'Revolutionary' CO2 maps zoom in on greenhouse gas sources

[Fovea]

This changes everything!

http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2008a/080407GurneyVulcan.html

[Mika]

1. Blue counties?

:shrug:

[Fovea]

2. This adds a new dimension to the term

Red states...

Now that this is measured with such a fine granularity, Municipalities will be taxable, which means companies doing business whereever can be taxed for their CO2 burden.

Another source of corporatist publicizing the debt will dry up.

[mediaman007]

3. Think automobiles and trucks don't create emission? Just look at

how the data tracks CO2 along the Interstate Highway System.

[Fovea]

7. yes.

I live beside a nexus of three interstate systems and a major rail hub. There are times of day where the air is deadly.

[mainegreen]

4. Would love to see that map merged with population density.

See which cities are 'green' compared to others.

[TriggerGal]

5. Most populated areas

What's that change?

It should be obvious ... more people = more energy use concentrated in one area.

[Quantess]

6. In general, you're right.

But some of the reddest places are not necessarily the biggest cities. There seem to be other factors in addition to population.

[XemaSab]

8. OMG! Shocking how CO2 output stops at teh Canadian border!

:o

No, but really... a lot of it looks correlated with roads, but some of it also looks correlated with forests and agriculture.

Interesting....

[Nihil]

9. Interesting ...

I wonder how they allow for prevailing winds "offsetting" the apparent
location of the pollution source?
:shrug:

[Fovea]

12. Here is the methodology

"Researchers say the maps also are more accurate than previous data because they are based on greenhouse gas emissions instead of estimates based on population in areas of the United States.

To create the Vulcan maps, the research team developed a method to extract the CO2 information by transforming data on local air pollution, such as carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide emissions, which are tracked by the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy and other governmental agencies. "

The EPA methodology creates local pollution levels for CMAQ funding. This method accumulates this data.

[Nihil]

13. Ah, so the EPA/DoE/... data is from (near) ground level?

I thought it was from absorption methods (i.e., the pollutant is somewhere
in the atmosphere between emitter and sensor) so having a more detailed
interpolation of the data wouldn't necessarily present more accurate knowledge.

Thanks for that!
:hi:

[Fovea]

14. I suspect point source granularity increases in urbanities

but still, this rawks.

[gear_head]

10. the map is politically inspired

I can't believe anybody here
takes this at face value

[Fovea]

11. Would you care to elaborate on what political agenda

Purdue University is expousing here?