This was to be known as the Kyoto protocol. It was able to set targets for these industrialised nations so as to reduce the problems being experienced at present and in the future. This was introduced by Mr Prescott as a British Initiative and was able to gain the full support of ministers from other countries such as America and Japan along with a number of other smaller industrialised countries. Nearly all the industrialised countries of the world agreed to the Kyoto protocol, which required them to cut their emissions of six greenhouse gases by 5.2% below their 1990 levels. The US however has refused to comply with the Kyoto agreement. President Bush has proposed no cuts to emissions and has pulled out of the agreement. Although the Kyoto agreement is a vital first step towards combating climate change it has been hailed by environment and scientific groups as inadequate. The UK Government has a target of generating 10% of UK electricity energy supplies from renewable sources by 2010.
The UK has a number of options that it can take to manage and reduce the causes of the enhanced greenhouse effect. The government has a responsibility to raise awareness and encourage UK citizens to act with consideration to the growing threat of global warming. The government must consider both preventative and reactive measures to minimise climate change.
What we need is a realistic new source of energy that won't cost the earth. And we need it now.
The Government has set targets to be met which include the introduction of new ways to produce the energy. These targets are to be met by 2010. One particular target is to generate 10% of all UK electricity from renewable sources. This could include implementing new hydroelectricity stations or windfarms. There are also number of other ways of generating electricity, which may include nuclear power. This however may not be such a favourable option due to ongoing danger as well as the creation of nuclear waste. Carbon dioxide (Co2) is the gas which contributes most to the greenhouse affect (see the following graph) and is produced when coal, oil, and natural gas (fossil fuels) are burned to produce energy used for transportation, manufacturing, heating, cooling, electricity generation, and other applications. Use of fossil fuel currently accounts for 80 to 85% of the carbon dioxide being added to the atmosphere.
Methane (natural gas) is the second most important of the greenhouse gases resulting from human activities. It is produced by rice cultivation, cattle and sheep ranching, and by decaying material in landfills. Methane is also emitted during coal mining and oil drilling, and by leaky gas pipelines. Human activities have increased the concentration of methane in the atmosphere by about 145% above what would be present naturally.
To achieve its required cuts the government has said that both onshore and offshore wind generation schemes would be required to replace fossil fuel power stations. The year 2002 has been predicted as the year that renewable energy will be recognised to its full potential. The UK has a commitment of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% by 2008-2012, and with recent technological developments, the potential exists for locating wind farms economically at offshore locations. Eight offshore projects are currently operational across the world. Early projects have been relatively small scale and located in shallow or sheltered waters. However, more recently projects have been constructed in more challenging areas of the world and the UK as one of the windiest countries in Europe is a prime site for windfarms. Bournemouth University NUS have recently submitted a proposal to the university vice chancellor asking him to follow the recent example of several other UK universities and start to buy the universities electricity supply from a wind farm or other renewable source. NPOWER has recently followed the example of several smaller electricity suppliers and is offering customers the option to purchase renewable electricity at no extra cost.
The above explains some of the ways in which the Co2 emissions created by power stations can be reduced, however other Co2 emitters must also be addressed.
Awareness of these problems must be raised through campaigns on radio, national television or other media. These campaigns may involve certain schemes to encourage people to use more public transport or share transport to reduce car usage. Some similar schemes have already been introduced in towns and cities throughout the country. One example of this can be seen in the cemetery junction area of Bournemouth. This scheme has placed signs at the side of roads, which suggest sharing transport to reduce the size of queues during busy periods. Cars and other vehicles contribute a lot to Co2 emissions. Although currently their are few opportunities for people to use greener modes of transport (with the exception of maybe bikes for short journeys) alternatives are being developed. For the near future, petrol and diesel engines will still rule as manufacture's battle to improve fuel efficiency and emissions. One very cunning improvement has come in the form of the hybrid car. These cars have small petrol engines with enough power for general motoring. The clever bit is that they also have a back up electric motor that provides extra power just when it is need - for rapid acceleration. The smaller petrol engine means that it uses less petrol but the extra electrical boost means that the ride feels like you have a much more powerful motor.
Various alternative fuel sources are being looked at with a view to removing the need for petrol and diesel altogether. Some, like alcohol and vegetable oils, can all be made in a sustainable way. Others, like compressed natural gas and liquid petroleum gas, will continue to deplete what fossil fuels we have left. However, ultimately these are all combustion engines that will inevitably produce some exhaust fumes - not the case with fuel cells. The idea behind these is that by combining hydrogen and oxygen to make water, you also make electricity. The electricity is then used to drive an electric motor, which powers the car. The attraction of fuel cells is that the only waste product is water. While we can easily get enough oxygen to power a fuel cell from the air, hydrogen is another matter and is the current challenge faced by many scientists and designers across the world. So, in the near future, it looks like you will still need to pull into the filling station to re-tank your electric car.
Campaigns to encourage people to turn lights or taps off while not in use have also been a feature of government policy. The government is also considering imposing tariffs on business and industry to encourage them to recycle and cut down on their Co2 output. “Think global, act local” was a slogan used in a government campaign to encourage everyone to do their bit to look after their local environment and try to reduce their electrical and car usage. This was taken up not only by individuals but also by business and local authority’s some of whom started car sharing schemes, set up recycling facilities and signed up to green electricity.
Climate change may already be effecting the UK, in 2000 John Prescott said that “the country's recent floods were a warning of further climate change.” He called for immediate action and was confident that “When people see and experience these ferocious storms, long summer droughts, torrential rains - more extreme and more frequent – they will know something is wrong and that climate change now affects them.” Two weeks earlier, much of my country was under water. In the ancient and Roman city of York, hundreds of people worked through many nights to save it from the worst floods and storms since 1625. York had extensive new flood protection, tested to the limit where river levels rose over six metres. But it was only the thousands and thousands of sandbags that had to be laid by the army which saved the city. This is just an example of the reactive measures and plans that the UK must come up with to prepare for freak weather occurrences which may become more and more common if the enhanced greenhouse affect continues to be contributed too.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
INTERNET
www.greenpeace.org/
BOOKS
Geography, a global synthesis – Peter Haggett
The No Nonsense Guide to Climate Change -
- William J. Burroughs
