Alternative Energy and Biggest Contributors to Global Warming - Essay Example

?Client’s 11 December The activities of human beings are certainly beyond the pale, the ozone layer has been depleting at an alarming rate and it is very important to find energy sources that would not pollute the environment but this needs to be done at the drop of a hat otherwise it could be all doom and gloom for human beings. This paper will sheds light upon alternate energy methods that could be used and how these methods would impact the environment. Global warming will also be discussed in this paper and major contributors towards global warming will be comprehensively analyzed. Alternative Energy Gasoline crisis is not a new problem; the same problem was first experienced by the US during the II World War. The price of Gasoline is increasing everyday and it is certainly not good news for the US and for the rest of the world. We have tried relentlessly hard to conserve energy but each year we have failed to do so and the only option is to find a better substitute or to utilize the energy more efficiently and to ensure no wastage takes place whatsoever. “We think that the recent run-up in gasoline prices has significantly increased the likelihood that we will see another gas crisis in the near future. This is regardless of whether there is a true shortage, or if it’s just panic buying that takes hold. Don’t be surprised to see gasoline rationing being put in place as soon as this occurs, whether it is imposed by the retailers, or by the government. Don’t be surprised to see long lines at the pumps, a la 1972.” (The Coming Gasoline Crisis). This paper will expansively present the energy crisis and appropriate solutions will be suggested. Biggest Contributors to Global Warming The United States of America is leading the charge for being the biggest contributor to Global Warming, “The world's countries contribute different amounts of heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere. The table below shows data compiled by the Oak Ridge National Research Laboratory, which estimates carbon emissions from all sources of fossil fuel burning for a maximum period from 1751 to 2004 (or as long as a record is available). Here we list the 20 countries with the highest carbon emissions (data are for 2004). THE TOP 20 CARBON DIOXIDE EMITTERS Country Total emissions (1000 tons of C) Per capita emissions (tons/capita) Per capita emissions (rank) 1. United States 1,650,020 5.61 (9) 2. China (mainland) 1,366,554 1.05 (92) 3. Russian Federation 415,951 2.89 (28) 4. India 366,301 0.34 (129) 5. Japan 343,117 2.69 (33) 6. Germany 220596 2.67 (36) 7. Canada 174,401 5.46 (10) 8. United Kingdom 160,179 2.67 (37) 9. Republic of Korea 127,007 2.64 (39) 10. Italy (including San Marino) 122,726 2.12 (50) 11. Mexico 119,473 1.14 (84) 12. South Africa 119,203 2.68 (34) 13. Iran 118,259 1.76 (63) 14. Indonesia 103,170 0.47 (121) 15. France (including Monaco) 101,927 1.64 (66) 16. Brazil 90,499 0.50 (118) 17. Spain 90,145 2.08 (52) 18. Ukraine 90,020 1.90 (56) 19. Australia 89,125 4.41 (13) 20. Saudi Arabia 84,116 3.71 (18) (Each Country’s Share of CO2 Emission) The developed countries are believed to contribute the biggest towards global Warming, it is very important to understand about the balance which the Earth needs to maintain, the consequences of disturbing the balance are going to be extreme. It is very important to take preventive measures to deal with the same; this especially applies to the twenty countries mentioned in the table. Weather Risks Posed by Global Warming Global warming is posing a very big threat to all the businesses across the globe. Global warming will trigger off a series of chain reactions. For instance, it will certainly give rise to the possibilities of volatile weather conditions and in that case all the major businesses will suffer and post annual losses instead of posting profits. The insurance market will be majorly impacted and in addition to this many other sectors will get adversely affected because of global warming. The question is that are the business organizations ready for this drastic change that will negatively impact their earnings? This is a million dollar question and it is very difficult to control the evil effects of global warming but there is every possibility in the world to control global warming and this need to be done in time. It is already high time to take measures to control global warming, failing to do so can have serious repercussions in the future. “The lesson that we can draw out from this recession, is that you can boost demand in the best way possible by focusing on low carbon growth in future," Stern said, including greater public spending on mass public transport, energy and green technologies.” (Risk of Global Warming). There is a lot to learn from every adversity and it is high time to reduce the carbon usage all across the globe, this will ensure more stability in the environment and it will also minimize the risks posed by global warming to all the various businesses across the world. Global warming is being fought by the major economies of the world and it is expected that we would be spending nearly $400-500bn each year fighting with this menace. It is better to take precautionary measures rather than worsening the situation. Global warming is believed to have a very negative impact, some of the negative impacts on business include, the rise in price of the commodities, this will also mean that no incompetent product will be sold in the market. This will have a chain reaction in many countries; people will be out of work and will have no money to fulfill their daily needs. In addition to this, global warming will also cause rapid change in the regulatory value of many products and this will make the economy of various countries unstable and erratic. It would also become almost impossible to produce