“Climate change is probably the greatest long-term
challenge facing the human race. That is why I have made it a
top priority for this government, at home and internationally,” said
Prime Minister Tony Blair in his forward to the UK Climate Change
Programme 2006. “We can avert the worst global scenarios
if the world acts decisively, but there can be no delay. The
longer we put off action, the more dramatic and costlier the
changes we will have to make.”
Over the past 10,000 years, the climate of the Earth has remained
fairly constant, but over the last century -- mainly since the
industrial revolution -- there has been a massive increase in
emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other heat trapping
gases from industry, vehicles, agriculture, deforestation, and
power generation. These so-called “greenhouse gases” effectively
trap heat in the atmosphere, thus helping to change the global
climate.
While there may be some positive effects from a global warming,
such as longer growing seasons and warmer winters, scientific
opinion generally agrees that the adverse effects will greatly
overshadow any positive changes.
Around the UK, the warming of water off the coast has already
affected commercial fish and other marine life. The hottest summer
in a millennium in 2003 killed more than 35,000 people and set
a new UK record for high temperature, reaching 38.5 degrees
Celsius near Faversham in Kent. Eastern London is increasingly
at risk from tidal flooding caused by the 6mm per year rise in
sea level. Other dangers facing the UK in the next 100 years
include coastal erosion, large scale flooding, water shortages,
and habitat and species loss.
The UK government headed by Tony Blair has committed to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by 23-25 per cent by 2010, and by 60
percent by 2050. Introduced this year, the action plan lays down
guidelines to take advantage of renewable energy sources. Electric
companies will be required to obtain a set percentage of their
power from renewable resources. That percentage will increase
each year.
Power companies have been experimenting with various renewable
energy sources in order to meet the guidelines. Government subsidies
are available to companies utilizing renewable energy.
Britain is the windiest country in Europe, and so the use of
wind power is the most efficient and cheapest method of producing
renewable energy. According to the British Wind Energy Association
(BWEA), over 100 megawatts of new wind energy capacity will be
in place before 2008, which would increase the capability to
be able to power almost one million homes in the UK. In addition,
off shore wind farms are being developed to deliver long distance
power.
Balcas Timber, based near Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, used
180,000 tonnes of wood chip and sawdust by-product to provide
its own power requirements, saving up to 1 million pounds in
electric costs annually. The company has secured deals to provide
2 major power stations in England with wood pellets. The plant
has target pellet production of 50,0000 tonnes per year.
Other projects include wave energy technologies, a tidal lagoon,
power smart fridges, sewage treatment processes, giant solar
heaters and a desalination plant.
Another initiative by the UK government is the Renewable Transport
Fuel obligation, which will require fuel to be composed of a
certain percentage of biofuel.
Biofuels made from wheat and oilseed can be directly mixed with
existing fossil fuels and used in regular cars, so that people
won’t even know the difference when filling up.
In the UK, more than a half million hectares of farmland sit
idle. If those same hectares were utilized for biofuel crops,
they could produce almost 1m tonnes of biofuels every year.
The first hydrogen fuel cell bus route, the number 25 from Oxford
Circus to Ilford in London, will generate electricity from an
on-board fuel cell. Only steam will be emitted from the buses’ tailpipes.
In addition, the mayor’s goal is to have all London taxis
run on biofuels.
“Our emissions goals require leadership and action, by
government and by use all,” stated Tony Blair in the Climate
Change Programme. “This programme will move us closer,
and we will go further. But the solution is in the hands of us
all - as businesses, citizens, and consumers. Let’s achieve
this together.”
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