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China Earth

China Slashes SO2 Emissions Two-Thirds in 15 Years (ourworldindata.org) 51

Posted by msmash from the moving-forward dept.
China's sulfur dioxide emissions have fallen by more than two-thirds over the past 15 years through strict coal plant regulations and desulfurization technology, according to Community Emissions Data System data. Emissions peaked in mid-2000s after steep rises in the 1980s-90s, with the reduction significantly improving air quality in major cities.

China Slashes SO2 Emissions Two-Thirds in 15 Years More | Reply

China Slashes SO2 Emissions Two-Thirds in 15 Years

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    • Re:That's actual good news! (Score:4, Interesting)

      by ShanghaiBill ( 739463 ) on Friday January 03, 2025 @08:44AM (#65059377)

      SO2 reductions are good for people who want healthy lungs but bad for global warming.

      SO2 forms aerosols that reflect sunlight back into space and help cool the planet.

      • Also good for people who don't want acid rain damaging lakes and rivers.

      • SO2 reductions are good for people who want healthy lungs but bad for global warming. SO2 forms aerosols that reflect sunlight back into space and help cool the planet.

        Some.

        But low-level SO2 emissions such as you get from coal power plants rain out of the atmosphere pretty quickly ("acid rain"). The people suggesting injecting sulfate aerosols into the atmosphere to reflect sunlight to reduce warming propose to put the aerosols in the stratosphere, where they don't quickly rain out.

        • Indeed, good job China! Next, CO2! Got to start somewhere.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by quenda ( 644621 )

            Indeed, good job China! Next, CO2! Got to start somewhere.

            Next? As well as their own solar, wind and nuclear sectors growing, China is a hug exporter of cheap solar panels and batteries.
            Everyone in China is all too well aware of how bad air pollution can be.

        • But low-level SO2 emissions such as you get from coal power plants

          Another substantial global contributor to SO2 emissions was "bunker oil" - the cheapest, least refined muck used for powering ships. A quiet, but concerted, international effort to stop port from supplying such oil (regardless of whether ships at those port's bunkering quays asked to buy that type of oil) has largely succeeded. They can always spend thousands of their own dollars to go to another port that does sell it - negating the price a

          • Another substantial global contributor to SO2 emissions was "bunker oil"

            Emitting sulfur at sea is harmless. The oceans contain a quadrillion tonnes of sulfur, so the addition from humans is infintesimal.

            produce small piles of elemental sulphur instead, which they can sell to the chemical industry. If they want it. Otherwise, bury it.

            Elemental sulfur can be used as fertilizer. It can be directly applied to alkaline soils to lower the pH and provide nutrients.

            • Another substantial global contributor to SO2 emissions was "bunker oil"

              Emitting sulfur at sea is harmless.

              Sulfur is not sulfur dioxide.

              Carbon is harmless, but carbon monoxide is not.

            • Putting sulphur into the atmosphere at sea still gets some of it (not all, I'll grant) into the upper atmosphere. With consequent effects on increasing cloud nucleation rates (nuclei/ cu.m) and hence surface albedo. Decreasing the albedo by decreasing cloud area and brightness will increase the global atmospheric temperature, unless somebody somehow turns the Sun "down". In certain soils, yes you can use sulphur as a fertilizer, but it's quite slow-acting because it needs to be eaten and excreted by certai

  • The technology is at least 40 years old, europe did it in the 80s and 90s and the USA are a similar time.

    Now they need to try and reduce their CO2 emissions, not simply reduce the annual increase as per now. However I do realise that requires a change in mindset from the west too as we outsource a lot of our heavy industry there and buy endless consumer crap that china makes.

    • Re:Good , but thats an easy win (Score:5, Interesting)

      by timeOday ( 582209 ) on Friday January 03, 2025 @09:22AM (#65059439)
      They are very close to leveling off, or perhaps already have,

      https://www.carbonbrief.org/an... [carbonbrief.org]

      but then for all of us simply leveling off isn't close to enough.

      It's like we've jumped out of an airplane, and now are now nearing terminal velocity. But we have yet to pop the parachute. Well get around to it any minute now...

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by RobinH ( 124750 )
      De-globalization and an aging population will have the opposite effect. It's going to be harder and harder to fund government services as external investment and revenue dries up, and as the population ages out of their most productive working years. The government will be forced to cut costs in order to keep the older population going, and the easiest way to do that, if you're China, is to look at that big pile of coal your country is sitting on and burn it for very, very cheap fuel. In the USA we have

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by gtall ( 79522 )

        And if you are China pollution is taking bigger bites out of their environment and economy. So just burning more coal is a fools errand given the pollution problem with which they are currently dealing. In addition, pollution affects the youngins more than the oldins. So if you country is trying to increase the pop., then lay off the pollution.

  • Gunpowder has 10% sulphur

    I think China is the biggest manufacturer of fireworks.

    • Fireworks? Seriously?

      If you want to worry about emissions from gunpowder, then maybe we should be taking a look at Russia and Israel, who are currently the biggest users of gunpowder by far with their warmongering and genocide.

  • ...and burned it all for us.

  • https://www.reuters.com/articl... [reuters.com]

    Lots of other sources with a basic Google search....ya know, as long as you're on the right side of the China Firewall.

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