Pollution carbon dioxide emission

Transportation accounts for about one-fourth of the primary energy consumption in the United States. And unlike other sectors of the economy that can easily switch to cleaner natural gas or electricity, automobiles, trucks, nonroad vehicles, and buses are powered by internal-combustion engines burning petroleum products that produce carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons. Efforts are under way to accelerate the introduction of electric, fuel-cell, and hybrid (electric and fuel) vehicles to replace sonic of these vehicles in both the retail marketplace and in commercial, government, public transit, and private fleets. These vehicles dramatically reduce harmful pollutants and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 50 percent or more compared to gasoline-powered vehicles. 

Varotsos C. (2002). Climate change problems and carbon dioxide emissions Expecting Rio + 10 . Environ. Sci <6 Pollut Res., 9(2), 97-98. 

There is concern about the levels of carbon dioxide emissions from cars, as well as the three main pollutants from combustion HC, CO, and NO. Lower CO2 emissions result from improved fuel economy that can be obtained in several ways. An important, more fuel efficient approach is through the use of so-called lean-bum engines that operate with excess air rather than with stoichiometric air-fuel mixtures. 

Spark ignition engine Established technology Low pollution Less carbon dioxide emissions Distribution networks for natural gas already in place Need for compressor at service station Bulky, heavy on-board storage tank and/or reduced vehicle range... 

Successful application of fuel cell technologies in automobiles mil improve energy security and provide significant environmental benefits. A 10 percent market penetration could reduce U.S. oil imports by 130 million barrels per year. Fuel cell vehicles will reduce urban air pollution and mitigate climate change. They will be 70 percent to 90 percent cleaner than conventional gasoline-powered vehicles on a fuel cycle basis, and will produce 70 percent less carbon dioxide emissions."... 

A key attraction of IGCC technology is that the incremental cost of capturing carbon dioxide emissions (in addition to regulated air pollutants) is lower than that for a comparably sized pulverized coal plant based on current commercial carbon dioxide capture technology. 

Over the past few years, bio-based plastics have been developed rapidly owing to rising petroleum prices and many environmental concerns related to plastic pollution. Increasingly, reduction of carbon dioxide emissions has become another reason for promoting bio-based plastics amid the worldwide financial tsunami. 

---