New York Times Article Review SEE below instructiuon - Essay Example

The article deals with the issue of carbon dioxide emissions, the effect of global warming and sources of alternative energy. The discusses the possible practices that can be implemented in the United States. Since early 2000s, the United States, which cause 25% of the world emissions, have been forced to take measures as to the reduction of gas emissions into the atmosphere of the planet. At last, the US Congress is examining the long-discussed project of putting price tags on greenhouse-gas emissions.

The idea was offered by the Kyoto Protocol signed by most of European countries. In case the price tag is approved by Washington, the carbon content of fuel will become as important as the fuel cost and may even define the fuel cost. The result of this policy will be the competitive capacity of alternative energies, such as wind, sunlight, uranium, corn stalks and trash or natural gas. It would also be possible to start using the so called “carbon-negative” fuels, taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

The Congress should introduce a special tax or a cap-of-trade system for industries producing fuels. The estimations show that at $50 per metric ton the cost of a kilowatt-hour produced by coal will go from about 5.7 cents to 10 cents. When carbon dioxide costs $25 a ton, wind power will become competitive. Solar power is very expensive now, but the cap-of-trade system making coal fuel equal or even higher in price, solar power gets “a much larger chance to be relevant”. The carbon calculus concerns not only electricity but also ethanol, called “closet carbon”.

There are possibilities to reduce greenhouse-emissions producing ethanol from trash through a newly-elaborated thermochemical method, proposed by Range Fuels of Denver. Nowadays we use corn ethanol, made using natural gas and coals, containing carbon, and sugar-cane ethanol, resulting in 10% as much CO2. Another approach, being tested in Arizona, is to fertilize algae with carbon dioxide captured from the atmosphere. Scientists even propose carbon-negative products, such as synthesis gas made from biomass, with resulting carbon dioxide being captured chemically.

New approaches are sought for in architecture. Today building sites are evaluated for solar orientation and prevailing winds, the possibility to use the existing mass of hillsides and the ambient temperature of the dirt, etc. Carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced in the process of produce of various goods for mass consumption. The problem is that the new technologies need money. The companies are seeking credits and support from the government. Alternative energies are too expensive today to be used by mass consumers.

The cap-of-trade system is to have impact on both producers and consumers. There are big corporations that find it not beneficial to introduce the alternative technologies. The new regulations will force them change their policy and the technological process. The same concerns the population. People use the cheaper fuels. When environmentally harmful fuels cost more, people will choose the alternative energies, which do not contribute to greenhouse effect. A Senate subcommittee approved a bill, establishing a cap-of-trade system for carbon dioxide, in November, and the Democratic leadership was eager to pass the bill by the end of the year.

However, prospects in the House were less certain. The situation has hardly changed since the beginning of the century, when Bush revealed his intention to hinder the establishment of new regulations in the country at several international conferences. The USA seems to continue pursuing financial interests without thinking of the future of the planet and humanity.