Climate Change: Need to Transition to Green Energy

Climate Change: Need to Transition to Green Energy

To avoid the worst effects of climate change, experts agree that temperatures should not rise more than 1.5 degrees Celsius which is above the pre-industrial levels by 2030. In addition, the environment and the people should benefit from a shift to renewable sources of energy sources. Climate change mitigation improves human health by reducing pollutant levels in the environment, and economic growth is all benefit of this plan. Many people, groups, organizations, governments, and businesses are working together to reduce the adverse effects of climate change on people and the natural environment. However, renewable energy sources need to be rolled out quickly worldwide, and we are only just starting now. If the Paris Agreement's targets are to be realized, renewable energy production must increase ninefold, and this increase must be pushed much further if 2050 is to see net-zero emissions. Moreover, due to the need to accommodate large-scale onshore wind and solar projects, this increase will significantly influence the amount of land required for various uses.

Infrastructure protecting natural regions and cultural assets while advancing climate change, conservation, and local community development is needed to speed up the green energy shift. In addition, an increase in renewable energy sources may have unforeseen consequences for the people, ecosystems, and animals that live there because of a more significant strain on land and water resources (Chatterjee 88). As a result of these and other social and environmental problems, the transition to clean energy could be significantly slowed. Thus, many believe careful planning is needed before rapidly adopting renewable energy sources. However, clean and green construction can help the world reach its climate, conservation, and community goals if it begins now.

Life on Earth relies on nitrogen because it is the most abundant element in the atmosphere. However, human activities, such as the generation of electricity, the transportation of industrial items, and agricultural practices can disrupt the natural nitrogen equilibrium (Higinbotham et al. 11). When fossil fuels are burned, nitrous oxides are discharged into the air. The abundance of nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere contributes to smog and acid rain. The most prevalent nitrogen-related chemicals created by human activity are nitrogen oxides. In addition to nitrous oxide, ammonia is a nitrogen-containing chemical in the environment. The vast majority of the nitrogen oxides created by human activity in the United States result from burning fossil fuels for energy purposes in industries such as transportation and manufacturing.

Nitrogen oxides are emitted into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. When burned, these nitrogen oxides contribute to smog and acid rain (Yamashita et al. 360). The vast majority of nitrogen oxide emissions are caused by automobiles and trucks. In addition to coal-fired power plants, there are also nuclear power stations. Byproducts such as nitrogen oxides and ammonia are washed into nearby streams as nitrogen in the atmosphere decays. Toxic algal blooms, Pollution, and oxygen-depleted aquatic zones can all be traced back to an overabundance of nutrients (Perissi et al. 7). These conditions are inhospitable to aquatic life due to their high ammonia levels and low pH.

Commercial organizations can use a variety of measures to reduce the risk of nutrient contamination. Maintaining a Low Carbon Footprint To understand better and control their emissions, leading companies conduct an annual inventory of their emissions of greenhouse gasses (Perissi et al. 7). A business's bottom line can be enhanced by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency. An efficient corporate energy management program may help businesses manage their energy use with the same knowledge they use to manage other elements of their organization. Environmental problems like air pollution and greenhouse gases emissions could be exacerbated by purchasing electricity (Perissi et al. 7).

Acid rain, rising levels of greenhouse gases, and health hazards can all result from using energy to generate it. In addition, less pollution will be from releasing nutrients into the atmosphere if less energy is used (Voigt et al. 14). It is possible to significantly reduce your monthly electric bills by purchasing energy-efficient home equipment such as light bulbs and heaters. Energy Star-certified buildings and goods use less energy than their non-certified counterparts. The thermostat can now be programmed with a variety of choices. There should be no more than a few hundred kilometers on the clock at any time. Using public transportation, such as buses and trains, or consolidating your driving excursions can help reduce the pollution in the air created by automobiles.

The use of nuclear power helps maintain a healthy environment. Nuclear power is a clean and pollution-free energy source (Louzazni et al. 4). Fission, the process of separating uranium atoms to produce energy, is how power is generated. More than 476 million metric tons of CO2 emissions were avoided by the US in 2018 (CO2 emission estimates From fossil fuel combustion (thousand metric tons of carbon dioxide) and per capita 402). It would be the equivalent of taking 100 million cars off the road at once, which is more than any other kind of sustainable energy. The benefit of clean air is the reduction of tens of thousands of tons of dangerous air pollutants each year. Consequently, nuclear power has a lower environmental impact than any other renewable clean energy.

A conventional nuclear power station in the US requires more than a square mile of land to run at total capacity. To create the an equal amount of electricity as solar photovoltaic plants, wind farms require 360 times more land space (Jacobs 4). To put this in perspective, it would take more than 3 million solar panels or more than 430 wind turbines to create the same power as a conventional commercial reactor. The amount of nuclear waste that is generated is insignificant. Nuclear fuel may be stored in little space and is one million times more efficient than other conventional energy. Also, the amount of spent nuclear fuel produced is significantly smaller than expected given this statistic. During the previous 60 years, the United States' nuclear energy sector has produced enough spent nuclear fuel to fill a football field less than 10 yards deep (Todd 527). Even though this type of waste is not now recycled in the United States, it can be reprocessed and recycled elsewhere. Even though some newer reactors may be able to run on older fuel, this is not the case for everyone.

