Energy & Environmental

Perspectives
E N V I R O N M E N TA L I M PA C T O F E N E R G Y G E N E R AT I O N A N D U T I L I Z AT I O N

S A N D R A B R I T TO N
 Climate Change

Climate change refers to any significant change in

the measures of climate for extended periods of
time, usually over decades or longer. This includes
Climate Change major, long-term changes in temperature,
precipitation, humidity, ocean heat, wind patterns,
sea level, sea ice extent, and other factors, and how
these changes affect life on Earth.

Source: https://www.noaa.gov/explainers/what-s-difference-between-climate-and-weather
Climate Change
• The main driver of climate change is the greenhouse effect.
• The main gases responsible for the greenhouse effect include
carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor (which all
occur naturally), and fluorinated gases (which are synthetic)
Climate Change
Factors influencing Climate Change
◦ Natural Events
◦ Volcanoes and variation of ocean currents

◦ Human activities
◦ Changes in land use (deforestation)
◦ Burning of coal, oil and gas
Climate Change Has an Impact on:

Ecosystems
Ecosystems •• Biodiversity,
Biodiversity,carbon
carbonstorage,
storage,habitats,
habitats,……

Human
Humansystems
systems •• Agriculture,
Agriculture, fresh
fresh water,
water,health,
health,……

Urban
Urbansystems
systems •• Transport,
Transport,buildings,
buildings,lifestyle,
lifestyle, ……

•• Energy,
Energy, manufacturing,
manufacturing,natural
naturalcapital
capital
Economic
Economicsystems
systems industries,tourism
industries,tourism……

Social
Socialsystems
systems •• Equity,
Equity, migration,
migration,peace
peaceand
andconflict,
conflict,……

Section 1: Introduction to Climate Change Science 5

Impacts of Climate Change
◦ Changes in extreme heat
◦ Increased rainfall
◦ Changes in the availability of food and freshwater
◦ Rising sea levels
◦ Loss of biodiversity and nature
Addressing Climate Change
Conference of the Parties
List - UNFCCC

COP Country Agreements Date of Conference

At COP 1 in 1995, UNFCCC parties decided

to accelerate climate efforts by launching
negotiations toward a first sub-agreement.
They agreed that, consistent with the
principle of CBDRRC, the new agreement
would establish binding targets and
COP 1 Berlin, Germany 1995 Berlin Mandate timetables for reduce developed country 28 Mar - 07 Apr 1995
emissions, but no new commitments for
developing countries. (In the nonbinding
Byrd-Hagel resolution, the U.S. Senate
rejected this premise, saying the agreement
should also include new greenhouse gas
limits for developing countries.)

COP 2 Geneva, Switzerland     08 Jul - 19 Jul 1996

The resulting Kyoto Protocol was adopted at

COP 3 in 1997. Largely at the insistence of
the United States, the agreement incorporated
COP 3 Kyoto, Japan 1995-1997 Kyoto Protocol a series of “flexible,” or market-based, 01 Dec - 10 Dec 1997
mechanisms enabling developed countries to
use different forms of emissions trading to
achieve their targets more cost-effectively –
CDM, emissions trading and Joint
Implementation
COP 4 Buenos Aires, Argentina     02 Nov - 13 Nov 1998

COP 5 Bonn, Germany     25 Oct - 05 Nov 1999

Addressing Climate Change
COP Country Agreements Date of Conference

COP 6 The Hague, Netherlands   13 Nov - 24 Nov 2000

 

COP 7 Marrakech, Morocco Marrakesh Accord The Marrakech Accords, an outcome of 29 Oct - 10 Nov 2001
COP7, details the rules and procedures for
meeting the emission reduction targets set in
the Kyoto Protocol.
COP 8 New Delhi, India   23 Oct - 01 Nov 2002
 
COP 9 Milan, Italy   01 Dec - 12 Dec 2003
 
COP 10 Buenos Aires, Argentina   06 Dec - 17 Dec 2004
 
COP 11 Montreal, Canada   28 Nov - 09 Dec 2005
 

COP 12 Nairobi, Kenya   06 Nov - 17 Nov 2006

 

The 2007 Bali Action Plan launched talks aimed

at a new agreement providing for the UNFCCC’s
COP 13 Bali, Indonesia Bali Roadmap and Bali Action Plan “full, effective and sustained implementation.” 03 Dec - 17 Dec 2007
The agreement was to be adopted at COP 15 in
Copenhagen in 2009. More than 100 world
leaders converged on Copenhagen for the
summit, but negotiators were unable to overcome
their differences. President Barack Obama and
other leaders stepped in to quickly hammer out
the Copenhagen Accord, but a handful of
countries objected, keeping it from being
formally adopted by the COP.

