One
of the pollutants of recent origin, which is also called as soot or tar, the Black carbon (BC) is a product of incomplete combustion of coal,
diesel, biofuels, and biomass and the most strongly light-absorbing component
of particulate matter (PM). “BC is emitted directly into the atmosphere in the
form of fine particles (PM2.5)”.BC is defined as “a solid form of mostly pure
carbon that absorbs solar radiation at all wavelengths”.
The various sources of
black carbon emissions are as follows.
1.
42%
Open biomass burning (forest and savanna burning)
2.
18%
Residential biofuel burned with traditional technologies
3.
24% Diesel
engines for transportation and industrial purposes
4.
10%
Industrial processes and power generation, usually from smaller boilers
5.
6%
Residential coal burned with traditional technologies
Reducing black carbon can contribute to numerous
sustainable development goals, such as cleaner and healthier air, food and
water security, reduced mortality and the mitigation of climate change and its
impacts. AS per one study it is stated that significant global reductions in
black carbon and other short-lived climate pollutants can slow temperature rise
by as much as 0.5°C by 2040, and slow the rate of Arctic warming by as much as
two-thirds by 2040.
(Sulfate and black carbon aerosols are visible in this image
from an electron miscroscope. The arrows point at small clumps of black carbon
attached to the larger sulfates. Credit:
Arizona State University/Peter Buseck)
While targeting for reduction of Black carbon it must be
noted that unlike CO2 and other GHGs, Black carbon is not an essential
byproduct of current sources of energy and its existence as the byproduct of
inefficient combustion is notable which makes the task of Black Carbon reduction more appealing then the CO2 , mitigation of which
requires cutting back on energy consumption in part and Black carbon can be reduced without necessarily limiting
the underlying emissions-producing activity. This feature has more advantages
specially in developing countries where people are reluctant to adopt measures
to address emissions that historically have come largely from developed
countries and BC mitigation would not prohibit the underlying emission causing
activity and would reap immediate benefits for local public health and address
regional warming and glacier melt.
There
is need to have effective policy interventions mostly by ensuring the
implementation of existing norms or by amending the existing ones if need
arises on following areas to reduce the impact of Black carbon.
1.
For
diesel related emissions regular vehicle emissions tests, retirement after
certain age , or retrofitting (e.g.
adding particulate traps including
penalties for failing to meet air quality emissions standards, and heightened
penalties for on-the-road "super-emitting" vehicles).
2.
Banning
or regulating the sale of certain fuels and adulteration and promote
ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) with improved engine technology.
3.
Restriction
in the use of chimneys and other forms
of biomass burning in urban and non-urban areas;
4.
Permits
to operate industrial, power generating, and oil refining facilities and
periodic permit renewal and/or modification of equipment duly adopting latest
pollution control technology.
5.
Mandating
use of filtering technology and high-temperature combustion (e.g.
super-critical coal) for existing power generation plants, and regulating
annual emissions from power generation plants. Moreover as stated by Hansen “technology is within reach that could
greatly reduce soot, restoring snow albedo to near pristine values, while
having multiple other benefits for climate, human health, agricultural
productivity, and environmental aesthetics. Already soot emissions from coal
are decreasing in many regions with transition from small users to power plants
with scrubbers.”
6.
Improving
the efficiency of brick making which is
one of the major sources of emissions and there is scope with substantial opportunities for engagement
with kiln owners and operators, who remain largely unaware of the financial
co-benefits associated with improved firing efficiency .
7.
Improving
public and private fleet (Heavy Truck) efficiency and management, which
includes improving fleet efficiency and management. Though it may not be
possible for many developing countries to ban older, heavy-polluting diesel
vehicles, and there is need to encourage interventions for Engine retrofits
such as diesel particulate filter (DPF) which can be inserted as part of the
vehicle's exhaust stream and can be used in both on- and off-road vehicles.
8.
On
domestic front replacing or Improving the efficiency of cook stoves since the
impact of replacing biofuel cooking with black carbon-free cookers (solar, bio,
and natural gas) in South and East Asia is dramatic as per studies done by
Ramanathan.
9.
There
is a greater need for various sectors including Government to come together on
a common platform to address the issues concerning economic development and
environment protection, which includes health protection. Though primarily we
can make energy sector as major
contributor for more than one-third of the global primary energy consumption
and energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and which has the technical potential to decrease its
energy intensity by up to 26% and emissions by up to 32%. To achieve this
target improving energy efficiency is one of the most cost-effective measures
in countries like India to loosen the link between economic growth and
environmental degradation.
10.
The
Information and Communications Technology industry can play a key role in
enabling a low-carbon society by providing standardized information on energy
consumption and emission across sectors, as well as capabilities and platforms
to improve accountability in energy use and carbon emission. By replacing goods
and services with virtual equivalents and by providing technology to enable
energy efficiency, ICT industry has the potential to offer innovations that
will capture energy efficient opportunities across industries including
commercial buildings and homes, logistics and transport, power and
manufacturing.
11.
India
has about 11 million Micro Small and Medium Enterprises and most of them may
not have the capacity or capital to implement sustainability in their
businesses and if provided required support these can also assist in protecting
environment while pushing for higher
growth targets in sustainable manner.
12.
There
is need to decouple production systems from the consumption of materials and
energy (produce more with less) to become sustainable for the all Corporations
by following steps like switching from non-renewable to renewable sources of
energy and materials targeting cleaner production, maximizing recycling and
reuse of wastes and environmentally sound product design, enterprises can
significantly work towards sustainable growth.
13.
The
role of local administrators including NGOs, citizen groups and citizen who are the real change makers at
individual level to adopt the green , low energy intensive technologies aiming
to reduce carbon emissions need to given due weightage .
