[GreenYes] NSWMA report on GHG uses different methane estimates

["Kate Mangione" <kate@no.address>]

I've been comparing the estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from
landfills in the NSWMA report (http://www.nswma.org/GHG_WastePaper.pdf)
and the EPA annual GHG inventory, and they just don't match up. NSWMA
claims actual GHG net emissions from landfill disposal operations in
2003 were 28.2 MMTCO2E which it claims is four-tenths of one percent
(0.4%) of total GHG emissions from all sources in 2003. The NSWMA report
cites an EIA report on GHG gases
(http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/gg04rpt/methane.html). The EIA report
claims "Due to increased levels of waste disposed in landfills,
estimated methane emissions from landfills rose to 6.3 million metric
tons (144.9 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent) in 2003."
This is clearly much larger than the 28.2 MMTCO2E claimed by the
industry. Overall, the EIA estimates 6935.7 MMTCO2E for 2003, which
places landfills at 2.08% of total emissions, in line with the EPA
numbers.
 
Meanwhile, the EPA inventory
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/UniqueKeyLookup/RAMR69V52
8/$File/05executivesummary.pdf) estimates landfill emissions at 131.2
TgCO2E, which translates to 1.9% of total US emissions or 2.16% of net
emissions.
 
I realize they are using different units but the NSWMA percentage
doesn't correlate to either the EPA or EIA report, and of course the
NSWMA doesn't explain its math. Can anyone justify the NSWMA numbers?
 
Thanks, Kate
 
----------------------------------------
Kate Mangione
Eco-Cycle International Program Developer
P.O. Box 19006 | Boulder, CO 80308 | 303-444-6634
 <http://www.ecocycle.org> www.ecocycle.org
 


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