The Causes and Future Effects of Global Warming - Term Paper Example

Sustainable Energy Alternatives in the UAE The causes of global warming Global warming emanates from the accumulation of certain gases in the atmosphere that are unresponsive to changes in temperature and thus prevent heat from leaving the earth. This has the effect of inducing climate once it continues for a long time. The latter process is what is defined as the greenhouse effect, and gases that lead to this phenomenon include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The above gases emanate from certain natural and man-made activities. Carbon dioxide comes from natural processes like volcanic eruptions and respiration. However, human activities are leading to an excess amount of the gas in the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels, deforestation as well as poor land use. Additionally, industrial activities are contributing to carbon dioxide accumulation as well. Methane mostly emanates from manure management, waste in landfills and other agricultural activities. CFCs normally come from industrial processes that create synthetic compounds (Zsamboky et. al., 2011). 2. Current and possible future effects of global warming In the near future, a warmer climate will lead to the melting of glaciers and other sources of ice. This will contribute towards greater expansion of ocean waters and hence an increase in sea level. Diminished levels of ice can lead to more heat waves across cities in North America and more flash floods in places like Europe. Some parts of the world will start experiencing reduced water availability for various applications like personal consumption, energy or even agriculture. Long term implications of global warming include reduced tropical forests and loss of species in many of these areas. It is also likely that climate change will cause fewer resources to be available for the food needs of individuals concerned. 3. The need for sustainable non-polluting sources of energy The strongest case for non-polluting energy sources is that the polluting ones are usually finite. If the human population continues to use it at the same rate, it will wind up with no more resources or fuels that are too costly to consumers. Shifting to renewable platforms is more effective because it is sustainable. The infrastructure needed to power man’s energy needs cannot simply be removed and replaced with renewable energy when polluting sources run out. This explains why a long-term transition is necessary. Non polluting sources like wind and solar energy produce zero emissions into the atmosphere, so they will not accelerate the global warming phenomenon. Some say that the life cycle needed to produce machinery for non polluting sources is reliant on fossil fuels thus minimizing its environmental benefits. However, this fact illustrates why it is imperative to transition to renewable energy sources for consumption and manufacturing purposes as well. 4. Sustainable energies Solar panels Wind turbines Nuclear power 5. Sustainable energy source 1: Solar panels a)Description Solar panels rely on energy from the sun to extract electricity. These devices capture, convert and store energy to be used in the future. The method works by trapping heat energy from the sun and utilizing it to heat water stored inside glass panels (Iyer, 2013). These are black in color in order to absorb as much energy as possible. They are then used to power the concerned consumer. b) Advantages No one pays to access sunlight as it is free for all. Even costs of production are diminishing greatly owing to rising demand for the technology. Solar panels need very minimal maintenance and once they have been installed can continue to generate electricity for a long time; therefore, they provide value for money (Miller & Coan, 2012). c) Limitations On the flipside, solar panels are inappropriate for colder regions. Places where the sun hardly resurfaces or where it is often interrupted by dark clouds can barely take advantage of this source (Rivers, 2007). Furthermore, even in warm regions of the world, it is still not possible to use them at night or during the cold/ winter seasons. This source of energy is also not efficient because a good part of the light trapped by the solar panels is lost to the atmosphere. Solar panels are made from special materials and processes, which may be prohibitive to some entities. Also, solar panels require vast amounts of idle land for energy generation to have significant impact on the population. 6. Sustainable energy source 2: Wind turbines a)Description As the name indicates, wind turbines rely on wind energy in order to work. Crop irrigation, water pumping and farm energy needs can all be converted through the use of wind turbines. Usually, a number of windmills are placed in an area that has high wind levels or intensities and this turns the turbines which are then converted into electricity. b) Advantages No air pollution emanates from wind turbines as they are one of the cleanest sources of energy. Additionally, the source of energy is free and can be harnessed as long as it is available. The agricultural industry has relied on this source of energy for decades. Scientists have been working on cost reduction, so most wind costs have been diminished greatly. c) Limitations Wind energy only relies on those areas that have strong wind intensity, which is particular difficult to find in most regions. Therefore, the energy source has limited applications in most areas of the earth. In addition, wind turbines generate a lot of noise during conversion so they cannot be used in residential areas (Nalwa, 2008). Wind turbines may be unable to meet demand due to the quantity of equipment needed for generation. Even a small-sized generator requires a lot of towers. This source is highly affected by climate because when it is hot, the turbines do not turn and when windstorms come, the equipment will be destroyed. 