How many tons of carbon monoxide is released into the air in New York City?

Answer 1

*I'll break down my research, I found no direct answer.

According to a 2005 report. NYC produced 58 million metric tons (a metric ton is 2,200 pounds) of carbon dioxide emissions (79% of this reportedly came from buildings.) I know I just said dioxide... let me explain.

According to the EPA, the average car driving the average mileage per year produces 575 pounds of carbon monoxide and 11,450 pounds of carbon dioxide.

If we divide 11,450 by 575 we get approx 20. So, every 20 parts carbon dioxide we get one part carbon monoxide. If I'm making sense then the 58 million divided by 20 should give us a pretty accurate answer.

Thus, New York City produced 2,900,000 (2.9 million) tons of carbon monoxide in 2005. Since it's 2011 we should increase or decrease this number based upon population and new environmental regulations.

As a side note, carbon monoxide can kill you.

It takes the fresh air equivalent of two American homes to dilute

the carbon monoxide produced by just ONE SINGLE GALLON OF

GASOLINE to not make you sick.

This should then tell us something about how devastating the

85 million barrels of oil burned everyday in the worldis. 365

times 85 and we get 31 billion barrels of oil consumed every

year in the world. There are 31 gallons in a barrel so 31 times

31 billion is 961 billion gallons of oil burned every year in the

world.

30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide is documented as the

worlds emissions. So if we take our 1 part per 20 example earlier

(11,450/575) we get a yearly world carbon monoxide emission of

1.5 million metric tons. Or 1.5 million times 2,200 = 3,300,000,000

(3.3 billion) pounds of carbon monoxide put into the atmosphere

every year by humans.

The earths average carbon monoxide is 0.1 ppm. We just need to

figure out how 1.5 million annual tons of carbon monoxide contributes

to the 0.1 ppm the earth averages naturally.

50% of the carbon monoxide in the atmosphere is created by nature

and 50% by man. Thus, doesn't that mean every year we are

doubling the carbon monoxide levels? If the earth naturally sits at

0.1 ppm then we are contributing 0.05 every year. Aren't we? Thus

in 10 years it will be 0.05x10 = .5 plus the earths equilibrium = 0.6 ppm

Remember, it takes 10ppm to make the entire earth a breathing

nightmare. So, 10ppm divided by 0.05 = 200 years until we

have completely screwed everyone on the planet out of breathable air.

Coal burning is a major contributor towards carbon monoxide and

ironically there are 181 years left of coal reserves on this planet.

Weird coincidence.

Here is an exert from a related article about the earths oxygen levels:

"Of course, not all life on Earth would completely die off.

It's postulated that certain mosses, hardy slime molds,

resilient bacteria and viruses - as well as the more robust

sea slugs - probably could weather the severe oxygen

deprivation. They will make it through the tens of thousands

of years required for the oxygen levels to slowly replenish

after the planetary mass extinction."