POSTSCRIPT AND CORRECTION From: Judy Ryan Subject: Correction of error on composition of emissions from Coal-fired power stations Date: 31 January 2014 3:06:09 pm AEDT To: Judy Ryan Cc: [email protected], , Higgins, John , Tony Abbott , [email protected], Marjorie Curtis , [email protected], The Australian Australian , Sydney Morning Herald Herald , [email protected], Age , [email protected], The West Australian Australian , The Advertiser Advertiser , Townsville Bulletin Bulletin , Mercury , [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], Gary Humphries , [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], Craig Kelly Kelly , [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] , WIN TV , TEN TV , Tim Flannery , Tim Flannery , Will Steffen Dear Mr Higgins, I am contacting you again because I was incorrect in previous correspondence with you when I stated that emissions from coal fired power stations are ~96% carbon-dioxide”. `One of Australia’s wise skeptical scientists pointed out that statement is incorrect. I did not take into account the air that is added at the time of combustion. The emissions from coal fired power stations contain anywhere between 10-25% carbon dioxide, which is far less than my previous statement. Therefore, in the interests of scientific integrity, and openness and transparency in my dealings with your department I correct the error and supply supporting references. When we burn any carbon fuel such as coal, oil, wood, gas, grass, candle sticks, cardboard or cow manure, it produces several gases. Burning a typical Australian thermal coal in air would produce mainly nitrogen (68%), carbon dioxide (21%), water vapour (7%), oxygen (1%), argon (1%) and ash (2%). So 98% by weight of coal combustion products (the first five) are natural gases merely being recycled to the atmosphere from whence they came. None are toxic. All are invisible except for water vapour. carbon-sense/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/is-coal-dirty.pdf and Since ambient air contains about 79 volume percent gaseous nitrogen (N2),[2] which is essentially non-combustible, the largest part of the flue gas from most fossil-fuel combustion is uncombusted nitrogen. Carbon dioxide (CO2), the next largest part of flue gas, can be as much as 10−25 volume percent or more of the flue gas. This is closely followed in volume by water vapor (H2O) created by the combustion of the hydrogen in the fuel with atmospheric oxygen. Much of the smoke seen pouring from flue gas stacks is this water vapor forming a cloud as it contacts cool air. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flue-gas_emissions_from_fossil-fuel_combustion Mr Higgins, in the further interest of scientific integrity and public accountability Dr Curtis and I have a request for you. Please, could either you or someone else in your department, recommend to the Minister that he call in the scientists. Professors Flannery and Steffen need to explain why they have consistently coloured carbon dioxide black in they scientific” papers. They have also substituted the word ‘pollution for the word ‘dioxide’ in their scientific papers. Somehow the Chief Scientist Professor Chubb did not notice such a basic error . Please suggest to the minister that he call in Professor Chubb also. It is on the public record that we requested the same of Mr Greg Combet when he was the minister, but to no avail. Consequently, confusion and climate hysteria have continued. In the interests of scientific integrity, openness and transparency Professors Flannery, Steffen and Chubb need to produce the evidence for their portrayals of CO2 as black and polluting or correct their error publicly in order to clear up the confusion. Regards Dr Judy Ryan
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 03:56:26 +0000