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Coal reserves

7 bytes added, 19:45, 5 October 2008
SW: clarification
===Comparing Rutledge's conclusions to the Kharecha/Hansen conclusions===
Rutledge's study implies a contribution of future coal, inherently limited by "peak coal" dynamic, of 192 Gt of carbon, compared to 110 Gt of carbon for the Kharecha/Hansen coal phase-out scenario. In other words, achieving the carbon emission levels of the Kharecha/Hansen coal phase-out scenario implies that coal usage is carbon emissions are 82 Gt lower than would occur under a business-as-usual continuation of trends to the present. This coal phase-out represents a 43 percent reduction (82 Gt/192 Gt) from Rutledge's projection of ultimate future coal usage.
Note that neither Rutledge nor Kharecha/Hansen include the contribution to global warming from unconventional sources such as tar sands and oil shale. Nor do they include any role for carbon capture and storage technology. Development of tar sands and oil shale would decrease the amount of "acceptable" coal use; development of carbon capture and storage would increase it.

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