If six was nine

 

In German, there is the expression "Ein X für ein U vormachen", to express that someone is trying to sell an untruth as the truth. This has always been the case. Even Jimi Hendrix, one of the most influential musicians of the century,  played with the idea that things could be different than they seem in the song line "If six turned out to be nine" from 1967.

 

If in doubt, use an old ABAKUS. Do the math; think for yourself!

 

The most relevant example in waste management for facts that mislead could sound like this: "what if 28 turned out to be 84".

 

As early as 1990, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) introduced the concept of Global Warming Potential (GWP) in its First Assessment Report (FAR) in order to make the climate impact of different greenhouse gases comparable. Carbon dioxide (CO2 equivalent) became the reference gas. A higher value, such as 28 for methane, means that this gas is 28 times more harmful. As the focus was on long periods of time, GWP 100 is most frequently used in the literature. However, GWP 20 was also a common alternative right from the start.

 

The fact that the GWP100 (21 or 34 can also be found) is still used today in the literature and in discussions with 28 is, at best, negligence.

 

This is because the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) already presented the concept of Global Temperature Potential (GTP) as an alternative to Global Warming Potential (GWP). While the GWP measures the warming effect of a greenhouse gas over a specific period (usually 100 years) compared to CO₂, the GTP looks at the temperature change at a specific point in time in the future.

 

This is just to reflect the general discussion.

 

It is obviously closer to reality to set methane at GTP 20 over 20 years than at GTP 100 over 100 years.  If you want to effectively combat the climate catastrophe, you have to use a factor of 84 (according to the figures from 2014), unlike most scientific studies.

So if you read one of the many publications presented in the WtERT DSS, such as the summary of "Assessment of Methane Flux from Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Areras in Delhi" or the latest study by UNEP, "Waste to Energy: Considerations for Informed Decision-making" from 2019, you have to multiply the results by a factor of 84/28 = 3. 

 

The statement in Figure 3.1 from the UNEP report that one ton of waste in the landfill emits 1,610 kg of CO2 (according to GWP100) should, in my opinion, be updated against this background. 

 

 Do the math yourself! What else you need to know is that:

 

Even a measurement over 20 years corresponds to a dilution.

 

"If six turned out to be nine”! Jimi Hendrix's answer "I don't mind" should not be misunderstood to mean that he didn't care.

 

Don't let yourself be fooled into thinking you're getting an X for a U.

 

Yours,

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