How does the old riddle go? Which weighs more - a ton of feathers or a ton of bricks? The knee-jerk answer is that a ton of bricks has to be heavier than a ton of feathers…..since bricks are heavier than feathers. Given a couple of seconds to apply some logic to your answer though, obviously they weigh the same - a ton is a ton no matter what it’s made of.

One of our astute readers asked a similar question regarding some of the data he found in a recent press release….which weighs more - a ton of coal or a ton of CO2?

Specifically, he wondered how every pound of coal that’s burned emits somewhere between 2 and 3 pounds of carbon dioxide, as described by this snippet from China Energy’s announcement earlier this week:

“The energy recovery systems under these backlog orders, upon completion, are expected to generate nearly 174MW heat energy. This is equivalent to achieving a total annual saving of roughly 370,000 tons of coal (coal equivalent), which would otherwise be required to produce the same amount of power, and consequently the reduction of roughly 1,000,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from burning of that coal each year.“

The answer? A ‘ton’ of CO2 gas doesn’t actually weigh a ton. Technically gas has no weight, so for anyone to compare the weight of a solid to a gas is comparing apples to oranges (at best). However, scientifically speaking, CO2 gas can be said to have weight or the equivalent to weight….it’s just not the kind of weight you and I understand by putting on a scale.

So to answer the question “Which weighs more - a ton of coal or a ton of CO2?”, a ton of coal actually weighs more.

That’s the simplified, conceptual explanation; you may want to contact the company for a more scientific explanation.

If you’re less interested in math and more interested in China Energy Recovery’s (CGYV) investment potential, sign up for the free e-newsletter today. We’ll keep you in touch with how China Energy is turning science into profits.