| Greenhouse Gas Tracking Becomes Law in 2010 |
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| Environment - Environment |
| Written by Daniel Stouffer |
| Sunday, 29 March 2009 08:44 |
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Greenhouse Gas tracking will soon become mandatory in the United States, with the first reports due in early 2011 for the 2010 year. The federal law affects businesses and governments with heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems or refrigeration and air-conditioning systems, as well as those who produce industrial chemicals, fossil fuels, cars and engines. It is the responsibility of companies to review and comply with the new EPA regulations or face substantial fines.
Greenhouse Gas tracking will soon become mandatory in the United States, with the first reports due in early 2011 for the 2010 year. The federal law affects businesses and governments with heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems or refrigeration and air-conditioning systems, as well as those who produce industrial chemicals, fossil fuels, cars and engines. It is the responsibility of companies to review and comply with the new EPA regulations or face substantial fines. The far-reaching Climate Registry Protocol covers greenhouse gas tracking and details the need for mandatory monitoring and tracking. The aim of the US Clean Air Act is to improve air quality whilst lowering greenhouse gas emissions. A big part of the greenhouse gas tracking requirement is its focus on the refrigerant gases used in refrigeration and cooling systems at a wide variety of facilities. This list includes but is not limited to food processors, grocery stores, office buildings, hospital buildings, retailers and local government facilities. It is known that refrigerant gases include significant levels of carbon in the form of perfluorocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons. These compounds have been regulated under the US Clean Air Act for some years. It is accepted that greenhouse gases absorb and release radiation into the atmosphere which is a significant contributory factor to the global warming effect. Greenhouse gas tracking will help to pinpoint the main origin of these greenhouse gases and monitor the amount which is discharged. Environmental officials have a baseline of information against which to measure future usage. Accurate and timely information will help determine if the guidelines are effective in lowering the effects of these substances on the ozone layer. Greenhouse gas tracking helps to measure both direct and indirect emissions and to keep extensive records on maintenance, leaks and disposal. Heating and cooling systems and other energy consumptions are defined as producing direct emissions. The newly formed Obama administration has listed greenhouse gas tracking as a major goal, with the objective of protecting the future of the environment by reducing today's carbon footprint. If no action were taken, the makeup of the earth would significantly alter with both human life and animal life badly affected across the board. As a number of man-made compounds materially contribute to global warming, greenhouse gas tracking is essential. Those substances are carbon dioxide, chlorine, bromine, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, methyl chloroform, sulfur hexafluoride, halons, carbon tetrachloride and the fluorinated gases hydroflorenated ethers and nitrogen trifluoride. Although Greenhouse Gas tracking was optional, it becomes mandatory in 2010 with the regulation requiring companies and municipalities to submit exact information on how much of the global warming substances they use everyday and if any leaks occurred. The requirements are so extensive that vendors who are knowledgeable in the area have developed software programs and web-based applications to assist companies in complying with the law. About the Author: Daniel Stouffer has much more information on the importance of good refrigerant gas management and more data about the greenhouse gas tracking. |