SPATIAL AND SEASONAL DISTRIBUTION OF CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS FROM FOSSIL-FUEL COMBUSTION; GLOBAL, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL POTENTIAL FOR SUSTAINABLE BIOENERGY FROM RESIDUE BIOMASS AND MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE

Abstract

Combustion of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, and has led to an increase in the atmospheric concentration of CO2. CO2 is a greenhouse gas, and the increase in concentration leads to an increase in global temperatures and global climatic change. Fossil-fuel consumption, along with cement production, is responsible for 80% of anthropogenic carbon emissions and consumption of fossil fuels continues to increase. Despite its importance to the global climate and the global carbon cycle, data for fossil fuel CO2 emissions are traditionally maintained only on national levels and annual time steps. A method is developed to improve the spatiotemporal resolution to the leading energy consuming countries of the world. The method uses energy consumption datasets as well as other ancillary datasets to apportion national annual emissions totals into sub-national and monthly emissions datasets by fuel type. Emissions patterns are highly variable both temporally and spatially by fuel type, and detailed information on the distribution of emissions improves our understanding of the global carbon cycle and leads to better understanding of the spatial and seasonal distribution of the drivers of global change. In the endeavor to develop alternatives to fossil fuels, advanced biomass energy has garnered much attention because of its renewable nature and its potential to approach carbon-neutrality. As co-products, agricultural and forestry residues as well as municipal solid waste (MSW) are potential low-cost and sustainable biomass feedstocks for energy production. The role of residue biomass within the future global energy portfolio is projected and quantified under the context of environmental and economic sustainability. The potential for residue biomass is projected for the next century under a reference (business-as-usual) scenario and a scenario that includes a hypothetical climate policy that limits carbon emissions. While residue biomass alone cannot replace fossil fuels, a substantial amount of energy potentially could come from this resource, particularly in a global economic market under a climate policy that caps CO2 emissions from fossil fuels.