CO2 Emissions by Agricultural Machines in South Korea

The burning of fossil fuels and the resulting CO2 emissions are related to climate change and global warming. In order to help meet international goals of preventing irreversible climate change, South Korea must reduce its gross CO2 emission level from its 2015 level of 680 Mt. Knowing current sources of CO2 productions is essential for accomplishing this reduction. This study calculated the level of CO2 emissions by agricultural tractors, heaters, and dryers which are accounted for consuming 88.6% of the tax-free fuels allocated for agricultural use in South Korea. After the amount of fuel and electricity consumed by each machine was determined, CO2 emissions from each were estimated using the combustion equations. The total annual amount of CO2 emissions produced by these agricultural machines was estimated to be 4,334.2 kt which is less than 1% of the gross CO2 emissions in South Korea in 2015. Keywords: Agricultural dryer, Agricultural heater, Agricultural tractor, CO2 emissions.