| Emission Scopes Used to Monitor Greenhouse Gases |
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| Environment - Environment |
| Written by Daniel Stouffer |
| Friday, 15 May 2009 12:57 |
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It has been scientifically proven that certain chemicals when discharged into the air can cause severe damage to the environment and lead to global warming. Several treaties, among them the U.S. Clean Air Act and the Montreal Protocol, have been enacted worldwide to reduce the emission of harmful substances. Furthermore, emission scopes are being used to define and categorize the chemicals and their areas of use so facilities can better understand and take action to monitor the discharge rate of greenhouse gases.
It has been scientifically proven that certain chemicals when discharged into the air can cause severe damage to the environment and lead to global warming. Several treaties, among them the U.S. Clean Air Act and the Montreal Protocol, have been enacted worldwide to reduce the emission of harmful substances. Furthermore, emission scopes are being used to define and categorize the chemicals and their areas of use so facilities can better understand and take action to monitor the discharge rate of greenhouse gases. Three different emission scopes deal with the release of dangerous chemicals, be it intentional or unintentional. The protocols covered include tracking, reporting and accountability. Scope one of the three different emission scopes covers the emission of greenhouse gases directly from the source, such as refrigeration and air conditioning systems. The category covers any company owned asset with the potential to discharge the gas and also covers fossil fuels. The second category of emission scopes covers indirect discharges occurring during a production process. owners of facilities can conserve energy and reduce the amount of electricity that needs to be produced. Owners of facilities that use products manufactured elsewhere, have the ability to cut down on their usage or find environmentally friendly alternatives. In this way, certain items used in the production process which are in turn manufactured through a process which uses harmful greenhouse gases can be curtailed. These indirect emissions fall under scope three of the emission scopes. Emission scopes track the use of such greenhouse gases as hydrofluorocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons, carbon dioxide, perfluorocarbons, methane, sulfur hexafluoride and nitrous oxide. In the U.S. alone, fugitive emissions of refrigerant and other greenhouse gases are responsible for an estimated 300K tons of carbon dioxide annually. Similar discharge quantities occur throughout the world. A wide range of industries use emission scopes, including universities, hospitals and corporations that are equipped with heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems or refrigeration and air- conditioning systems. Facility managers must identify how greenhouse gases are used both directly and indirectly, taking steps to minimize usage and track potential discharge. Because government agencies require tracking and reporting procedures for greenhouse gases, companies that specialize in developing software to track emission scopes make the process much more streamlined and time saving. Any organization that fails to adhere to the strict government policies risks severe penalty. About the Author: Daniel Stouffer has a lot of data about the importance of emission scopesand how the refrigerant-tracker can aid you. |