Climate Change - Introduction Sheet
The prospect of global climate change is a matter of genuine public concern The amount of carbon dioxide (C02) in the atmosphere is increasing and the temperature of the earth's surface is rising Although there is a lot of uncertainty about the magnitude and consequences of these developments, the balance of informed opinion is that mankind is having a discernible effect on the climate and scientists believe there is a link between the amount of C02 in the atmosphere and increased temperature.
Faced with this uncertainty, adopting a precautionary approach to climate change is the only sensible way forward in these circumstances This is why the Kyoto agreement has set itself a goal to reduce the developed world's emissions of greenhouse gases by 10%, from a 1990 baseline, by the year 2010.
As the industrial revolution created more demands for energy, coal replaced wood as the most important fuel At the beginning of the last century, oil became significant as a fuel and now gas is the fastest growing source of hydrocarbon energy Switching from coal to gas as the primary fuel for generating electricity can result in a 50% reduction in C02 emissions per unit of electricity generated.
Recent technological advances have made renewable energy more economically accessible. The annual growth rate for wind and solar photovoltaics generated electricity is around 20-30% Other sources of renewable energy are being actively pursued throughout the world and will contribute to broaden the energy mix
However, hydrocarbons are expected to remain as the dominant source of energy for the foreseeable future.
Not surprisingly perhaps, history shows that energy efficiency in industry improves with time Today combined cycle and combined heat and power electricity generation, improved insulation and design of buildings and a new generation of vehicles will continue this trend of improving energy efficiency Recent developments in fuel cell technology point the way to further improvements in efficiency and reduced emissions, particularly if hydrogen is used as a fuel
Recent evidence shows reservoirs are powerful sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Hydroelectric power has long been thought a relatively pollution free source of energy, but evidence is emerging that reservoirs are powerful sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
Recent research suggests that up to half of Brazil's hydroelectric reservoirs have a global warming capacity similar to that of a fossil-fuel fired power plant
Although the problem is thought to be most significant in tropical areas, the World Commission on Dams recently warned that greenhouse gas emissions have been found at all 30 reservoirs from which measurements have been taken
This research is prompting calls for reservoir emissions to be included in national emissions inventories, a notion until recently dismissed. Including this source could likely have major effects for some countries, such as French Guyana, Ghana, Norway and the US
Rotting vegetation, particularly a problem in tropical areas - releases significant amounts of carbon dioxide and methane Methane is a hydrocarbon and its main impact is as a greenhouse gas with 21 times greater global warming potential than carbon dioxide