Several projects are aimed at decreasing industrial smokestack emissions, such as better waste management, including capturing methane gas from waste sites for biogas. They have both been demonstrated to be effective in their ways. Distributed energy and other renewable energy sources can also help. The employment of the technology for the energy sector to push air pollution levels into a swift fall in all countries can significantly reduce air pollution in all countries. These strategies could save millions of lives and significantly lower the cost of importing fossil fuels. Countries have reduced their CO2 emissions by enacting higher fuel-economy requirements for vehicles, restrictions on power plants, and stricter energy-efficiency regulations for buildings, among other techniques. The India Heat Action Plan is an example of a modern program that tries to combat climate change and pollution from fossil fuels (Stephenson 12). In India, this concept was conceived and put into action. The HAP has implemented an early-warning system to provide more protection for residents of the area from heat waves, which can result in death. Because of its growing awareness of climate change, India's leaders are increasingly motivated to reduce their nation's reliance on coal and other fossil fuels.

An initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California was launched in 2006, with a goal of 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 for greenhouse gas emissions in California. An increase in real household income of $48 billion is expected to be a 76 percent rise in state GDP and the development of almost 400,000 new jobs in energy efficiency and climate change businesses (Szentannai 750). The program's ultimate purpose is to ensure equity by making energy efficiency advantages available to households with incomes ranging from low to high. In addition, power plants in northeastern states of the United States are subject to a regional cap-and-trade mechanism to decrease CO2 emissions and air pollution, which was established under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

Another example is Taiyuan, located in Shanxi Province and a provincial-level initiative in China. Shanxi Province's capital, Taiyuan, is notoriously polluted, especially in comparison to other major cities worldwide (Chen et al. 411). Health care costs due to premature death caused by air pollution were reduced by more than $621 million in Taiyuan in 2010, a decrease in disability-adjusted life years connected with air pollution. Between 2010 and 2016, major policy adjustments and new data from satellite and ground-level monitoring were added to their analysis (Chen et al. 412). Benefits of Worldwide Action estimated that joining in global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would save billions of dollars in damages for the United States. Many of these expenses can be traced back to air pollution and climate change. For example, the Clean Power Plan's air pollution co-benefits are estimated to be between $25 to 62 billion, significantly more than the anticipated $7 to $9 billion in compliance costs. From $55 billion to over $93 billion can be connected to reducing global warming through mitigation.

Decarbonization must also cover industry, transportation, and the heating and cooling of homes, all of which rely heavily on fossil fuels. Nuclear power can produce hydrogen without emitting harmful byproducts, making it a viable alternative to burning fossil fuels. For example, it can be used to store energy or power fuel-cell autos (Yamashita et al. 361). The move to renewable energy is becoming increasingly significant. Hybrid systems based on nuclear power are becoming a reality because of recent technological advancements, such as fast breeder reactors and small modular reactors, as well as improvements in safety and security. Renewable and nuclear energy will be combined in the future of power generation and industrial heating, which will be a hybrid.

Decarbonizing the energy industry is essential for a clean future, and nuclear power may play a significant role as a source of consistent and low-carbon power in this industry. Not much has changed as a result of the greening of the electrical grid. Nuclear power can help address climate change. Worldwide, nuclear power generates the second-largest percentage of clean energy. The usage of renewable sources of energy sources like solar and wind is likely to continue inreasing. However, these sources can only deliver electricity intermittently. With nuclear power's ability to play a substantial role, the reduction of industrial sector carbon emissions will be significantly aided

The size of the challenge is so great that societies cannot afford to exclude nuclear from the table. There are areas in which political leaders and government officials need to support nuclear to attain its full potential. First, for a level playing field for all significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions, people require a legislative framework that charges for carbon and applies to them. Markets without a price on carbon emissions do not provide adequate incentives for nuclear power generation (Higinbotham et al. 12). Long-term savings are needed, and uniformity is an essential component. For this preparation, everyone should get together and develop ways to make these ideas a reality. France's ability to produce carbon-free power is critical to achieving the aims of the Paris Agreement. Nuclear power will continue to play an important role in France's long-term energy transition strategy. The government must limit energy consumption, particularly fossil fuels; it must promote low-carbon energy production modalities, such as renewable and nuclear energies.

Covid-19 has shown gaps in the energy system, underscoring the importance of addressing the energy supply security problems. As a result, nuclear energy development will take another step ahead. There are currently 48 nuclear power reactors in operation around China, with 13 under construction. Nuclear power is a crucial part of China's energy mix and an effective way to battle climate change and meet emission reduction promises (Voigt et al. 15). In addition, it is widely accepted that nuclear power is a reliable option for meeting emission reduction commitments. China has embraced an innovation-driven development policy, emphasizing safe reliance, collaboration, and co-sharing. As a result, we have conducted substantial research and development on multi-use small modular reactors for various applications, including district heating, industrial gas supply, seawater desalination, and more.

The world's electricity must have a low carbon footprint to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A solution that can be implemented quickly is nuclear energy. One-third of the world's low-carbon electricity was provided by nuclear power during the height of the pandemics. This year's Scientific Forum will focus on how recent technological and scientific developments may enable countries to accomplish their climate and development goals through nuclear power. A culture of continuous innovation is essential for the nuclear power industry to realize its full potential. Because of these advanced, large-scale reactors, nuclear electricity is becoming more widely available, long-lasting, and reasonably priced. In addition, modern nuclear power plants are more efficiently run and maintained because of innovative technology and conceptualizations.

Works Cited

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