In our solar system the planet, Earth is the only planet that is suitable for living beings. As far as this modern human civilization has been able to discover is still in the state of a hypothesis that life may exist on many other planets orbiting millions of other solar systems under this infinite and ever-expanding universe. But that hypothesis and imagination are still confined to science fiction and movies. Mankind has reached this electromechanical and supersonic civilization through ever-increasing developments in knowledge, science, and technology. Once upon a time, during the Old Stone, New Stone, Iron, and Bronze Ages, our planet was ruled by ferocious wildlife. Over the past three thousand years, the development of human civilization has been as extensive and universal as it was not before. In particular, from the seventh to the fifteenth century, the foundations of today’s modern civilization were laid down. Subsequently, the discovery of fossil fuels such as coal in the seventeenth century contributed a huge to the European Renaissance and the transition to the modern Industrial Revolution.
We know that hydrocarbon deposits, such as petroleum, coal, or natural gas, are the remains of animals and plants stored underground for hundreds of years. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced by fossil fuels are considered and proven to be the main cause of global warming. While the continuous and reckless use of fossil fuels is increasing, which is making our green planet warmer. As a result, the climate and atmosphere are becoming hostile, and natural disasters like flash floods, landslides, and earthquakes are increasing abnormally and unexpectedly all over the world. Human’s unlimited greed for resources, reckless use of fossil fuels, massive urbanization and industrialization, and deforestation. are making our earth unfit for life. Moreover, due to the increasing day-by-day use of fossil fuels as well as its underground reserves of water will soon be exhausted. In such a reality, there is no alternative to the discovery of alternative sources of water to sustain the existence of modern human civilization in this world.
Many scientific studies indicate that the long-term effects of current global warming include rising sea levels, floods, melting of polar ice caps and glaciers, droughts, heat and cold currents, and equine winds caused by El Nino and La Nina. As a result, heavy rains, and drought are occurring in the Pacific region. If these trends continue, global temperatures could rise by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius (5.4 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100, and sea levels could rise by at least 2.3 meters (7.5 feet). Another effect of global warming is that infectious diseases such as malaria are returning to areas where they were previously extinct.
One statistic shows that 21% of the world’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions come from power plants, 21% from transportation, 13% from agricultural by-products, 10% from land use and burning organic matter such as plants, 11% from household cooking, 24% from other commercial fuels and 24% from other sources.
In the past, there was a more direct correlation between energy consumption (mainly fossil fuels) and a country’s overall economic development. For this reason, many countries have not felt motivated to take any effective measures to prevent the overuse of fossil fuels. But these days this direct relationship is proving wrong in many countries. An example is Germany, where economic growth has continued despite a steady decline in carbon emissions over the past few years.
Renewable fuels are naturally replaceable and reusable, for example, oxygen, clean water, solar energy and so on. Besides, various types of organic materials obtained from wood, paper, vines and leather can be included as sources of renewable energy. Eco-friendly fuel can be produced in some simple and cheap processes using solar energy, wind energy, various food crops, oil seeds, and animal waste. For example, rice husks can be used to generate gas, solar energy can be used to charge batteries, energy collected through solar cells can be used to generate electricity, or indirectly to heat buildings in colder countries, soybean oil and alcohol can be used to make aero diesel. Besides, many other unknown materials can be used as environmentally friendly renewable fuel sources.
Renewable energy sources make up 26% of the world’s electricity today. According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), by 2024 renewable solar energy and wind energy will account for nearly 30% of global energy sources. Already, solar power and wind power have overtaken natural gas as a source of renewable energy, more than double the role of nuclear power, and are second only to coal as the largest source of renewable energy. Experts expect non-hydro renewable energy such as solar and wind power to increase from 10% currently to 12% by the end of 2018. Although the climate conference is held every year, the largest conference held in Paris in 2015 helped the world leaders reach a consensus on an agreement to protect the environment. Many observers and world leaders have called it a historic, landmark, universal and ambitious agreement. Among the unanimously adopted declarations at that conference were halving greenhouse gas emissions by the second half of this century, limiting global warming to well below 2°C, if not 1.5 degrees Celsius which is above pre-industrial level, continuing efforts to reduce this, reviewing progress every five years, establishing a $100 billion climate fund for developing countries by 2020 and providing further compensation to affected countries if needed in the future. Unfortunately, that promise has been broken. According to the World Bank Group, the climate fund has reached USD 31 billion landmarks up to this Fiscal Year 2022.
At the Kyoto Climate Summit held in Japan in 1997, many countries agreed to reduce carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2012. But large carbon emitters such as the United States and many developing countries have refused to sign the agreement to reduce carbon emissions. At the Kyoto conference, many rich and developing countries did not experience the harsh consequences of climate change. But in the last few years, many developed and developing countries have been greatly affected by natural disasters such as flash floods, floods, landslides, earthquakes, heat flow, cold flow caused by carbon emissions, and subsequent global warming. And for this reason, those countries were forced to reach an agreement to reduce carbon emissions at the Paris Climate Conference to reduce more severe natural disasters in the future.
At the COP26 held in Glasgow in 2021 different countries, the private sector and local governments expressed a wave of new promises. Yet, commitments still fall short of what the environmental scientists are saying repeatedly is needed to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5C. But at COP27, recently held in Egypt, the world leaders have renewed their commitments to stimulate the action of mobilizing 100 billion climate funds, cutting emissions to the required level and fulfilling COP26 promises.
We may be very much optimistic that unlike former president Donald Trump US President Joe Biden has renewed US leadership on the world stage in terms of climate change. Joe Biden is committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50% to 52% by 2030 which is below the level in 2005, reaching 100% carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035.
Whatever the reality, the other powerful nations of the world must unite against any kind of stupidity and hubris regarding environmental pollution and global warming. Carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions must be kept at a tolerable level to save human civilization from extinction and at the same time keep this green planet suitable for animal life until another suitable planet like Earth is discovered. And to implement this scenario, the use of fossil fuels as a source of energy should be continuously reduced and the use of environmentally friendly alternatives and renewable energy sources should be increased. Today’s world is moving towards that goal.
The Daily SUN 17-11-2022
