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UK opens new carbon measuring center

The UK is expected to launch a new carbon research and measuring center this week.
Written by Charlie Osborne, Contributing Writer

The BBC reports that a new UK-based facility targeting the measurement of carbon emissions and promoting the development of sustainable, clean technology is soon to open.

The facility, the Centre for Carbon Measurement, will be based at the National Physical Laboratory in south west London, and will be formally launched at the Planet Under Pressure event in London this week.

The centre is intended to help the UK in its bid to 'lead the world' in climate modelling, carbon markets and green technology. Whereas policies have been made globally to try and meet emission reduction targets, without an efficient and reliable carbon measuring system, policies may be inaccurate and climate data flawed -- which is where the centre steps in.

There are already a number of projects earmarked for the centre to pursue, including providing guidance for companies reporting climate impact; quantifying leaks from Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) demonstrators, and providing a scientifically accurate framework for estimating carbon savings from smart grids.

Jane Burston, the CCM's head told the BBC:

"Data from ground based stations and satellites are fed into climate models, and they spit out conclusions on things like sea level rise and other climate impacts. So the better data we have, the better we can make the models."

There have been previous examples of disparity between carbon levels recorded by companies and what is measured in the atmosphere -- throwing doubt on just how 'climate friendly' firms are.

Without the correct scientific framework, the West's ambitious goals of carbon emission limitations may not be feasible or accurate. It is hoped that by investing in the CCM more reliable measurements will result in a better understanding of the global climate; which in turn will help governments create effective legislation and goals.

(via BBC)

Image credit: Gideon/Flickr

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This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com

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