On 2/16/2010 4:23 PM Bob F spake thus:

David Nebenzahl wrote:

Just last night I heard a local news report about recovering methane
from landfills for use as fuel. While this is a good thing overall,
the stupid reporter (or editor) got away with saying that this would
reduce carbon dioxide emissions! Of course this is totally untrue:
while the methane would be captured instead of simply venting to the
atmosphere, the carbon dioxide would be released later when it was
burned. All that's being done is delaying the release of the CO2.
Sheesh; are we *really* that much a nation of idiots?

Nope. Just you.

Methane produces less CO2 per unit of energy produced than coal or gasoline.

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/co...ls-d_1085.html

Plus, recovering methane and using it to create energy prevents the methane from
escaping to become a greenhouse gas. The energy produced is a bonus.

Totally beside the point; the news report said specifically that
capturing the methane and burning it would mean that the carbon in the
methane wouldn't be released into the atmosphere. The CO2 released when
the methane is burned is most definitely a greenhouse gas. (Remember the
formula from high school chemistry? CH4 + 02 -- CO2 + H20)

Try to read more carefully.


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