Study: Scotland could halve emissions

EDINBURGH, Scotland, Apr 12, 2011 -- UPI

Scotland could cut its greenhouse gas emissions by half in two decades using currently available practices and technologies, a university report says.

The study by the University of Edinburgh said greener transport and cleaner power generation could help deliver big savings on carbon dioxide emissions in conjunction with smart meters for homes and businesses, improved recycling and greener building designs. The study authors urged carbon capture and storage to reduce emissions from carbon-intensive industry and coal-fired power plants, a university release said Tuesday.

The study focused on actions that would be economically, socially and politically acceptable and that could be put in practice using regulatory or economic incentives.

In a separate study, researchers found that some biofuels may not be a sustainable source of power for vehicles, since greenhouse gases emitted in producing crops for fuel may outweigh the benefits provided by a biofuel's low-carbon emissions.

"These proposed alternative strategies may offer a more realistic, economically and politically acceptable way of reducing carbon emissions," David Reay, director of the University of Edinburgh's carbon management program said.

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