quote:

Originally posted by Steve VW:
You need to do more research. Sulfur, (and CFC's) are not potent greenhouse gases and have little to do with global warming. Sulfur oxides are the #1 cause of ACID RAIN, which has killed millions of trees and plant life all over the world. Take a look at Sudbury, Ontario where the nickel refineries made the land look like the moon. Bad in China, too. 90% of sulfur emissions are MAN MADE from coal combustion (number one source of airborne mercury, too.) This is not conjecture it is REAL damage.

CFC's are entirely MAN MADE and are potent catalytic killers of ozone in the stratosphere. Ozone helps block harmful UV rays from reaching us at the surface. Jury is out on the actual damage but we are 100% responsible for these compound emissions. Not a warming issue, though.

GOOD NEWS: We have accepted that we are the major players in these cycles and ALL countries are striving to reduce/ban their release.

GLOBAL WARMING IS A FACT. Of course it is, we here in the Midwest were a mile deep in ice 50,000 yrs ago! Obviously it has warmed since then. The question is all about the RATE and WHO is affecting it.

The RATE of temperature rising has risen drastically since the 1700's when the industrial revolution started, the same time humans began burning million year old sequestered carbon and releasing it back into the air, FACT. Since carbon dioxide is a potent greenhouse gas, it is considered a contributing factor in global heat balance. Coal is over 95% carbon, it is the worst of the fossil fuels. (The rest is sulfur, at least hydrocarbons have some hydrogen along with the carbon.)

It is estimated that humans produce about 10% of the world's carbon dioxide. Here lies the controversy, is only 10% enough to cause global imbalance/change? No proof yet. There are several other normal greenhouse gases like methane at play as well.

Apparently, because no one can "prove" we caused harm, some feel comfortable continuing the emissions. Reminds of the "science" presented for years by the tobacco companies...

I believe that we have 3 strong arguments against coal (CO2, sulfur and strip mining) I also believe that ALL industries should be responsible for their impact in every way: soil, water and air. Why take a chance when you can do it right? Just like Mom said: scrub it out, clean up your mess, leave it like you found it.

We can do better than risk our children's world to save a few pennies on fuel, especially when the pennies go to fat cat energy magnates who tell us what we should do, science be damned. Trash the rivers, strip mine the land, pollute the air and make a buck...

In all things, reason and moderation should prevail. So ends the rant.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave R:
Before they took the sulfur out of my diesel I got on average 4 mpg more, I think it has to do with tax revenue more than climate change. Because if volcanoes could be taxed they would make them cut down on their sulfur emissions, just think how much money they could have made off Mt.St. Helens ?

quote:

Originally posted by Dave R:
Before they took the sulfur out of my diesel I got on average 4 mpg more,