Introduction This unit provides an introduction to global warming. We will be considering the history of global warming by looking at the pattern of ice ages and analysis of recorded temperatures. We will aim to gather meaningful information from this data. We will briefly assess the impact and influence of humans on global warming and, finally, we will examine climate models and how to predict future changes.
5.7.1 Plan preparation Perhaps the first question to ask is ‘What is an emergency plan?’ Dodswell, in his guide to business continuity management, defined an ‘emergency management plan’ as simply: A plan which supports the emergency management team by providing them with information and guidelines. (Dodswell, 2000, p. 56) Another definition, of an ‘emergency preparedness plan’ prepared in the co
3.1.1 The cause A small digression will be made here to question the use of the word ‘cause’ and to reflect on the view expressed by Kletz (1988, p. 2). He argues that the word has an air of finality about it, and is concerned that finding the cause discourages further investigation. He cites an example that the cause of a pipe failure was corrosion – which suggests that we know why the failure occurred. He draws the analogy of the cause of a fall being gravity – suggesting that nothing more can be d
5 5 Energy services and efficiency improvement
Energy efficiency measures can also play a part in reducing energy demand and greenhouse gases. At present, only about one-third of the energy content of the fuel we use emerges as ‘useful’ energy, the remaining two-thirds ends up as waste heat. The present regulatory regime compounds this problem by rewarding utilities for selling as much energy as possible regardless of energy efficiency or longevity of appliances. One reason for the continuing inefficiency is that energy
4 4 Renewable energy sources Fossil and nuclear fuels are often described as non-renewable because supplies are finite and will eventually run out. Renewable fuels are those energy sources that will not run out in the future. Most renewable energy sources originate from the sun (solar energy), while tidal energy originates from the gravitational pull of the moon, and geothermal energy results from heat trapped below the surface of our planet. Solar energy can be used directl
3 3 Present energy sources and sustainability What are the principal energy sources at present, and how sustainable are they? About 80 per cent of the world's energy is currently supplied by fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. Present estimates suggest that, at current consumption rates, there are over 200-years' worth of coal left, 60-years' of gas, and 40-years' of oil. Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons, and their combustion releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, one of the main causes of the human-induced
2 2 Definitions: energy, sustainability and the future What do we mean by energy and sustainability, and what is meant by future? The term energy has a long history but the standard scientific definition today is that energy is the capacity to do work. The term power is related to energy and its definition is power is the rate of doing work. The two are linked together by the simple formula
energy = power x time
The term sustainability is not so simple to define but there is perhaps no better
1 1 Why sustainable energy matters One of the greatest challenges facing humanity during the twenty-first century must surely be that of giving everyone on the planet access to safe, clean and sustainable energy supplies. Throughout history, the use of energy has been central to the functioning and development of human societies. But during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, humanity learned how to harness the highly-concentrated forms of energy contained within fossil fuels. These provided the power that drove the
Learning outcomes When you have completed this unit you should: have an understanding and awareness of the importance of sustainable energy; have an overview of the main sources of renewable energy.
Introduction The search for sustainable energy will dominate the twenty-first century. This unit provides an introductory overview of the present energy systems and takes a brief look at where the world may find energy in the future – cleaner use of fossil fuels or renewable energy sources? This unit is from our archive and is an adapted extract from Energy for a sustainable future (T206) which is no longer taught by The Open University. If you want to study formally with us, you may wish to explo
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References Glossary 6.4.4 Environmental limits There are many different definitions of what sustainable development means; you were given one in Section 5.3, and how this should guide policy. The underpinning concepts are: equity for human development, and limits on the capacity of the environment. The idea of environmental limits on the ability of the Earth's biophysical systems to cope with and adapt to pressures from human activity, whether from demand for natural resources, the waste products of modern economies, or from habitat modif 6.4.3 Problems and solutions These concepts apply equally to our interactions with the environment. As we have seen in Case Studies 1 and 2, our use of technology can contribute to environmental problems (the release of ozone-depleting chemicals and greenhouse gases) and at the same time is the basis of environmental solutions through the control of CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs, and improved energy efficiency. The general point is made by the following passage from Our Common Future, the report for the United Nations Conference 6.4.2 A broad view of technology This dual nature is not because machines or chemicals are inherently good or bad; it arises from the way societies decide to use them (or not). This makes sense if you take a broad view of technology, outlined at the beginning of this Introduction. This is the understanding that technology, and it's uses from artefacts to infrastructure, is the product of human and social action. It is a major driver of the development of societies and their economies, but the forms and directions thes 6.4 Technology and environment At the start of this unit I asked a simple question: am I damaging the environment by using my fridge? I warned that it wasn't my intention to give a simple answer that we should all stop using refrigerators or all carry on regardless. Instead, we have explored the issue more widely, calling on a range of ideas and background information in the Case Studies. It is time to review some of the concepts we have been using. 6.3 Sustainable development The third approach to balancing human needs with environmental protection is to try to come to grips with what we mean by sustainability. The most widely quoted definition of sustainable development is the one used by Gro Harlem Brundtland in the highly influential book Our Common Future (Brundtland, 1987): ‘Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present with 6.2 The hierarchy of human needs A second approach is to look at the human needs and wants from a more theoretical perspective. One such model was developed in the 1950s and 1960s by Abraham Maslow. Although it exists in many variants it is generally known as Maslow's hierarchy of human needs. In the most common interpretations it places the fundamental material needs of survival, such as food, shelter and safety at the base of a triangle, rising through social needs of belonging in human society, to 4.4 Discussion In this second case study, I have described two different trends in energy use by cold appliances over the last few decades. On the one hand the efficiency with which appliances use electrical energy has improved but, in spite of this, their consumption of electricity has increased significantly in recent decades. Since 2000 consumption has started to decline, probably as a result of the introduction of minimum energy standards. The trend will only continue if we demand and use the most energ
Glossary item Definition atom the smallest amount of a chemical element that still retains the properties of that element. biodiversity a contraction of ‘biological diversity’, in general it describes the variety of life on Earth and specifically the total sum of the genes, species, ha