7. Sustainable energy source 3: Nuclear power a) Description This is an energy source that takes advantage of the energy of the atom. Here, an atom is split into two in a process that is accompanied by a reduction in mass. As this mass is reduced, a lot of energy of energy is lost. The process is called nuclear fission and takes place in a highly contained environment. Usually, this process relies on a nuclear fuel such as uranium, which is also extracted from the earth. Some waste often emanates from the process. b) Advantages In comparison to generation of electricity from fossil fuels, nuclear energy power is more cost effective. Unlike sun and wind energy, which rely on favorable weather, nuclear energy can provide stable base load energy irrespective of the energy available out there. The source of energy is also more environmentally friendly in comparison to non renewable sources. Aside from uranium, scientists are also working on other fuels like thorium. The energy density yielded in these reactions is quite high. c) Limitations It costs a substantial sum to build a nuclear power plant and to frequently enrich the nuclear fuel. Additionally, once the process has been completed, businesses must spend a lot on getting rid of the waste that comes from the process as well as running the plant. If poorly handled, nuclear waste can damage the environment and people too. Accidents can cost lives and damage health as was the case in the Chernobyl disaster (Berrang-Ford et. al., 2011). 8. Description of the geography and climate of the UAE The United Arab Emirates largely consists of desert land – 87% of the country is covered by Abu Dhabi, which is predominantly a dry area. Temperatures can sometimes reach 45oC while humidity levels may also increase to highly uncomfortable levels like 90%. Wind is modest or less than average when compared to what other parts of the world experience. Climate is mostly dry and humid throughout the year. The country may experience rain for a few days throughout the year. 9. Sustainable energy source 1: Solar panels a) Arguments for its use in the UAE Given the vast desert lands in the emirates, it is possible to install power plants for this purpose. Additionally, the country is well-endowed with sunlight, so this should be harnessed and used effectively. Furthermore, the Crown prince has already flag-shipped a number of projects that relate to solar energy (Mokri et. al., 2013). b) Arguments against its use in the UAE. Currently, two peak moments exist in the UAE’s solar energy consumption patterns; a midday peak as well as the early evening peak when humidity is at its highest. The latter situation demands a lot of electricity for air conditioning, which solar generation cannot match. Therefore, given the cost of building solar power plants and operating them, it will only be possible to minimize fuel consumption through solar energy; total dependence on it may not be feasible (Mezher et. al., 2011). Further, it is expensive to acquire the materials needed for it. 10. Sustainable energy source 2: Wind turbines a)Arguments for its use in the UAE Some research is still being done in different parts of the country to determine whether some places can yield sufficient wind speeds. It might be true that current wind turbines are rather slow, but other regions could be different. Since costs are reducing, it may be a lucrative alternative if areas with sufficient wind speeds can be found. b) Arguments against its use in the UAE Scientists argue that the wind resource in the UAE is poor and at best marginal. This implies that the country lacks the wind speeds needed to carry out the process. Some wind turbines have already been installed in Sir Baani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi (Premalatha et. al., 2013). However, these turbines report about 5m/s of wind speed. This is one of the lowest ever recorded in the world, and puts into doubt its sustainability. 11. Sustainable energy source 3: Nuclear power a)Arguments for its use in the UAE The country has already committed itself to numerous projects for nuclear power generation. It is likely that these will undercut even the cheapest solar power plants (Darwish, 2011). The country will not have to rely fully on imported fuel if it can grow its local products vastly. b) Arguments against its use in the UAE It may be problematic to contain some of the nuclear waste that comes from the process. Political issues may also arise owing to the problem of nuclear proliferation. Using capital that was intended for other energy needs for this purpose may result in unrest. References Berrang-Ford, L., Ford, J. & Paterson, J. (2011). Are we adapting to climate change? Global Environmental Change, 21(1), pp. 25-33. Darwish, A. (2011). Prospects of using alternative energy for power and desalted water productions in Kuwait. Desalination and Water Treatment, 36 (3), 219–238. Iyer, S (2013). Solar cells. Retrieved from http://www.iitk.ac.in/reach/2008/Energy/REACH2008-SolarCells-SundarIyer.pdf Mezher, T., Goldsmith, D., & Chouchri, N. (2011). Renewable energy in Abu Dhabi: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Energy Engineering, 137(4), 169-176. Miller, K. & Coan, J. (2012). Current competitiveness of solar investment in the GCC Power Sector. Houston: James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy. Mokri, A., Aal Ali, M., & Emziane, M. (2013). Solar energy in the United Arab Emirates: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 28, 340-375. Nalwa, H. (2008). Handbook of organic electronics and photonics. Chicago: American Scientific Publishers. Premalatha, M., Tauseef, S., Abbasi, T., & Abbasi, S. (2013). The promise and the performance of the worlds first two zero carbon eco-cities. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 25, 660-669. Rivers, E. (2007). Leading edge research in solar energy. NY: Nova Science Publishers, 2007. Print. Zsamboky, M., Fernández-Bilbao, A. Smith, D., Knight, J. & Allan, J. (2011). Impacts of climate change on disadvantaged UK coastal communities. London: Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Read More