COP 14 Poznań, Poland   01 Dec - 12 Dec 2008

 
Addressing Climate Change
COP Country Agreements Date of Conference

The Copenhagen Accord, while only a political agreement,

reflected significant progress on several fronts. It set a
goal of limiting global temperature increase to 2 degrees
Celsius; called on all countries to put forward mitigation
COP 15 Copenhagen, Denmark The Copenhagen Accord pledges; established broad terms for the reporting and 07 Dec - 18 Dec 2009
verification of countries’ actions; set a goal of mobilizing
$100 billion a year by 2020 in public and private finance
for developing countries; and called for the establishment
of a new Green Climate Fund.

         

COP 16 Cancún, Mexico Cancun Agreements At COP 16 the following year in Cancun, parties adopted 28 Nov - 10 Dec 2010
the Cancun Agreements, effectively formalizing the
essential elements of the Copenhagen Accord under the
UNFCCC. The Cancun Agreements were regarded as an
interim arrangement through 2020, and parties left the door
open to further negotiations toward a legally binding
successor to the Kyoto Protocol.

COP 17 Durban, South Africa   At COP 17 in Durban, South Africa, parties adopted the 28 Nov - 09 Dec 2011
Durban Platform for Enhanced Action, launching talks
aimed at achieving a comprehensive new agreement
starting in 2020. They left open the legal nature of the
agreement and how it would address differentiation
between developed and developing countries.
COP 18 Doha, Qatar   26 Nov - 07 Dec 2012
 
COP 19 Warsaw, Poland   11 Nov - 23 Nov 2013
 
Addressing Climate Change
COP Country Agreements Date of Conference

COP 20 Lima, Peru   01 Dec - 12 Dec 2014

 

World leaders once again at COP 21 in Paris,

and on December 12, 2015, parties adopted
the landmark Paris Agreement. The
COP 21 Paris, France Paris Agreement agreement represents a hybrid of the “top- 30 Nov - 12 Dec 2015
down” Kyoto approach and the “bottom-up”
approach of the Copenhagen and Cancun
agreements. It establishes common binding
procedural commitments for all countries, but
leaves it to each to decide its nonbinding
“nationally determined contribution” (NDC).
The agreement establishes an enhanced
transparency framework to track countries’
actions, and calls on countries to strengthen
their NDCs ever five years.

COP 22 Marrakech, Morocco   07 Nov - 18 Nov 2016

 

COP 23 Bonn, Germany   06 Nov - 17 Nov 2017

 

COP 24 Katowice, Poland Katowice Climate Package 03 Dec - 14 Dec 2018

 
COP 25 Madrid, Spain   02 Dec - 13 Dec 2019
 

COP 26 Glasgow, Scotland   31 Oct – 12 Nov 2021

 
Regional Programs to address Climate
Change
◦ CARICOM Regional Programs
◦ CREDP
◦ C-SERMS
◦ SIDs Dock
◦ REETA
◦ TAPSEC
◦ CCREEE
National Programs to address Climate
Change
◦ Barbados
◦ Guyana
◦ Jamaica
◦ St. Lucia
◦ St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Global Warming

“Global warming” describes the process whereby

Global Warming gases released into the atmosphere trap heat,
leading to a warming of the earth
Global Warming
◦ According to the National Climate Assessment, human influences are the
number one cause of global warming, especially the carbon pollution we
cause by burning fossil fuels and the pollution-capturing we prevent by
destroying forests.

◦ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Ci_EooW-k
Impacts of Global Warming
◦ More frequent and severe weather
◦ Droughts
◦ Severe storms
◦ Floods
◦ Wildfires
◦ Higher wildlife extinction rates
◦ More acidic oceans
◦ Sea level rise
Impacts of Global Warming
◦ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oAtv14C6Cs
Acid Rain
◦ Acid rain results when sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) are
emitted into the atmosphere and transported by wind and air currents. The
SO2 and NOX react with water, oxygen and other chemicals to form sulfuric
and nitric acids. These then mix with water and other materials before
falling to the ground in the form of dew, hail, fog, drizzle, snow and rain. .

