PHOTODISC
Environmental▼News
EU hopes sulfur-free fuels will clear the skies and reduce pollution.
performance of vehicles’ catalytic technology, according to EC officials. Sulfur impairs the effectiveness of some catalysts used in three-way catalytic converters, NOx traps, and particulate traps.
The EC also says that sulfur-free fuel will improve the performance of gasoline cars fitted with the new “lean-burn” direct injection technology by 1–5% over those using 50ppm gasoline. This technology depends on NOx storage catalysts to lower emissions, which perform better with sulfur-free fuels. The EC also says that exhaust after-treatment devices in heavy-duty vehicles will perform better and be more durable with sulfur-free diesel. Europia, the European fuels industry association, estimates that it will cost industry $11 billion to refine, supply, and distribute sul-
fur-free fuels. Producing sulfurfree fuels is not straightforward and several technologies are still being commercially proven, says Europia’s Bruno Celard. It’s also difficult to keep a fuel sulfur-free during distribution because it can get contaminated with sulfur from other fuels in multiproduct pipelines or storage tanks. Karola Taschner of the European Environment Bureau, a coalition of environmental organizations, welcomes the new law. Nanoparticle formation is significantly lowered by any reduction in fuel sulfur, she adds. —MARIA BURKE
Many of those commenting at the workshop were critical of the document, calling the plan in many Next month, the Bush administraThe draft envisions a “significant places “redundant”, “poorly focustion hopes to finalize its Strategic science program” to analyze the ed”, and “unspecific”. For example, Plan for the Climate Change Scicauses and projected effects of participants noted the confusion ence Program, a 177-page docuglobal climate change. Other rethroughout the draft between “climent that will lay out the search will support changes in obmate change” (considered to be the government’s research agenda on servation system design and buildup of man-made gases in the climate change. Released in measurement methodologies. Still atmosphere that trap the sun’s heat, November after input from 13 fedother research will analyze mitigacausing changes in weather pateral agencies, the wide-ranging tion and adaptation technology opterns on a global scale), and “cliplan sets forth the uncertainties astions, as well as the effects of mate variability”. Several suggested sociated with changes in the that rather than continue Earth’s climate systems and the work done for the longdescribes research prorunning U.S. Global Change grams under way across the Research Program, the new federal government. Bush plan should consider and administration officials say incorporate the lessons they expect a quick turnlearned from that research around on some of the re(www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/ search, which should be nacc/default.htm). completed in the next two At the close of the public to five years. comment period in January, The plan is designed to the CCSP received 261 comserve in a fact-finding caments, or 800 pages, from The Bush administration wants more research on global climate change, which could mean more analyses of ice pacity, providing credible academics, business cores like this one. and useful information in groups, science organizathree broad categories: science, obproposed mitigation strategies on tions, and state and local governservations and data, and decision the economy, energy use, and enerments. The Edison Electric Institute and support services, says James gy delivery systems, Mahoney said. (EEI), which represents shareholdMahoney, assistant secretary of The plan, however, doesn’t iner-owned utilities, generally welcommerce for the oceans and atclude policy or implementation reccomed and applauded the plan. mosphere, and director of the ommendations. These studies are But EEI also criticized it, writing, newly created Climate Change intended to be “policy relevant”, and “All of the research appears to have Science Program (CCSP), which as results become available, they will the same importance or urgency, manages the plan. Mahoney inform administration policy on clieven though it would seem that presided over a December 3–5 mate change, he noted. But the studsome of the research areas should workshop on the plan where he ies will remain “policy neutral”, by clearly precede others in order to sought public discussion of the examining the range of climate prebe effective and timely”. document. dictions and various policy options. EEI voiced a concern many sciLONNIE THOMPSON, BYRD POLAR RESEARCH CTR.
