Letters / Time to wake up
Doug Allan’s assertions regarding climate change (Wildlife photographer’s climate warning; SN, 05/12/14) are perfectly reasonable and correct – but maybe not for the reasons that he thinks.
The real problem with burning fossil fuels in order to propel the world’s societies has very little to do with throwing large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, as we burn them – but everything to do with throwing even larger (but hidden and conveniently-ignored) amounts of ‘new’ water and waste heat into it as part of the process.
I want to present a view for the SN readers’ consideration that involves several chemical equations. These are as follows:
- For the combustion of petrol (old style, ’50s hexane-based):
This fuel yielded 7.72 Imperial pints of water and 7892.416 litres of carbon dioxide for every gallon (4.546 litres) burnt;
- The combustion of petrol (new style, ’90s-onwards, nonane-based):
This fuel yields 8.33 Imperial pints of water and 5285 litres of carbon dioxide for every gallon (4.546 litres) burnt; and
- The combustion of DERV Diesel fuel) which is cetane-based):
This fuel yields 9.12 Imperial pints of water and 6012.1 litres of carbon dioxide for every gallon (4.546 litres) burnt.
All of this ‘new’ water ends up in the seas, via rainfall and the various river systems. Every time someone turns an ignition key in the west, someone drowns in the east.
I think it’s time that we all woke up to what we’re doing to our environment, before it drowns us all.
Philip Andrews,
Unst
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