◦ While a small portion of the SO2 and NOX that cause acid rain is from
natural sources such as volcanoes, most of it comes from the burning of
fossil fuels. For example coal, contain large quantities of sulfur which forms
sulfur dioxide upon combustion.
Acid Rain
◦ Acid rain basically stems from emissions of sulfur
dioxide and nitrogen oxide gases into the
atmosphere as a result of
◦ Burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity (power
plants);
◦ Manufacturing, oil refineries, and industries (smelters);
◦ Vehicles (automobile exhausts).
Acid Rain
◦ Negative Consequences of Acid Rain on

Acid Rain
Forests
Visibility

Groundwater,
Materials & Aquatic
Crops
Buildings life
Acid Rain
Effects on Forests
◦ Threat to our forests increasing the vulnerability of trees
to diseases and insects.
◦ The effects of acid rain on forests also includes leaching
of easily acid-soluble components from foliage, tree
trunks and upper layers of the soil thus making the trees
lose their leaves, damaging their barks and can even
stunt their growth.
◦ Acid falling on a forest’s soil is also harmful because it
disrupts soil nutrients, kills microorganisms in the soil,
and can sometimes cause a calcium deficiency
Acid Rain
Effects on Crops
◦ Acid deposition can have an impact on crop species
and reduces the yield of certain crops such as radishes,
beets, carrots and broccoli.
◦ Based on experiments scientists believe that acid rain
damages the protective waxy coating of leaves and
allows acids to diffuse into them, which interrupts the
evaporation of water and gas exchange so that the
plant can no longer breathe.
Acid Rain
Effects on Crops
◦ Stops the plant's conversion of nutrients and water into
a form useful for plant growth and affects crop yields.
◦ Crops such as lettuce, cabbage and onions are affected
because it depends on healthy foliage and these are
adversely affected with acid deposition.
Acid Rain
Effects on Groundwater, Materials & Buildings
◦ Acidified groundwater through the leaching of metals
(copper, lead and zinc) will affect potable water supply.
◦ Acids corrodes water pipes which requires constant
changing of pipes and eventually affecting humans.
◦ Building materials such as steel, cement, plastics,
sandstone etc. are at risk to be damaged by acid rain.
Acid Rain
Effects on Groundwater, Materials & Buildings
◦ Acid deposition also has an impact on architecture
because of its ability to corrode certain materials.
◦ As acid lands on buildings (especially those constructed
with limestone) it reacts with minerals in the stones
sometimes causing it to disintegrate and wash away.
◦ Acid deposition can also corrode modern buildings,
cars, railroad tracks, airplanes, steel bridges, and pipes
above and below ground.
Acid Rain
Effects on Aquatic Life
◦ When acidified rain enters ground water or flows in
large bodies of water, it is diluted over time.
◦ Acids can accrue and eventually lower the overall pH of
the water body.
◦ The solubility of the metals, will have a potential effect
on tourism and on recreational uses of rivers and lakes.
Acid Rain
Effects on Aquatic Life
◦ Fishes will contain higher concentration of metals and
will affect humans
◦ Declines fish population e.g. studies have proven that
trout and Atlantic salmon are sensitive to low pH levels
thus affecting its productivity and causing in some
cases skeleton deformities
◦ High levels of aluminum concentration in water bodies
can also cause fish kill
Acid Rain
Effects on Visibility
In the atmosphere, SO2 and NOX gases can be
transformed into sulfate and nitrate particles,
while some NOX can also react with other
pollutants to form ozone. These particles and
ozone make the air hazy and difficult to see
through. This affects our enjoyment of
national parks that we visit for the scenic view
such as Shenandoah and the Great Smoky
Mountains
(https://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects-acid-
rain#visabilit)

Great Smoky Mountains.

Environmental Impact of Energy
Generation and Utilization
Three components of the environment
◦ Atmosphere:- Immediate atmospheric environment around the development and impact of
the long range transportation of pollutants.
◦ Hydrosphere:- Fresh water (river, lakes and groundwater) and the oceans.
◦ Lithosphere:- Soil, rock, lakes, oceans, bottom sediments of rivers, and attended vegetation
and animal life.

