John Topping Jr, a Cleantech Asia Online columnist, writes about how linking the negative climate and health effects of black soot can help justify its addition to the carbon development mechanism.
WASHINGTON: Alexander the Great reportedly helped establish his claim to be King of Asia by using his sword to slice in two the seemingly impossible to untie Gordian Knot. Today climate negotiators preparing for the 16th conference of the parties (COP16) in Cancun seem as perplexed in addressing the mounting climate challenge as earlier visitors to Phrygia were in untying that knot.
Now, due to a remarkably fortunate coincidence of health and climate science, those interested in preventing climate change from accelerating past humanity’s capacity to adapt to it have a weapon as mighty as Alexander’s sword, provided they can wield it with comparable ingenuity. The Center for Biological Diversity, a US based environmental group, on February 22, 2010 petitioned the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to act under the Clean Water Act to reduce black carbon emissions on the grounds that they accelerate melting of sea ice and glaciers. The petition suggests that the EPA adopt water quality criteria for black carbon causing each of ten Western states with glaciers and one (Alaska) with sea ice as well to adopt the EPA standard or set their own. The petitioners envision controls on emissions from diesel engines, particularly from heavy duty vehicles and construction equipment and vessels that may traverse the Arctic more as sea ice diminishes.
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