CO2 Emissions Into the Atmosphere - Essay Example

Human activity is one of the factors contributing to increased emission of gases in the atmosphere leading to global warming. On a global scale, other countries have harnessed natural energy since it not only cost less but is also environment-friendly by decreasing gas emission in the atmosphere. Harnessing renewable energy such as wind power is a major thrust of the UK government. For the last few years, statistics from United Kingdom revealed that energy consumption is leaning towards the use of renewable energy sources. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are released into the Earth’s atmosphere every day. Carbon Dioxide is a molecular compound containing two atoms of oxygen and one carbon atom. When carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere it can cause many problems to the atmosphere and life on the ground. In today’s world, there are climate changes brought on by the release of carbon emissions. The carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is beginning to mass together, creating problems that need to be taken care of at this moment. There are many ways for carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere. Volcanic activity releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and ruptured land can allow sealed gasses to escape, but one major cause of Carbon dioxide emission is humanity. With growing human population, room is needed for living space. Loggers cut down trees in a process called “deforestation” to make room for housing. Trees are great for countering CO2 emissions. They convert CO2 in oxygen atoms. The burning of fuels, use of electricity and many other factors contribute to the release of CO2. In the United Kingdom, homes produce 6 tonnes of CO2 gasses each year. “According to the Energy Saving Trust, It would take a forest three and a half times the size of London to absorb the Co2 our homes give off in a year.”(Socha, 2007). Greenhouse gas emissions 1990 1995 2000 2005 2006 2007(p) Carbon dioxide: 592.4 549.8 548.6 555.2 554.5 543.7 Methane: 103.5 90.2 68.4 49.6 49.6 Nitrous oxide: 63.8 53.0 43.6 39.8 38.3 HFC: 11.4 15.5 9.1 9.2 9.2 PFC: 1.4 0.5 0.5 0.3 0.3 SF6: 1.0 1.2 1.8 1.1 0.9 ‘Basket’ of greenhouse gases: 770.8 709.0 671.4 655.5 652.3 543.7 Figures are given in million tonnes. Naturally occurring greenhouse gases maintain the earth’s surface at a temperature 33°C warmer than it would be in their absence. At present greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are increasing as a result of human activities. One of the biggest issues that come to mind when CO2 emissions are brought into a discussion is global warming. Global warming manifests when the sunlight enters the Earth’s atmosphere. CO2 restricts most infrared light from returning into space and traps it within Earth’s atmosphere. It prevents the Earth from cooling and accumulates heat over time. The rise in temperature melts the polar ice caps, raising water levels. The CO2 deteriorates the Earth’s Ozone layer which protects Earth from Ultra-violet radiation. Renewable Energy Renewable energy is popular nowadays since this type of energy source can be replenished and naturally available. Examples of which include wind, hydro ( water ), biomass, solar , ocean wave, and geothermal. On the contrary, fuel fossils are non-renewable since they cannot be replenished. Moreover, fossil fuels have damaging effects to the environment such as emission of greenhouse gases which contributes to global warming. The use of renewable energy has gained much attention since its use promotes a healthier environment since it does not contribute pollution. An good example would be wind power which is growing at an annual rate of 30% ( RENI, 2009) . Another example would be Brazil’s use of ethanol ( by product of sugar cane ) to fuel their light vehicles. Ethanol is considered as renewable since sunlight is used in photosynthesis to produce By using ethanol as fuel, the air is cleaner since ethanol does not emit poisonous exhaust. The United Kingdom is one of the world-s top producers of ethanol. Describe the different types of UK energy sources (including renewable energy sources) and the changing trends in UK energy production and consumption The landscape of UK’s consumption of renewable energy has been changed since the introduction of the Climate Change Levy in 2001. A report by eoearth.org, reveals UK’s serious intention to depend on renewable sources by revealing that : 1) It intends to increase the share of electricity generated by renewables from 3% in 2001 to 10% by 2010 2) The British government is investing over $364 million over the next three years into renewable energy sources including solar, biomass and wind. 3) Over the next two years, the UK hopes to add an additional 400 MW generation capacity, and to have 15% of its electricity generated through (mostly offshore) wind turbines by 2020. source : http://www.eoearth.org/article/ Energy_profile_of_the_United_Kingdom #Renewable_Energy. Explain what is meant by fuel poverty and what is being done by the government to reduce the number of UK households in fuel poverty Fuel poverty is experienced by a household when it cannot afford to keep its home according to certain standards. As for the UK , when more than 10% of the household income is used on fuel resources , then that household experiences fuel poverty. The data illustrates the incidence of Fuel poverty in England: Estimated numbers in Fuel Poverty in England Total number of households (millions) Number of vulnerable households (millions) 1996 1998 2001 2004 2005 1996 1998 2001 2004 2005 5.1 3.44 