Bush takes a look at climate change
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entists have as well—that the 2- to 5-year time frame President Bush proposes for the research isn’t nearly long enough. “While we recognize the need to demonstrate progress and to keep pressure on the researchers and the sponsoring agencies, the workshop showed that such time frames are likely to be unrealistic and disappointing.” A “milestone approach” might better achieve the president’s goals, EEI added. The American Association of State Climatologists, comprising scientists recognized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to study state climate, encouraged a higher priority on the societal vulnerabilities to climate change, such as changes in water supply and growing seasons, rather than trying to perfect climate projections. Such a focus would allow “the scientific community to provide more comprehensive and useful information to local, state, and national decision makers”, now struggling with policy decisions related to natural resources. Mahoney listened to the comments with open ears, adding that he would incorporate many suggestions into the revised document.
But he also defended some of the draft’s weaknesses saying it was written in the short time frame of three to four months. The plan also doesn’t mention program funding. The government has already spent $20 billion on climate change research since 1987, officials say, but they are being tight-lipped about whether any new money would go toward implementing this strategy. The current federal budget doesn’t allow much spending on domestic programs, Mahoney noted, so that most of the new research will focus on setting priorities and improving coordination of current programs among various agencies. Several researchers lamented that Bush’s plan seems to pin the future of mitigation efforts on highly accurate predictions of climate change. Policy makers have long urged researchers to reduce these uncertainties, Edward Sarachik, professor of atmospheric science, University of Washington, said at the workshop. “At what point will we have finished the job?” A copy of the draft and the comments can be found at www.climatescience. gov. —CATHERINE M. COONEY
Engaging the marketplace to improve water quality With a new water quality trading policy announced in January, the U.S. EPA is promoting marketbased pollution credit systems at the state level to clean up the nation’s waterways at lower costs. Under EPA’s current total maximum daily load (TMDL) program, states set caps on the amount of pollution that can enter a water body and then allocate this amount among pollution sources by way of discharge permits. However, no consideration is given to the cost that each source will incur to meet reduction requirements. The new voluntary policy suggests that pollution sources, such as industrial and municipal wastewater treatment plants, could meet their permit obligations by buying
offsets or credits from nonregulated sources, such as from farmers or facilities that reduce their pollutant load beyond what’s required in their permits. Details, including what actions will constitute credits—such as a farmer planting trees along a stream bank—and methods for quantifying how much pollutant loads are reduced, will be determined by the states, according to the policy. “The permit requirements themselves are in no way voluntary, but the choice of how facilities meet their requirements is voluntary,” explains Paul Faeth, managing director of the World Resources Institute (WRI), an environmental research organization. WRI has developed a marketplace on the Web to help po-
News Briefs Lettuce may sequester high levels of perchlorate Four leafy vegetable samples analyzed in 1998 averaged 4490 micrograms per kilogram (mg/kg) of perchlorate with a maximum of 6900 mg/kg, according to an Environmental Working Group (EWG) report. Consuming even an ounce of lettuce with such concentrations would yield a dose of 280 mg/kg, which is more than 2 orders of magnitude higher than California’s draft regulation for perchlorate in drinking water. A 2001 U.S. EPA report on fertilizers by the agency’s National Risk Management Laboratory raised the possibility that watery fruits, such as oranges and grapes, might also concentrate perchlorate in their edible parts, but never adequately investigated it. Irrigation water is presumed to be the perchlorate source, but fertilizers from Chile containing perchlorate have also been used on some produce. Rocket Fuel in Lettuce is available at www.ewg.org/reports/ rocketlettuce/index.php.
Ensuring the hydrogen fuel supply The hydrogen-powered cars traveling around southern California are being assured a steady supply of fuel courtesy of the world’s first selfcontained mobile hydrogen fueling service. Air Products delivered its Hydrogen Fuelers to the Calfornia Fuel Cell Program (CaCFP) and Honda for their Fuel Cell Vehicle Program in Los Angeles, Calif., in December. The unit is mounted on a trailer and does not require a compressor or utility hookups. “This system represents a bridge in the development of hydrogen fueling infrastructure,” says Tama Copeman, with Air Products, which has also installed several permanent hydrogen fueling stations across the United States. For more information about the mobile fueler and CaFCP, visit www.airproducts.com and www.fuelcellpartnership.org.
MARCH 1, 2003 / ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ■ 87 A
