|
Global Notes: Environmental Information |
 More and more energy…
Every day we hear news about climate change and the consequences of the world’s overuse of fossil fuels. Man has for a long time been extracting and burning fossil fuels (especially coal and oil) to produce energy. Not only are fossil fuels exhaustible, but their energy comes with a high environmental price to pay.
Fossil fuel burning results in high emissions of carbon dioxide. CO2 is one of the “greenhouse gases�, which trap heat in the atmosphere. Without the greenhouse effect, the Earth would be covered in ice and life as we know it would not exist. However, excessive concentrations of these gases cause temperatures to increase.
The potential consequences are indeed global: sea water levels rising, ice caps melting, and more frequent extreme weather events. These changes will impact on food production systems, water supplies, human health and ecosystems, and result in the displacement of people from affected areas (the so-called environmental refugees).
 Do we know where it comes from?
What happens on the other end of the pipeline, where it all starts, is not as well reported. Oil extraction and production can result in serious social and environmental impacts. Some areas where oil is extracted are exposed to shocking pollution and habitat destruction, as well as human rights abuses.
We are all fuelling the change
Ultimately, it is not only a question of how we produce the energy we use, but also how much energy we need to maintain our current lifestyles.
Fossil fuels are “embedded� in almost all items we use in our daily lives—be it as raw materials or as energy required for their production, packaging, transportation (sometimes around the world), and even disposal.
As long as there is high demand for energy, the world will keep finding ways to produce more and more of it. There is no doubt that renewable energy must be part of the solution, as must each one’s daily efforts not to waste energy—for they do make a difference.
Find out more about climate change and fossil fuel energy:
DLIST: “Energy� Burning Issue
http://www.dlist-benguela.org/Burning_Issues/Energy/Energy%3A_An_Introduction/
Here you will find a list of web links, legal documents, news and discussions on the energy topic
Energy Bulletin: Peak oil primer and links
http://www.energybulletin.net/primer.php
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
http://www.ipcc.ch/
Global Warming Early Warning Signs
http://www.climatehotmap.org/
And about urban planning and solutions:
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability
http://www.solutions-site.org/artman/publish/article_62.shtml
Orienting Urban Planning to Sustainability in Curitiba, Brazil
http://www3.iclei.org/localstrategies/summary/curitiba2.html
Institute of Waste Management of South Africa
http://www.iwmsa.co.za/
City of Cape Town’s Integrated Development Plan
http://www.capetown.gov.za/idp/default.asp
|
