1 research outputs found
Household Light Makes Global Heat: High Black Carbon Emissions From Kerosene Wick Lamps
Kerosene-fueled wick lamps used in millions of developing-country
households are a significant but overlooked source of black carbon
(BC) emissions. We present new laboratory and field measurements showing
that 7–9% of kerosene consumed by widely used simple wick lamps
is converted to carbonaceous particulate matter that is nearly pure
BC. These high emission factors increase previous BC emission estimates
from kerosene by 20-fold, to 270 Gg/year (90% uncertainty bounds:
110, 590 Gg/year). Aerosol climate forcing on atmosphere and snow
from this source is estimated at 22 mW/m<sup>2</sup> (8, 48 mW/m<sup>2</sup>), or 7% of BC forcing by all other energy-related sources.
Kerosene lamps have affordable alternatives that pose few clear adoption
barriers and would provide immediate benefit to user welfare. The
net effect on climate is definitively positive forcing as coemitted
organic carbon is low. No other major BC source has such readily available
alternatives, definitive climate forcing effects, and cobenefits.
Replacement of kerosene-fueled wick lamps deserves strong consideration
for programs that target short-lived climate forcers