to feel the benefits of the transition to a zero-emission future,” he said.
“But before electric cars become the norm, we want to take advantage of reduced CO2 emissions today. This small switch to petrol containing bioethanol at 10% will help drivers across country reduce the environmental impact of every journey.”
Full report here.
via Tallbloke’s Talkshop
March 4, 2020 at 06:27AM
Iowa Climate Science Education 