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| Frequently Asked Questions |
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| Why carbon trading? |
| There is an excessive increase in the carbon dioxide
(between 326-396ppm) at the global level, which causes
the Green House Effect. There could be climatic changes
due to global warming, increase in skin diseases, and even
extinction of certain species due to such changes in the
physical and chemical environment. All these are
being felt at the global level. Thanks to various attempts
at the international level, the release of all greenhouse
gases has been banned. Various interventions and amendments
in the Kyoto Protocol came about to help make this change
gradual over a period of time. |
| Why is it important for industry to develop
a strategy for addressing greenhouse gas global warming
issues? |
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| Have landfills been identified as significant
sources of greenhouse gas emissions? |
Landfills constitute almost 37% of the sources of methane
emission as per the US Sources of Methane Emissions EPA
1997 estimate.
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| What is the history and purpose of Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM)? |
The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) arose out of
the negotiations of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. The United
States government desired that there be as much flexibility
in achieving emission reductions as possible, and desired
a possibility of international emissions trading to achieve
cost-effective emission reductions. At the time, it was
considered a controversial element and was opposed throughout
by environmental NGOs. It was also initially opposed
by developing countries who felt that industrialized
countries should put their own house in order first and
feared the environmental integrity of the mechanism would
be too hard to guarantee. Eventually, and largely on
US insistence, CDM and two other flexible mechanisms
were written into the Kyoto Protocol.
The purpose of the CDM was defined under Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol. Apart
from helping Annex 1 countries comply with their emission reduction commitments,
it must assist developing countries in achieving sustainable development, while
also contributing to stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.
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| What is the outline of the project process? |
An industrialized country that wishes to get credits
from a CDM project must obtain the consent of the developing
country hosting the project that it will contribute to
sustainable development. Then, using methodologies approved
by the CDM Executive Board (EB), the applicant (the industrialized
country) must make the case that the project would not
have happened anyway (establishing additionality), and
must establish a baseline estimating the future emissions
in absence of the registered project.
The case is then validated by a third party agency, a so-called Designated Operational
Entity (DOE), to ensure the project results in real, measurable, and long-term
emission reductions. The EB then decides whether or not to register (approve)
the project. If a project is registered and implemented, the EB issues credits
termed Certified Emission Reductions (one CER being equivalent to one metric
tonne of CO2 reduction) to project participants based on the monitored difference
between the baseline and the actual emissions verified by the DOE.
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| What are Flexible Mechanisms? |
Flexible Mechanisms, also sometimes known as Flexibility
Mechanisms or Kyoto Mechanisms, refers to Emissions Trading,
the Clean Development Mechanism, and Joint Implementation.
These are mechanisms defined under the Kyoto Protocol
and intended to lower the overall costs of achieving
its emissions targets. These enable parties to achieve
emission reductions or to remove carbon from the atmosphere
cost-effectively in other countries. While the cost of
limiting emissions varies considerably from region to
region, the benefit for the atmosphere is in principle
the same, wherever the action is taken.
Much of the negotiations on the mechanisms have to do with ensuring their integrity.
There was concern that the mechanisms do not confer a "right to emit" on
Annex 1 parties or lead to exchanges of fictitious credits that would undermine
the Protocol’s environmental goals. The negotiators of the Protocol and
the Marrakesh Accords therefore sought to design a system that fulfilled the
cost-effectiveness promise of the mechanisms, while addressing concerns about
environmental integrity and equity.
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| What causes indoor
air problems? |
Indoor pollution sources that release gases or particles
into the air are the primary cause of indoor air quality
problems in homes. Inadequate ventilation can increase
indoor pollutant levels by not bringing in enough outdoor
air to dilute emissions from indoor sources and by not
carrying indoor air pollutants out of the home. High
temperature and humidity levels can also increase concentrations
of some pollutants.
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| What are the sources of pollutants? |
There are many sources of indoor air pollution
in any home. These include combustion sources such as
oil, gas, kerosene, coal, wood, and tobacco products;
building materials and furnishings as diverse as deteriorated
asbestos-containing insulation, wet or damp carpets,
and furniture made of certain pressed wood products;
products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal
care, or hobbies; central heating and cooling systems
and humidification devices; and outdoor sources such
as radon, pesticides, and outdoor air pollution.
The relative importance of any single source depends on how much of a given pollutant
it emits and how hazardous those emissions are. In some cases, factors such as
how old the source is and whether it is properly maintained are significant.
For example, an improperly adjusted gas stove can emit significantly more carbon
monoxide than one that is properly adjusted.