Type of activities for Crude Oil, Natural Gas & Coal Production & Use
◦ Exploration:- Search for fuel sources before production.
◦ Extraction, Production, and Processing:- Removal of the energy source from its present
location (mining, drilling wells, constructing dams, refining products)
◦ Transmission:- Transporting the fuel from its production site via pipelines, road, rail, tanker,
electricity etc.
◦ Use and Disposal:- Generation of products (combustion)
Environmental Impact of Energy
Generation and Utilization
Other Environmental Impacts
Explosions
• Impacts on wildlife
• Impacts on marine
ecosystems
• Air, Water and Land pollution
• Displacement of people
Other Environmental Impacts
Fires
◦ Air pollution
◦ Impacts on wildlife
◦ Destruction of buildings and homes
Other Environmental Impacts
Oil Rigs – Explosions and Oil Spills
Major Oil Accidents
◦ Deepwater Horizon (Gulf of Mexico) 2010
◦ Gulf War Oil Spill (Persian Gulf) 1991
◦ Nowruz Field Platform (in the Pursian Gulf) 1983
◦ Ixtoc 1 Oil Well (the Bay of Campeche of the Gulf
of Mexico ) 1979
◦ Atlantic Empress (in the Caribbean Sea, off the
coast of Tobago) 1979
◦ Exxon Valdez Oil Spill (Alaska Region) 1898
Other Environmental Impacts
Oil Rigs – Oil Spills
◦ Impacts on wildlife
◦ Impacts to marine life and
ecosystems
◦ Contamination of
shorelines
◦ Mortality of birds
◦ Health impacts
Other Environmental Impacts
Oil Rigs – Explosions
◦ Air pollution
◦ Threat to marine
ecosystems and life
◦ Threat to birds
Other Environmental Impacts
Oil Rigs – Explosions and Oil Spills
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su9Q_uhVi6M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szwdgughGLE
Other Environmental Impacts
Large hydropower
◦ Impacts to wildlife
◦ Impacts to water quality
◦ Flooding
◦ Impacts on water quality
◦ Displacement of people
Other Environmental Impacts
Wind Energy
◦ Aesthetic impact
◦ Noise
◦ Raptor kill
◦ Interference with radio and TV transmission and
radar
◦ Land use
◦ Offshore siting impacts
◦ Hazards to maintenance workers
Other Environmental Impacts
Wind Energy
◦ Raptor kill
◦ Raptors, such as this Golden Eagle, hawks are among the
birds most threatened by wind energy development.

◦ Properly sited wind turbines are relatively bird friendly,

especially when compared to fossil fuels. However, they
are far from benign. Wind turbines and their associated
infrastructure — notably power lines and towers — are
among the fastest-growing threats to birds and bats in
the United States and Canada.

Source: https://windmillskill.com/blog/wind-energy-and-birds
Other Environmental Impacts
Biomass Production and Utilization of Energy
◦ Land, water and nutrient consumption
◦ Pollution from growing and harvesting
◦ Effluents from thermal conversion processes
◦ Combustion of emissions
◦ Energy Crops
◦ Impact of growing only one plant species for multiple crops
◦ Fertilizer contamination of ecosystems
◦ Changes in land use patterns
◦ Biodiversity modification or deterioration
◦ Natural Crops
◦ Deforestation and loss of CO2 sinks
◦ Loss of biodiversity
◦ Soil erosion
◦ Desertification
◦ Siltation of rivers
◦ Loss of agricultural productivity

Source: Larson (1993)

Other Environmental Impacts
Biomass Production and Utilization of Energy
◦ Food vs. Energy
◦ Land use
◦ Impact on land and water resources
◦ Biodiversity loss
◦ Nutrient loss
◦ Soil erosion
Other Environmental Impacts
Geothermal Energy
◦ Land and Water use
◦ Noise
◦ Seismic and subsistence risks
◦ Gaseous emissions
◦ Liquid Effluents
◦ Solid Waste resulting from development,
production and decommissioning of the
geothermal field
Other Environmental Impacts
Nuclear Power Generation
◦ Radioactive nuclear waste