Greenhouse gases and the metallurgical process industry

The Kyoto Protocol of December 1997 highlighted the importance of greenhouse gas emissions. The metallurgical process industry is a contributor to these emissions and would be seriously affected by measures curtailing them. The present lecture offers a brief review of the greenhouse effect, the sources of greenhouse gases, the potential effect of these gases on global warming, the response of the international community, and the probable cost of national compliance. The specific emissions of the metallurgical process industry, particularly those of the steel and aluminum sectors, are then examined. The potential applications of life-cycle assessments and of an input-output model in programs of emissions' abatement are investigated, and, finally, a few remarks on some implications for education are presented. Thank you for the honor and the pleasure of addressing you today. I am indeed grateful. I have chosen to speak on greenhouse gases and the metallurgical process industry, because I believe the issue is topical and I hope you will find it of interest. A comprehensive analysis of such a vast subject is clearly beyond the scope of this lecture. I have chosen instead to give you a brief overview of the situation and to examine a few particular points. As you are well aware, in the last three decades, the metallurgical industry has been faced with an explosion of environmental laws and regulations. Greenhouse gases and global warming appear to represent the next threat. That threat generates a wide spectrum of reactions, from concerned interest to indignant incredulity. I propose to start with a quick review of the greenhouse effect, the sources of greenhouse gases, the potential effect of these gases on global warming, the response of the international community, and the probable cost of national compliance. I shall then focus on the metallurgical process industry (mostly the steel and aluminum industries), and investigate the possible usage of life-cycle assessments as well as the potential of an input-output model for the analysis of various alternatives. I will also make a few remarks on certain implications far education.