Future of Energy and Impacts of Geoengineering - Essay Example

Future of Energy and Impacts of Geoengineering Introduction The future of energy use and consumption is focused on using sources that have least emissions and thus the world could be moving towards extensive innovation of clean-energy. The industry players in the energy sector suggests that clean-energy innovation is the only way the world can meet the climate change goals, and this has been the focus of International Energy Agency (Internal Energy Agency, 2015). A primary concern is that despite the concerted efforts to reduce energy consumption, moving towards cleaner energy is falling behind the expected levels that were predicted to limit the increasing global or atmospheric temperatures to values more than 20C. In a bid also to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, scientists and academicians are fast coming up with geoengineering techniques including reflection of the sunlight from the space, adding significant amounts of iron fillings or lime into marine ecosystems, irrigation of Australia and North African deserts for growing trees and also pumping nutrient-rich waters to the surface of marine waters like oceans. Though human engineering can help in reducing the catastrophic effects of global warming, there are severe effects that the methods leave on the ecosystems as well health and safety of the humans. Therefore, it is imperative to discuss the direction of future energy use and consumption and also the effects that that large-scale geoengineering could be leaving on the planet earth. Future of Energy Energy use and consumption are the primary sources of greenhouse emissions thus efforts are being made to introduce techniques that could reduce the impacts of the current energy sources on the environment (Eia, 2015). Therefore, the International Energy Agency has proposed that the only the world can handle and reduce the effects of climate is by focusing on introducing technologies that lead to cleaner energy production and consumption (Internal Energy Agency, 2015). Another important issue to consider in the debate about future energy is that the set targets for reducing climate change have not yet been met, therefore, the need to introduce more strategies and techniques that will result in the reduction of the emission levels. The need to focus on future energy techniques is because the climate change goals cannot only be met through the UN as the body that negotiates the approaches that countries can adapt to mitigate the adverse impacts of contemporary energy consumption on the environment (Eia, 2015). Therefore, the world is now open to ground-breaking energy techniques and technologies that are focused towards mobilizing climate change mitigation, and thus policy makers are encouraged to support such efforts. The move towards cleaner production and consumption is currently evident in the manner in which the energy sector is flooded with many innovations that have also transformed the economic and social sector in the past century (Eia, 2015). On the other hand, the world is making a profound progress towards developing solar panels and also improvement in fuel consumption for the passenger cars (Internal Energy Agency, 2015). The two outstanding development in the energy sector are, therefore, is expected to improve in the near future since they are crucial in addressing climate change since they have reduced greenhouse emissions into the atmosphere. The world, through national governments and international bodies, has set energy and environmental access targets that will rely mostly on better technologies. In fact, currently, states have increased their spending on research and development concerning energy research (Internal Energy Agency, 2015). On the other hand, there is the increasing call for the private sectors to join hands with the governments so as to increase the spending on energy research and development and also put more emphasis on introducing low-carbon technologies (Eia, 2015). A comprehensive long-term analysis of the trends in the energy sector reveals that the stakeholders have centered their efforts on technologies and deployment levels that are necessary for increased environmental sustainability, affordable and secure energy (Eia, 2015). For instance, there has been an increasing growth of the solar PV and also the recent inauguration of the large-scale power stations that are capable of capturing carbon since they depend on carbon capture and sequestration technologies (Internal Energy Agency, 2015). Therefore, the increased move towards embracing cleaner energy consumption and production is a clear indication that future energy could be marked by increased research and development in introducing clean technologies. The government also has a role to play in the move towards adopting clean energy. In this case, the governments have a role to play in creating market opportunities that encourage innovators, as well as investors, to introduce better technologies for reducing greenhouse emissions (Internal Energy Agency, 2015). For instance, the public has been made aware of the need for renewable energy and now they purchase more of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power as the low-cost energy consumption systems (Eia, 2015). Therefore, the future of energy is that the public will recognize the need to use renewable energy sources not only to reduce impacts of energy consumption on the environment but also to reduce costs. Impacts of Geoengineering Though the large-scale use of geoengineering has been associated with the reduction and prevention of devastating effects of global warming, experts are warning that there could be adverse impacts associated with this approach. The implication is that even if the methods are applied to reduce global warming, they will actual result in 8% drop in the atmospheric temperatures (Vidal, 2014). In effect, humans have introduced some of the geoengineering techniques like the reflection of sunlight from the space, adding iron filings and lime into oceans and irrigation of deserts to plant trees (Vidal, 2014). However, it is believed that these techniques could actually result in severe and unintended effects that will not be safe to stop. In this regard, researchers and scientists now reveal that the techniques are poised to create more chaos in the earths complex weather systems that are also yet to be fully understood. In fact, scientists are now predicting that these potential side effects are potentially disastrous. For example, ocean upwelling or bringing the deep cold waters to the surface will succeed in cooling the temperatures of surface waters and also reducing melting of the sea ice (Vidal, 2014). However, the technique will have side effects by unbalancing global heat budget. On the other hand, the decision to add lime or iron filings on the oceans will affect the oceans’ oxygen levels (Vidal, 2014). Nonetheless, the reflection of sunlight from the space can alter and change rainfall patterns while dessert reforestation can change the wind patterns and also impact on the growth of trees in other areas. The scientists also reveal that some of the geoengineering techniques once used to reduce the catastrophic effects of global warming could not be safely and easily stopped. For instance, if the management of solar radiation or the upwelling of oceans is stopped then rapid global warming can occur (Vidal, 2014). However, the discontinuation of other methods could not result in devastating or negative effects. Though forestation has been considered one of the best methods for addressing climate change and reducing CO2 levels in the atmosphere, planting of trees in the desserts may become disastrous if the irrigation was stopped. The implication is that the dessert will return to its original state and the stored carbon in plants in the form of biomass will return, slowly, into the atmosphere through respiration and decay since it is stored in plants (Vidal, 2014). It is now evident that the geoengineering techniques have advantages and disadvantages, but they are actually limited in the reduction of greenhouse emissions and reduction of global warming. The implication is that in the event the CO2 levels remain high in the atmosphere then the methods cannot be entirely relied on to address climate change (Vidal, 2014). Therefore, the methods could prove to complement mitigation efforts but not as alternative options for addressing climate change. In this case, the world should not rely only on climate engineering alternatives but should rather focus on reducing the overreliance on carbon-based energy consumption and production systems. Conclusion In summary, the world is currently faced with the challenge of sustaining its economic development at the expense of climate change and global warming. However, the future of energy production and consumption is set to shift to the cleaner sources especially the renewable energy sources like solar panels and wind power. The public has also realized the need to focus on renewable energy sources that does not only increase greenhouse emissions but are cost effective. Nonetheless, geoengineering techniques have been introduced to address global warming despite the adverse effects that could occur if the techniques and the processes were discontinued. References Vidal, J. (2014). Geoengineering side effects could be potentially disastrous, research shows: Comparison of five proposed methods shows they are ineffective, alter weather systems or could not be safely stopped. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/feb/25/geoengineering-side-effects-potentially-disastrous-scientists Eia, (1 May, 2015). Today in Energy. US Energy Information Administration. Retrieved from http://www.eia.gov/ Internal Energy Agency, (May 4, 2015). Clean-energy innovation essential to meeting climate goals. Retrieved from http://www.iea.org/newsroomandevents/pressreleases/2015/may/clean-energy-innovation-essential-to-meeting-climate-goals.html Read More