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| A '''zero emission''' ], ], process, or other energy source emits no waste products that pollute the environment or disrupt the ]. | |||
| {{Unreferenced|date=December 2006}} | |||
| '''Zero emission''' refers to an ], ], or other energy source, that emits no waste products that pollutes the environment or disrupts the climate. It is a "mythical", unattainable concept that is generally used to describe a displacement of emissions from the traditional and well known location to an alternate location. For example, electric vehicles are typically advertized, promoted, and sold as "zero emissions" yet the electricity used to charge them was produced in a generation facility which has an emissions footprint. 50+% of U.S. electrical energy is produced by fossile fuel burning facilities. The majority of French electricity is generated in nuclear reactors. | |||
| ==Zero emission engines== | ==Zero emission engines== | ||
| Vehicles and other mobile machinery used for transport (over land, sea, air, rail) and for other uses (agricultural, mobile power generation, etc.) contribute heavily to climate change and pollution, so zero emission engines are an area of active research. These technologies almost in all cases include an ] powered by an energy source compact enough to be installed in the vehicle. These sources include ]s, ], ], and ] devices. | |||
| In some cases, such as ], the engine may be mechanical rather than electrical. This mechanical engine is then powered by a passive energy source like ], or a combustible non-polluting gas like ]. | |||
| Traffic is a major contribution to air pollution and greenhouse gas emission, and thus zero emission engines are being actively researched but none have yet to be developed or marketed. Some technologies include battery powered ], electric engines powered by ]s, and engines powered by compressed air. | |||
| The ] ] built by ] is often cited as an example of a zero-emissions ], or ZEV.{{cn}} but is in reality a "displaced emissions" vehicle.{{fact}} | |||
| The above engines can be used in all vehicles, from cars to boats to propeller airplanes. For boats, energy sources such as ] and ] can also be a viable option, in addition to traditional ]s and ]s. | |||
| Technically, the EV1's motor, as well as other ]-powered electric propulsion units that rely on a national ] for charging, are displaced-emission powerplants since many economies use large amounts of fossil fuel plants to produce electricity. Additionally, all current technologies being developed are "displaced emissions" technologies, substituting one emissions locatation or type for the type and location that the public is accoustomed to looking at.{{fact}} | |||
| A concept like ] produces emissions. | |||
| ==Zero emission energy sources== | |||
| ===Current technology=== | |||
| Renewable energy sources, including ], ], ] and ]. are often referred to as zero emission power, since their operation produce very few, or zero, emissions. On the other hand, the construction of such plants may involve emissions if the materials are created or assembled using equipment that produces emissions. For example, the production of high purity silicon for photovoltaic cells consumes large quantities of carbon, contributing to CO2 emissions, and this is also true for the production of steel and concrete for wind turbines and hydroelectric dams. | |||
| == See also == | |||
| Similarly, ] plants do not emit significant amounts of pollutants during their operation, but the extraction of Uranium ore and construction of waste repositories usually involves machinery powered by gasoline. The construction of the plant itself also requires materials similar to those for renewable energy sources, tho because of nuclear powerplants large output per station, less so per amount of energy produced. All in all, emissions due to the operation, fuel production and waste management from nuclear powerplants are similar in magnitude to those of the renewables.{{cn}} However, tho nuclear powerplants do not emit large amounts of pollution during normal operation, they do produce large quantities of radioactive waste, which has to be stored for several centuries before it's radioactivity has decreased to that of the uranium ore ( see ] ). There is also concern that flawed designs or operation can lead to nuclear accidents, emitting radioactive pollutants, as happened during the ].{{cn}} | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| ===Potential future technologies=== | |||
| *] | |||
| Many technological improvements have been suggested to reduce emissions from various energy sources. Carbon dioxide could be captured from fossil plants and stored underground rather than released into the atmosphere ( a technology known as ] ). Improved efficiency for solar cells, or cells made from novel materials, could offset the emissions associated with silicon production. ] could enable nuclear reactors to produce orders of magnitude more energy without increased emissions, and recycled or new materials could reduce the emissions associated with construction of windturbines and hydroelectric dams. Additionally, many new energy sources with low emissions are being researched, including among others: ], ] and ]. | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| == References == | == References == | ||
| * {{cite book | * {{cite book | ||
| | last = Dixon | |||
| | first = Lloyd | |||
| |author2=Isaac Porche |author3=Jonathan Kulick | |||
| | title = Driving Emissions to Zero: Are the Benefits of California's Zero Emission Vehicle Program Worth the Costs? | |||
| | publisher = ] | |||
| | year = 2002 | |||
| | isbn = 0-8330-3212-7 }} | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| * that focuses specifically on Zero Emissions | |||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | |||
Latest revision as of 16:38, 6 February 2024
A zero emission engine, motor, process, or other energy source emits no waste products that pollute the environment or disrupt the climate.
Zero emission engines
Vehicles and other mobile machinery used for transport (over land, sea, air, rail) and for other uses (agricultural, mobile power generation, etc.) contribute heavily to climate change and pollution, so zero emission engines are an area of active research. These technologies almost in all cases include an electric motor powered by an energy source compact enough to be installed in the vehicle. These sources include hydrogen fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors, and flywheel energy storage devices.
In some cases, such as compressed air engines, the engine may be mechanical rather than electrical. This mechanical engine is then powered by a passive energy source like compressed air, or a combustible non-polluting gas like hydrogen.
The above engines can be used in all vehicles, from cars to boats to propeller airplanes. For boats, energy sources such as nuclear power and solar panels can also be a viable option, in addition to traditional sails and turbosails.
A concept like vegetable oil economy produces emissions.
See also
- Air engine
- Carbon neutrality
- Economics of climate change mitigation
- Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives
- Zero-emissions vehicle
- Zero-energy building
References
- Dixon, Lloyd; Isaac Porche; Jonathan Kulick (2002). Driving Emissions to Zero: Are the Benefits of California's Zero Emission Vehicle Program Worth the Costs?. RAND Corporation. ISBN 0-8330-3212-7.
External links
- A special issue of the Journal of Cleaner Production that focuses specifically on Zero Emissions