The world is collectively
encountering the issue of a changing climate. We are facing a climate that is
rising in average temperature accompanied by changing weather patterns. A
changing climate is a pressing issue because it affects the way we live, but it
also impacts the environments we live in. The rising average temperatures warm
the seas which causes rising levels which results in a changing coast line (What's
Happening & Why, 2019) . Along with sea
changes we also see season changing at different times which affects the
creatures that live in those ecosystems (What's Happening & Why, 2019) . The climate change
affects far more than our seas and coast those are just two examples of ways
the earth is being impacted. Climate change is a naturally occurring process;
however, the rate at which it is occurring is possibly unnatural. The evidence
gathered points to humans releasing greenhouse gases as the main cause due to
the gasses ability to trap heat (What's Happening & Why, 2019) . The main greenhouse
gas that is causing issues is CO2. This gas is released or amplified
by the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas and
deforestation because CO2 is not being removed from the atmosphere. A
way to address greenhouse gas emissions is to move toward renewable resources
in place of fossil fuels.
The
main renewable energy sources that are being implemented and researched are
solar power, wind power, hydro-power, geothermal, nuclear, and biomass.
These
options are not a one size fits all option. Each country and region will need
to implement what best fits their resource availability. An example of this can
be found in Sweden where 40% of its energy comes from hydro-power, 40% is from
nuclear, and the other 20% is supplied by wind and bio-fuels (Rhodes, 2019) .
This method of combining renewable sources of
energy is very effective in reducing greenhouse gases while maintaining a
reliable power grid. A good place to start as individual countries is by
setting carbon emission goals (Christensen, 2019) . These goals help to bring the issue to the
public’s attention while bring the issue to business and industry. A great
example of this in action can be seen in Dublin. The four councils in Dublin
have moved forward in carbon emission reduction by instituting a plan to reduce
carbon emissions by 40% by 2030 (O'Sullivan , 2019) . This step is due to rising sea levels in
their bay area, but around the world there are steps being taken to reduce the
greenhouse gas emissions. More and more big companies are striving to reduce
their emissions. The fossil fuel company, Shell, is striving to reduce
carbon emissions from operation by 2-3% over the 2016-2021 period (Bousso, 2019) .
Shell is helping to set a standard for large companies as they aim to cut
greenhouse gas emissions from the petroleum extraction and refinement process (Bousso, 2019) . As
companies compete to reduce their carbon and greenhouse footprint we will see
the technology available improve. This improvement in new and old technology
will help with the development of carbon reducing equipment and renewable
energy options.
 |
| Figure 1. Renewable alternative energy sources depicted (Chartier). |
Moving forward, we see a world that is aware of a
changing climate that is affecting our current and future living conditions.
Currently, the best option moving forward is setting standards and goals for
local governments across the globe. This will help push companies and societies
into researching and implementing renewable energy options in order to reduce
greenhouse gasses.
Sources
Bousso, R. (2019, March 14). Shell sets its first
carbon reduction targets on output, consumption. Retrieved April 11,
2019, from www.reuters.com:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-shell-carbon/shell-sets-its-first-carbon-reduction-targets-on-output-consumption-idUSKCN1QV2KT
Chartier, A. (n.d.). How to Lower Your Energy
Bill with Alternative Energy Sources. Retrieved April 22, 2019, from www.householdimprovements.com:
http://www.householdimprovements.com/alternative-energy-sources/
Christensen, J. (2019, January 15). One simple --
but really hard -- solution to stop climate change. Retrieved April 11,
2019, from www.cnn.com:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/15/health/climate-change-phase-out-infrastructure-study/index.html
O'Sullivan , K. (2019, 02 11). Four Dublin
councils unveil plans to fight climate change. Retrieved April 11, 2019,
from www.irishtimes.com:
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/four-dublin-councils-unveil-plans-to-fight-climate-change-1.3790155
Rhodes, R. (2019, F0 05). A Sensible Climate
Change Solution, Borrowed From Sweden. Retrieved April 11, 2019, from
www.nytimes.com:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/05/books/review/bright-future-joshua-s-goldstein-staffan-a-qvist.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=15&
What's Happening & Why. (2019). Retrieved April 11, 2019, from
www.globalchange.gov:
https://www.globalchange.gov/climate-change/whats-happening-why
This post was interesting to read because you put it in a way that would be easy for anyone to understand. I did not know that Shell was as environmentally conscious as you mentioned they were (yay!). I also liked they way you explained that finding a renewable resource for largescale use was not a one-and-done deal and that each area or country has their own method that would be most logistical for them based on their unique resources.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think is the most promising form of green energy, especially for the United States? I know that often it depends on the area, but I was curious if any stuck out to you as potentially useful for more wide scale application. Another form of clean energy that I think could be promising is using biomass. Some areas are even looking at using different invasive plants like Phragmites as fuel sources, which would be great for tackling two problems at once!
ReplyDeleteI never thought about using invasive species as biomass / alternative energy. Although, issues may arise if the invasive species were eventually eradicated.
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