1.7 1.2 1.5 4.0 2.84 1.4 1.0 1.2 *Vulnerable households are households that contain children, elderly people, or those with disabilities or long-term illness Although the number of households experiencing fuel poverty has significantly decreased, the percent of vulnerable households remain on the average of 80%. In order to reduce Fuel poverty the UK government, it has implement two main programmes , namely : WarmFront Programme and Carbon Emissions Reduction Target ( CERT ). According to warmfront.co.uk website, the WarmFront programme is a government funded initiative ( through eaga) which provides “ a package of insulation and heating improvements up to the value of £3,500 (or £6,000 where oil, low carbon or renewable technologies are recommended) .On the other hand, CERT is a comprehensive program that recently included a Home Energy Savings Programme that targets vulnerable households ( fuel poverty) as well as pensioners so they can make their homes energy efficient. In an article at carbonfree.co.uk , it was revealed in September 2008 that the government “will propose legislation to require an estimated £910 million commitment from energy companies including, for the first time, energy generating companies, to invest in making homes more energy efficient.”. Apparently, the UK government has been consistently addressing these concerns since it is pushing for more aggressive programs that would address fuel poverty. Analyse and discuss your data. In particular (1) compare energy production with consumption by sector and by type (2) compare traditional energy sources with renewable energy sources Total production of primary fuels 1980 1990 2000 2005 2006 2007 Petroleum: 86.9 100.1 138.3 92.9 84.0 84.2 Natural gas: 34.8 45.5 108.4 88.2 80.0 72.1 Coal: 78.5 56.4 19.6 12.7 11.4 10.7 Primary electricity: 10.2 16.7 20.2 19.0 17.9 14.9 Total: 210.5 219.4 288.7 216.5 197.0 185.9 Figures are expressed in million tonnes of oil equivalent Renewables and waste (not shown) account for the remaining 4.0 million tonnes of oil equivalent. Analysis : Petroleum production has grown consistently over the past few decades but has been drastically reduced after 2005. This indicates the shift to using renewable sources of energy as the government intensifies its drive to harness the power of nature. Among which is its dedication towards maximizing the use of wind energy. Total consumption of fuels by sector (1980 – 2007) Industry Domestic Transport Services Total (including agriculture) Coal & manufactured fuels: 2.0 0.7 - 0.0 2.7 Gas: 11.8 30.1 - 8.6 50.4 Oil: 6.8 2.9 59.1 1.5 70.3 Electricity: 10.1 9.9 0.7 8.7 29.4 Renewables and heat: 0.9 0.5 - 0.6 2.0 Total: 31.7 44.0 59.8 19.3 154.9 Figures are expressed in million tonnes of oil equivalent Natural gas consumption 1980 1990 2000 2005 2006 2007 Electricity generators: 4.0 6.5 324.6 329.0 310.4 353.5 Energy Industries: 19.1 39.2 102.1 107.8 101.6 94.2 Industry: 177.5 164.6 198.5 162.0 156.2 147.9 Domestic: 246.8 300.4 369.9 384.0 364.9 349.9 Services: 60.4 86.4 110.5 107.5 103.1 99.9 Total: 507.8 597.0 1,105.5 1,090.3 1,036.2 1,045.5 Figures are expressed in terawatt hours (TWh) *In the early 1970s, following the advent of natural gas, gas consumption grew rapidly. Industrial consumption peaked in 2000 and has fallen since then by around 25%. Analysis: Oil is still on top of the list since the transport sector depends heavily on oil. Gas comes in second since the differential increase in coal-gas price reduced the popularity of coal as a fuel source. The good news was revealed by the UK Energy Statistics ( 2009) that the “the reduced demand for fossil fuels, and switching from coal to gas for electricity generation provisionally reduced the emissions of carbon dioxide by 2 per cent in 2008” ( qtd from Digest of Energy Statistics, 2008).When it comes to renewable resources, the Digest reported that : “Electricity generated from renewable sources in the UK in 2008 represented 5.5 per cent of total UK electricity generation, up from 4.9 per cent in 2007. On a renewable obligation basis, 5.4 per cent of electricity came from eligible sources, which is nearly treble the 1.8 per cent achieved in 2002.”( decc.gov.uk, 2009).This is indicative of UK’s shift towards using renewable resources. In fact, United Kingdom became the leader in offshore windpower ( RENI, 2009). Conclusion The increased greenhouse gas emissions has gained worldwide attention which prompted developed countries such as United Kingdom to develop programs( such as CERT and warmfront) as well as implement policies that would address this concern. Moreover, fuel poverty has been a prevalent problem especially for those who are economically marginalized. The United Kingdom is shifting towards the use of renewable sources of energy such as wind power so that it would be able to cut energy costs at the same time help in maintaining a clean environment. References: Energy Consumption in the United Kingdom. Retrieved from http://www. berr. gov.uk /files/file11250.pdf on 5 Jan 2010. Household CO2 Emissions. Retrieved from http://www.pollutionissues.co.uk/household-co2-emissions.html on 3 Jan 2010. Socha, T. Air Pollution : Causes and Effects ( 2007 ) Retrieved from http://healthandenergy.com /air_ pollution auses.htm on 2 Jan 2010. REN21. 2009. Renewables Global Status Report: 2009 Update (Paris: REN21 Secretariat). Retrieved from http://www.ren21.net/pdf/RE_GSR_2009_update.pdf on 5 Jan 2010. 30 July 2009 - Press Release - Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2009. Dept. Of Energy and Climate Change.Retrieved from http://www.decc.gov.uk/en /content/cms/news/ pn085/pn085.aspx. on Jan 5 2010. Read More