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[greenyes] EPA Estimates of GHG Advantage from Recycling


Monica posted Henry Ferland's schedule of talks in California on the
subject of his work for EPA documenting the GHG/energy advantages of
recycling.

Indeed Henry has done some wonderful stuff that we should be aware of to
use when the opportunity arises.

At the same time, however, be aware that those estimate of GHG
(greenhouse gas) reductions are very substantially understated because he
has to use EPA's made-up assumptions that claim landfills abate most of
their gas emissions, including that of methane with 23 times the warming
potential of CO2 -- rose colored assumptions that are so extreme (and based
upon the most fundamental mistakes in basic definitions) that they are a
mathematical impossibility. In fact, the available evidence wouldn't
support a collection efficiency even one-fourth as great as EPA assumes.

With grass, leaves, food and paper constituting such a large fraction of
waste generation (70.1%), and their being the source of most of the methane
generated in modern landfills, one can see how a misstatement of the
multiplier, which understates the volume of gases released by 4 times, can
have enomous implications.

It might be a good idea of those who go to Henry's speeches to ask that
he update his report with scenario runs for lower gas capture rates to
reflect reality, because, as the report now stands, recycling benefits to
GHG are limited to reductions at the front end in mining, extraction and
production, with the very major impacts at the back end effectively washed
out with wholly unrealistically assumptions about gas collection efficiency.


Peter

_________________________
Peter Anderson, President
RECYCLEWORLDS CONSULTING
4513 Vernon Blvd. Suite 15
Madison, WI 53705-4964
Ph: (608) 231-1100
Fax: (608) 233-0011
Cell: (608) 698-1314
eMail: anderson@no.address
web: www.recycleworlds.net






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