Some sources, such as building materials, furnishings, and household products
like air fresheners, release pollutants more or less continuously. Other sources,
related to activities carried out in the home, release pollutants intermittently.
These include smoking, the use of unvented or malfunctioning stoves, furnaces,
or space heaters, the use of solvents in cleaning and hobby activities, the use
of paint strippers in redecorating activities, and the use of cleaning products
and pesticides in house-keeping. High pollutant concentrations can remain in
the air for long periods after some of these activities.
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| How much ventilation
is required? |
If too little outdoor air enters a home,
pollutants can accumulate to levels that can pose health
and comfort problems. Unless they are built with special
mechanical means of ventilation, homes that are designed
and constructed to minimize the amount of outdoor air
that can "leak" into and out of the home may
have higher pollutant levels than other homes. However,
because some weather conditions can drastically reduce
the amount of outdoor air that enters a home, pollutants
can build up even in homes that are normally considered "leaky."
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| How does outdoor air
enter a house? |
Outdoor air can enter and leave a house
by infiltration, natural ventilation, and mechanical
ventilation. In a process known as infiltration, outdoor
air flows into the house through openings, joints, and
cracks in walls, floors, and ceilings, and around windows
and doors. In natural ventilation, air moves through
opened windows and doors. Air movement associated with
infiltration and natural ventilation is caused by air
temperature differences between indoors and outdoors
and by wind.
Finally, there are a number of mechanical ventilation devices, from outdoor-vented
fans that intermittently remove air from a single room, such as bathrooms and
kitchen, to air handling systems that use fans and duct work to continuously
remove indoor air and distribute filtered and conditioned outdoor air to strategic
points throughout the house. The rate at which outdoor air replaces indoor air
is described as the air exchange rate. When there is little infiltration, natural
ventilation, or mechanical ventilation, the air exchange rate is low and pollutant
levels can increase.
To prevent industrialized countries from making unlimited use of CDM, Article
6.1 d) has a provision that use of CDM should be ‘supplemental’ to
domestic actions to reduce emissions. This wording has led to a wide range of
interpretations.
The CDM gained momentum in 2005 after the coming into force of the Kyoto Protocol.
Before the protocol had come into force, investors considered this a key risk
factor. The initial years of operation yielded fewer CDM credits than supporters
had hoped for, as parties did not provide sufficient funding to the Executive
Board (EB). This left it understaffed.
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| What are the effects
of poor indoor air quality? |
Health effects from indoor air pollutants
may be experienced soon after exposure or, possibly,
years later.
Immediate Effects:
Immediate effects may show up after a single exposure or repeated exposures.
These include irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, headaches, dizziness,
and fatigue. Such immediate effects are usually short-term and treatable. Sometimes
the treatment is simply eliminating the person's exposure to the source of the
pollution, if it can be identified. Symptoms of some diseases, including asthma,
hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and humidifier fever, may also show up soon after
exposure to some indoor air pollutants.
The likelihood of immediate reactions to indoor air pollutants depends on several
factors. Age and preexisting medical conditions are two important influences.
In other cases, whether a person reacts to a pollutant depends on individual
sensitivity, which varies tremendously from person to person. Some people can
become sensitized to biological pollutants after repeated exposures, and it appears
that some people can become sensitized to chemical pollutants as well.
Certain immediate effects are similar to those from colds or other viral diseases,
so it is often difficult to determine if the symptoms are a result of exposure
to indoor air pollution. For this reason, it is important to pay attention to
the time and place symptoms occur. If the symptoms fade or go away when a person
is away from home, for example, an effort should be made to identify indoor air
sources that may be possible causes. Some effects may be made worse by an inadequate
supply of outdoor air or from the heating, cooling, or humidity conditions prevalent
in the home.
Long-term Effects:
Other health effects may show up either years after exposure has occurred or
only after long or repeated periods of exposure. These effects, which include
some respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer, can be severely debilitating
or fatal. It is prudent to try to improve the indoor air quality in your home
even if symptoms are not noticeable.
While pollutants commonly found in indoor air are responsible for many harmful
effects, there is considerable uncertainty about what concentrations or periods
of exposure are necessary to produce specific health problems. People also react
very differently to exposure to indoor air pollutants. Further research is needed
to better understand which health effects occur after exposure to the average
pollutant concentrations found in homes and which occur from higher concentrations
that prevail for
short periods of time.
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| Where can I find information about the environmental
laws and regulations? |
| For further information on environmental acts and rules,
you can visit the following sites: |
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