CIV558/CIV658
Sustainable development and climate
change–energy-environment nexus
Presented by:
Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Gökçekuş
Content
Section 1: Chapter 3
Section 2: Homework 3
Section 1:
Climate Change and Renewable Energy
What is renewable energy?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roHUVz_aivo
Renewable energy
Renewable energy, often referred to as clean energy, comes
from natural sources or processes that are constantly
replenished.
For example, sunlight or wind keep shining and blowing,
even if their availability depends on time and weather.
While renewable energy is often thought of as a new
technology, harnessing nature’s power has long been used for
heating, transportation, lighting, and more.
Cont.
Wind has powered boats to sail the seas and windmills to
grind grain. The sun has provided warmth during the day and
helped kindle fires to last into the evening. But over the past
500 years or so, humans increasingly turned to cheaper,
dirtier energy sources such as coal.
Renewable energy often provides energy in four important
areas: electricity generation, air and water heating/cooling,
transportation, and rural (off-grid) energy services
Cont.
Based on REN21 (Renewable Energy Policy Network for the
21st Century) report in 2017, renewables contributed 19.3%
to humans' global energy consumption and 24.5% to their
generation of electricity in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
This energy consumption is divided as 8.9% coming from
traditional biomass, 4.2% as heat energy (modern biomass,
geothermal and solar heat), 3.9% from hydroelectricity and
the remaining 2.2% is electricity from wind, solar,
geothermal, and other forms of biomass.
Cont.
Renewable energy resources and significant opportunities for
energy efficiency exist over wide geographical areas, in contrast
to other energy sources, which are concentrated in a limited
number of countries.
Rapid deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency,
and technological diversification of energy sources, would result
in significant energy security and economic benefits.
It would also reduce environmental pollution such as air
pollution caused by burning of fossil fuels and improve public
health, reduce premature mortalities due to pollution and save
associated health costs
Cont.
Renewable energy sources, that derive their energy from the
sun, either directly or indirectly, such as hydro and wind, are
expected to be capable of supplying humanity energy for
almost another 1 billion years, at which point the predicted
increase in heat from the Sun is expected to make the surface
of the Earth too hot for liquid water to exist.
Renewable energy often displaces conventional fuels in four
areas: electricity generation, hot water/space heating,
transportation, and rural (off-grid) energy services:
Cont.
Power generation
By 2040, renewable energy is projected to equal coal and
natural gas electricity generation. Several jurisdictions,
including Denmark, Germany, the state of South Australia
and some US states have achieved high integration of
variable renewables.
For example, in 2015 wind power met 42% of electricity
demand in Denmark, 23.2% in Portugal and 15.5% in
Uruguay. Interconnectors enable countries to balance
electricity systems by allowing the import and export of
renewable energy. Innovative hybrid systems have
emerged between countries and regions
Cont.
Heating
Solar water heating makes an important contribution to
renewable heat in many countries, most notably in China,
which now has 70% of the global total (180 GWth).
Most of these systems are installed on multi-family
apartment buildings and meet a portion of the hot water
needs of an estimated 50–60 million households in China.
Worldwide, total installed solar water heating systems meet
a portion of the water heating needs of over 70 million
households.
Cont.
Transportation
A solar vehicle is an electric vehicle powered completely
or significantly by direct solar energy. Usually,
photovoltaic (PV) cells contained in solar panels convert
the sun's energy directly into electric energy.
The term "solar vehicle" usually implies that solar energy
is used to power all or part of a vehicle's propulsion. Solar
power may be also used to provide power for
communications or controls or other auxiliary functions.
Types of Renewable Energy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44Wp3WE1AHs
Types of renewable energy
The most popular renewable energy sources currently are:
Solar energy
Wind energy
Hydro energy
Tidal energy
Geothermal energy
Biomass energy
Solar energy
Sunlight is one of our planet’s most abundant and freely
available energy resources.
The amount of solar energy that reaches the earth’s surface in
one hour is more than the planet’s total energy requirements
for a whole year.
Although it sounds like a perfect renewable energy source,
the amount of solar energy we can use varies according to the
time of day and the season of the year as well as geographical
location.
Cont.
One of the benefits of solar energy is that sunlight is
functionally endless. With the technology to harvest it, there
is a limitless supply of solar energy, meaning it could render
fossil fuels obsolete.
Relying on solar energy rather than fossil fuels also helps us
improve public health and environmental conditions.
Wind energy
Wind farms capture the energy of wind flow by using
turbines and converting it into electricity.
There are several forms of systems used to convert wind
energy and each vary. Commercial grade wind-powered
generating systems can power many different organizations,
while single-wind turbines are used to help supplement pre-
existing energy organizations.
Another form is utility-scale wind farms, which are purchased
by contract or wholesale.
Cont.
Technically, wind energy is a form of solar energy. The
phenomenon we call “wind” is caused by the differences in
temperature in the atmosphere combined with the rotation of
Earth and the geography of the planet.
Wind energy is a clean energy source, which means that it
doesn’t pollute the air like other forms of energy.
Wind energy doesn’t produce carbon dioxide, or release any
harmful products that can cause environmental degradation or
negatively affect human health like smog, acid rain, or other
heat-trapping gases
Hydroelectric
Dams are what people most associate when it comes to
hydroelectric power.
Water flows through the dam’s turbines to produce electricity,
known as pumped-storage hydropower. Run-of-river
hydropower uses a channel to funnel water through rather than
powering it through a dam.
Hydroelectric power is very versatile and can be generated
using both large scale projects, like the Hoover Dam, and small
scale projects like underwater turbines and lower dams on small
rivers and streams.
Cont.
Hydroelectric power does not generate pollution, and
therefore is a much more environmentally-friendly
energy option for our environment.
