E-87 gas more climate friendly, says NCU professor

Northern Caribbean University’s geoscientist, Professor Mark Harris, is suggesting that a reduction in the use of E-90 gasoline is one of several measures persons can apply to rectify the negative effects of climate change on the environment.

Professor Harris, who was addressing the launch of his book, titled The Science of Global Warming Remediation, recommended use of E-87 gasoline as it produced less carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions which account for more than 77 per cent of global warming and greenhouse gas effect. He added that most modern automobile engines can use E-87 gasoline.

Harris explains in the work that although the burning of fossil fuels contributes significantly to the emission of CO2, this gas is released at ten times greater volume in decomposing organic matter in the soil. Hence, effective climate change mitigation must include a drastic reduction in the current rates of decomposition of organic matter.

According to the NCU academician, reducing the current rates of decomposition of organic material can be achieved through the conversion of decomposing biomass to solid inorganic carbon, or biochar (a special type of charcoal) which does not readily degrade. Storage of biochar in soil is regarded as a potential large-scale solution to the problem of carbon emission.

The professor noted that the capacity to capture or sequester carbon in soil is possibly based on the relatively stable nature of biochar (taking up to 5000 years by some estimates to decompose), and, therefore, its long turnover time in soil.

The author explains further that red mud waste from bauxite mining can be used most effectively to capture or sequester atmospheric CO2. This sequestration process converts red muds to an almost inert state where it has little or no harmful effects on groundwater.

Harris, who is Professor of Applied Climatology and Environmental Chemistry at the Mandeville-based Northern Caribbean University, launched T he Science of Global Warming Remediation during Research Week held March 11-14, 2024. He previously published Confronting Global Climate Change: Experiments and Applications in the Tropics in 2019. Professor Harris is the 2021 recipient of the Silver Musgrave Medal for outstanding merit in the field of science from the Council of the Institute of Jamaica.