Climate Change Mitigation
Towards a low-carbon economy
Your Planet Needs You! Unite to Combat Climate Change' has been the slogan of this year's World Environment Day; 'Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy' was last year's. With these for three successive times the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) has declared 'climate change' related themes for observing World Environment Day. This phenomenon helps us understand how much emphasis is given by UNEP on global warming and climate change issue. Climate change due to global warming is an all encapsulating global disaster. But it is impossible to mitigate it unless economic production system of this planet is made carbon neutral.
The process of deforestation to make more room for the mankind and fossil fuel burning to generate energy are two primary causes of CO2 emission in the atmosphere. There are many Green House Gases (GHGs) but CO2 contributes mostly to the ongoing global warming due to its cumulative increase in the atmostphere.
Climate change impact: Already we are experiencing the impacts of climate change world wide with more severe and longer droughts; more violent storms affecting our coastlines and more flooding in parts of floodplains. Bangladesh is also experiencing the severe impacts.
Adaptation and mitigation : It is a remarkable consensus among the scientists that to smoothen or avoid the adverse effects of climate change there are two options: reducing the emission of green house gases substantially and/or adaptation to the climate change conditions. Even if we opt for adaptation, reduction of emission should be complementary to it.
Collective approach: Global warming is linked to everyday habits and practices of billions of people of the earth. Modern way of living and pursuing livelihood are linked with emission of CO2. Though it is not impossible to live in this planet without harming it but it needs a systematic observation of rules of change, formulation of sustainable way of living and leading life accordingly. The latter implies policy makers, decision makers and most significantly mass people. So efforts towards mitigating the climate crisis should be focused on people.
Change of habit: In the theme of last year's world Environment Day habit means the way of living at personal level in the existing local, national and international economic system. Habit means the adapted way of living that is harming the ecological balance of this planet specially warming its atmosphere to an adverse climate change. And its asked for a change to low carbon economy.
Horizons of low carbon economy
It is true that the economic activities of people not friendly to the environment of the earth are major factors responsible for the climate change crisis. So we need: Sustainable building design: Sustainable building design is environment friendly design of building. There must be provision for: * Less energy requirement for cooling and heating * Devices to capture solar and wind energy * A system to capture rainwater to use for domestic purpose * Design to support roof-top plantation Renewable energy source: An energy system comprises its production, distribution and utilization regimes. The conventional energy system is based on fossil fuels -- coal, mineral oil and natural gas .When burnt these fuels produce CO2 and CO2 emitted by power stations and automobiles are mostly responsible for global warming and climate change. So, it is urgent to construct an energy system based on renewable energy sources to secure future of the planet earth from the disaster of global warming and climate change. The major renewable energy sources are solar energy, wind power, tidal power and biomass energy. Population control: Without controlling population it is not possible to control the green house gas emission effectively .The population of the earth is increasing steadily and it is easily understandable that for more people more energy and more living space are a must that imply more fossil fuel burning and more clearing of natural forests. Kick the luxury: Luxury is the major culprit that contributes most to aggravate the climate change situation. Due to our luxurious lifestyles we are doing more things than what we actually need. Doing unnecessary things imply more energy use that generate more heat and CO2 in atmosphere. Thus we need to shun this useless extravagance. Using fewer machines: Love for idleness and less physical work made people more dependent on machines that are run by fossil fuels or use energy derived from fossil fuel. It has become people's habit to get simple works done by various machines instead of doing it manually. But only changing this habit can help a lot towards achieving a low carbon economy. Mitigating crisis in sustainable manner
How to cut emission? Massive forestation, raising energy efficiency and reduction in fossil fuel burning are promising options to mitigate the climate change crisis. Reducing energy use: World wide demand for energy is rising rapidly .In this scenario it is impossible to reduce overall energy use but by changing our habit i.e. avoiding waste of energy and turning to more manual work can be a promise towards sustainable livelihood. Fostering energy efficiency: From generation to transmission to utilization -- all the stages of energy system need more efficient technology and more efficient handling. Maximizing use of renewable energy: Sustainable energy aims at lowering the amount of fossil fuel use while increasing the share of renewable energy sources for electricity generation and if possible for total energy requirement. Choice of renewable energy sources: The best option among renewable energy sources is the solar energy because it is the manmade imitation of natural process of photosynthesis. Biomass is produced by photosynthesis capturing the solar energy. Burning biomass does no harm to the environment. Conclusion
If our hearts beat to save planet earth we must act now or it will be too late to tackle the demise of this only known fountain of life in the universe. Controlling population, being frugal in and lifestyle adapting to the natural processes are some principles for marching toward our destination of low carbon economy for a blissful and happy living on the globe.
It is true that the economic activities of people not friendly to the environment of the earth are major factors responsible for the climate change crisis. So we need: Sustainable building design: Sustainable building design is environment friendly design of building. There must be provision for: * Less energy requirement for cooling and heating * Devices to capture solar and wind energy * A system to capture rainwater to use for domestic purpose * Design to support roof-top plantation Renewable energy source: An energy system comprises its production, distribution and utilization regimes. The conventional energy system is based on fossil fuels -- coal, mineral oil and natural gas .When burnt these fuels produce CO2 and CO2 emitted by power stations and automobiles are mostly responsible for global warming and climate change. So, it is urgent to construct an energy system based on renewable energy sources to secure future of the planet earth from the disaster of global warming and climate change. The major renewable energy sources are solar energy, wind power, tidal power and biomass energy. Population control: Without controlling population it is not possible to control the green house gas emission effectively .The population of the earth is increasing steadily and it is easily understandable that for more people more energy and more living space are a must that imply more fossil fuel burning and more clearing of natural forests. Kick the luxury: Luxury is the major culprit that contributes most to aggravate the climate change situation. Due to our luxurious lifestyles we are doing more things than what we actually need. Doing unnecessary things imply more energy use that generate more heat and CO2 in atmosphere. Thus we need to shun this useless extravagance. Using fewer machines: Love for idleness and less physical work made people more dependent on machines that are run by fossil fuels or use energy derived from fossil fuel. It has become people's habit to get simple works done by various machines instead of doing it manually. But only changing this habit can help a lot towards achieving a low carbon economy. Mitigating crisis in sustainable manner
How to cut emission? Massive forestation, raising energy efficiency and reduction in fossil fuel burning are promising options to mitigate the climate change crisis. Reducing energy use: World wide demand for energy is rising rapidly .In this scenario it is impossible to reduce overall energy use but by changing our habit i.e. avoiding waste of energy and turning to more manual work can be a promise towards sustainable livelihood. Fostering energy efficiency: From generation to transmission to utilization -- all the stages of energy system need more efficient technology and more efficient handling. Maximizing use of renewable energy: Sustainable energy aims at lowering the amount of fossil fuel use while increasing the share of renewable energy sources for electricity generation and if possible for total energy requirement. Choice of renewable energy sources: The best option among renewable energy sources is the solar energy because it is the manmade imitation of natural process of photosynthesis. Biomass is produced by photosynthesis capturing the solar energy. Burning biomass does no harm to the environment. Conclusion
If our hearts beat to save planet earth we must act now or it will be too late to tackle the demise of this only known fountain of life in the universe. Controlling population, being frugal in and lifestyle adapting to the natural processes are some principles for marching toward our destination of low carbon economy for a blissful and happy living on the globe.
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