Geothermal
Geothermal heat is heat that is trapped beneath the earth’s crust
from the formation of the Earth 4.5 billion years ago and from
radioactive decay.
Sometimes large amounts of this heat escapes naturally, but all
at once, resulting in familiar occurrences, such as volcanic
eruptions and geysers.
This heat can be captured and used to produce geothermal
energy by using steam that comes from the heated water
pumping below the surface, which then rises to the top and can
be used to operate a turbine.
Cont.
Geothermal energy is not as common as other types of
renewable energy sources, but it has a significant potential for
energy supply.
Since it can be built underground, it leaves very little
footprint on land. Geothermal energy is naturally replenished
and therefore does not run a risk of depleting (on a human
timescale).
Ocean
The ocean can produce two types of energy: thermal and
mechanical.
Ocean thermal energy relies on warm water surface
temperatures to generate energy through a variety of different
systems.
Ocean mechanical energy uses the ebbs and flows of the tides
to generate energy, which is created by the earth’s rotation
and gravity from the moon.
Cont.
Unlike other forms of renewable energy, wave energy is
predictable and it’s easy to estimate the amount of energy that
will be produced.
Instead of relying on varying factors, such as sun and wind,
wave energy is much more consistent.
This type of renewable energy is also abundant, the most
populated cities tend to be near oceans and harbors, making it
easier to harness this energy for the local population.
Biomass
Bioenergy is a renewable energy derived from biomass. Biomass
is organic matter that comes from recently living plants and
organisms.
Using wood in your fireplace is an example of biomass that most
people are familiar with.
There are various methods used to generate energy through the
use of biomass.
This can be done by burning biomass, or harnessing methane gas
which is produced by the natural decomposition of organic
materials in ponds or even landfills.
Cont.
The use of biomass in energy production creates carbon
dioxide that is put into the air, but the regeneration of plants
consumes the same amount of carbon dioxide, which is said
to create a balanced atmosphere.
Renewable energy and climate change
Presently, the term “climate change” is of great interest to the
world at large, scientific as well as political discussions.
Climate has been changing since the beginning of creation,
but what is alarming is the speed of change in recent years
and it may be one of the threats facing the earth.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change defines climate change as being attributed directly or
indirectly to human activities that alters the composition of
the global atmosphere and which in turn exhibits variability
in natural climate observed over comparable time periods.
Cont.
For more than a decade, the objective of keeping global
warming below 2°C has been a key focus of international
climate debate.
Since 1850, the global use of fossil fuels has increased to
dominate energy supply, leading to a rapid growth in carbon
dioxide emissions.
Data by the end of 2010 confirmed that consumption of fossil
fuels accounted for the majority of global anthropogenic
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, where concentrations had
increased to over 390 ppm (39%) above preindustrial level
Cont.
Renewable technologies are considered as clean sources of
energy and optimal use of these resources decreases
environmental impacts, produces minimum secondary waste
and are sustainable based on the current and future economic
and social needs.
Renewable energy technologies provide an exceptional
opportunity for mitigation of greenhouse gas emission and
reducing global warming through substituting conventional
energy sources (fossil fuel based)
Cont.
Renewable energy sources used in energy generation helps to
reduce greenhouse gases which mitigates climate change,
reduce environmental and health complications associated
with pollutants from fossil fuel sources of energy.
Renewable energy sources could become the major energy
supply option in low-carbon energy economies. Disruptive
alterations in all energy systems are necessary for tapping
widely available renewable Energy sources.
Cont.
A major barrier towards the use of renewable energy source
depends on a country’s policy and policy instrument which in
turn affect the cost and technological innovations.
In addition, technological innovations affect the cost of
renewable energy technologies which in turn leads to market
failures and low patronization of the renewable energy
technology.
In the light of this, an effective renewable energy policy should
take the interconnection of factors affecting renewable energy
supplies and sustainability into consideration.
Could This Be the Solution to Reaching
100% Renewable Energy?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyZCPqQrg6w
Renewable energy sources and
sustainability
Tester (2005) defines sustainable energy as, “a dynamic
harmony between the equitable availability of energy-
intensive goods and services to all people and preservation of
the earth for future generations”
The world’s growing energy need, alongside increasing
population led to the continual use of fossil fuel-based energy
sources (Coal, Oil and Gas) which became problematic by
creating several challenges such as: depletion of fossil fuel
reserves, greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental
concerns, geopolitical and military conflicts, and the
continual fuel price fluctuations.
Cont.
These problems will create unsustainable situations which
will eventually result in potentially irreversible threat to
human societies.
Renewable energy sources are the most outstanding
alternative and the only solution to the growing challenges.
In 2012, renewable energy sources supplied 22% of the total
world energy generation.
Renewable energy supplies reduce the emission of
greenhouse gases significantly if replaced with fossil fuels.
Cont.
Since renewable energy supplies are obtained naturally from
ongoing flows of energy in our surroundings, it should be
sustainable.
For renewable energy to be sustainable, it must be limitless
and provide non-harmful delivery of environmental goods
and services.
For instance, a sustainable biofuel should not increase the net
CO2 emissions, should not unfavorably affect food security,
nor threaten biodiversity
Cont.
In spite of the outstanding advantages of renewable energy
sources, certain shortcoming exists such as: the discontinuity
of generation due to seasonal variations as most renewable
energy resources are climate-dependent, that is why its
exploitation requires complex design, planning and control
optimization methods.
100% Renewable Energy for
Sustainable Development
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejUojjU-Msc
Section 2
Homework 3
How can renewable energy help reduce global warming?
How can developing countries (choose your country) reduce
GHG emissions?
Write about 3000 words.
You must cite all information used in your report.
The level of similarity should be less than 15%
Deadline: 31-03-2021
