The administration of a company has declared that it will dedicate itself to red
ID: 1866531 • Letter: T
Question
The administration of a company has declared that it will dedicate itself to reduce its carbon footprint. Trees can reduce CO2 concentration in the atmosphere by capturing and storing Carbon while increasing their biomass. Therefore, in addition to taking serious energy-conservation measures, the company is planning to help offset its carbon dioxide emission by raising money to help conserve a portion of a large tract of forestland within the company premises. The cost of putting 1 tree of the forest into conservancy is 10 000$.
What is the mass of CO2 in kg that is accumulated and stored in 1 ha of forest in one year? Assume the biomass of the forest increases at an annual rate of 2*10^3 kg/ha. The forest biomass is 50 percent carbon by mass.
b) each year the company uses 3*10^5 gallons of fuel oil for heating and hot water, 10 kg of CO2 is produced where 1 gallon of fuel oil is burned. Calculate the mass of carbon, in kg that is emitted by the company as a result of its fuel-oil consumption in one year.
c) Calculate the amount of money in USD that the company must raise for the conservative project in order to offset the carbon released in one year by the company burning its fuel oil
Explanation / Answer
a) Annual increase in the biomass of the forest = 2*10^3 kg/ha = 2000 kg/ha
Given, forest biomass is 50 percent carbon by mass
Therefore, mass of the carbon = 50/100 X 2000 = 1000kg/ha
Molecular weight of Carbon is 12 and Oxygen is 16. Therefore, moledular weight of CO2 is 12 + 16 X 2 = 44.
Therefore, the mass of CO2 is 44/12 (= 3.67) times the mass of Carbon.
Therefore, mass of CO2 accumulated and stored in 1 ha of forest in a year = 3.67 X 1000 = 3670 kg
b) Total fuel used by the company in a year = 3*10^5 gallons = 300000 gallons
Amount of CO2 released on burning 1 gallon of fuel = 10 kg
Amount of CO2 released on burning 3,00,000 gallons of fuel = 300000 X 10 = 3000000 kg
Mass of Carbon emitted by the company = 3000000/3.67 = 817438.7 kg
c) Carbon released in one year = 817438.7 kg
Mass of Carbon accumulated in a year per ha of forest = 1000 kg
Total area of forest required = 817438.7/1000 = 817.439 ha
Cost of putting one ha of forest in conservancy = 10000 USD
Total amount company must raise for the conservancy project in order to offset the carbon released by burning fuel oil in a year = 817.439 X 10000 = 8,174,386.9 USD
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