wine in drought areas. This will significantly damage the revenue earned by the wine industry and by the several people who engage in selling wine. Global warming will pose an extreme weather risk where in no business will be carried out efficiently, even these days if there is a cyclone or a Hurricane, the areas in the vicinity get severely affected and the same prohibits the people to work as efficiently as they can, leading to a lot of financial loss to the individuals as well as to the government and to the economy of the world on the whole. All these factors have to be taken into account and a full proof plan has to be prepared and stuck to in order to tackle this long standing problem of Global warming. Analysis of the Energy Policy Obama demands efficient use of energy and in doing so there must be good coordination from the people of America. The positive aspect here is that loads of energy will be saved and can be utilized to make the economy stronger but the negative aspect is that in doing so the people of America will have to switch to public transport in order to make sure that the energy is efficiently utilized in the country. In an attempt to save electricity the present rules on the consumption of electricity are going to be altered, the negative aspect here is that the prices of electricity will be increase and this will not be a welcomed change by the people of America. But the future prospects of the same are very bright as it will save a lot of electricity and help America to grow and prosper. Obama is certainly a very influential leader who believes in working together with the people and making the USA a better country. He assured the people that he will listen and solve most of the major problems, he also mentioned that solving all the problems in the USA was just not possible considering the same he promised the people to solve all the major problems in the country. The USA has without a doubt got a very inspiring leader but we will have to wait and watch what changes take place in the country under his leadership. Excessive Dependence on Oil The importance of Oil is beyond imagination, there are certain countries in the world that thrive only on oil exports, this goes to show how important oil is these days. The urbanization of countries can never be completed without oil playing a significant role. Most of the development that is seen in the world is because of oil either directly or indirectly. Several countries have experienced rapid economic growth and as a result of which they are the ones who have consumed a lot of oil and will continue to do so. Some of the Asian countries have been consuming a lot of oil, countries like India and China have consumed a lot of oil, and this consumption is only going to increase in the coming days. If the demand of oil increases and of the supply remains the same, the price of oil increases. When the prices increase it directly acts like an inflation tax on consumers. The disposable income set aside to buy other goods is affected when the price of oil increases, leaving them with no or very little disposable income to be able to purchase other goods and services. Whenever there is volatility in oil prices, the investment is directly affected. This also impacts the stock prices very negatively, creating reduced wealth and investment. The inflationary pressure is also palpable when an increase in the oil prices takes place. This pressure can however be controlled by the central bank by raising the interest rates. There are so more no of companies who consume oil than who produce oil, considering the same the overall impact of rising oil prices on stock markets is very likely to be negative. It would not be wrong to say that oil is one of the most traded commodities in the world; in addition to this oil is also one of the most important commodities in the world. Several countries have witnessed tremendous growth in the last decade and this growth is predominantly because of oil. Countries either produce oil or consume oil, the latter is much more in number than the former. Asian countries like China and India have made remarkable growth in the last decade. According to the Economist, the GDP of China and India grew by 9.8% and 5.4% respectively between 1991 and 2001. These countries are expected to consume much more oil in the future. This also shifts the attention to Peak Oil, which means that we are consuming much more oil than available and that can be retrieved. This is certainly damage beyond repair; we might be heading towards a situation when there would be no oil left to be used. The growth and development would be severely hampered should that situation occur. Countries who have been excessively dependent upon oil would suffer should that become a reality. Conclusion The US is excessively dependent upon other countries for oil; this dependence can prove to be very costly for the US. There are other alternatives that can be considered, the best way to eliminate this dependence is to use solar energy. Solar energy is renewable and the best part is that it does not harm the atmosphere. The US government should make significant changes; all the automobile makers should make automobiles that would run on solar energy. This will save a lot of Oil; the rate at which we are using oil is unacceptable. Our future generations will not get to use oil should be keep using this precious asset at the same rate. The sooner these changes are brought about, the better it is for us and most importantly for the atmosphere. Works Cited Each Country’s Share of CO2 Emission. In Union of Concerned Scientists. Retrieved from: Global Warming: Early Warning Signs. In Climate Hot Map. Retrieved from: Risk of Global Warming. In Environmental News. Retrieved from: The Economist (2004). World in Figures, Profile Books, London. The Coming Gasoline Crisis. In Routing By Rumor. Retrieved from: Read More