Climate Change |
The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution study of energy and the environment commenced in August 1997 and culminated in the publication of its report ‘Energy – The Changing Climate’. The main implication of the study was that atmospheric carbon dioxide CO2 concentration of 550 parts per million by volume (ppmv) should be regarded as a limit which should not be exceeded if the risks of catastrophic alterations in the Earth’s climate is to be avoided. The current concentration is some 370 ppmv.
For the UK, an international agreement along these lines which prevented carbon dioxide CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere from exceeding 550 ppmv and achieved convergence by 2050 could imply a reduction of 60% from current annual carbon dioxide CO2 emissions by 2050 and perhaps of 80% by 2100. This would mean that these targets would have to be met before fossil fuels ran out, ie., the utilisation of zero or low carbon emission energy technologies being of primary importance over the need for sustainability from renewables since the Earth’s climate could be irretrievably altered before the need for 100% sustainability in energy resources would be necessary.
Key amongst the Royal Commission’s 19 key recommendations is the large scale construction of district heating networks, so that advantage can be taken of larger scale CHP schemes. |
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