Topic > Environmental problems: challenges and solutions

IndexAbstractIntroductionEnvironmental problemsGlobal climate change (greenhouse effect)Energy conservationRenewable energy sourcesSustainable energyConclusionReferencesAbstractPeople need energy and related services to ensure social and economic development, prosperity and to improve care healthcare. In trying to achieve all these goals, many negative environmental consequences arise. RES (renewable energy systems) are considered clean resources and minimize negative environmental effects. At the same time, renewable sources minimize secondary waste and are sustainable based on current and future economic and social needs, while energy saving represents a significant step to prevent emerging environmental problems. In this essay, environmental problems are discussed and the effects of renewable energy sources and energy saving are introduced and, consequently, ways of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and climate change are proposed. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay IntroductionEnvironmental issues have long influenced developments in the energy sector, while climate change represents a completely different challenge. Problems such as acid deposition can be partly resolved through administrative measures such as vehicle exhaust standards or emission limits for power plants, which may affect a relatively small number of economic actors. In the combustion reaction, the carbon present in wood combines with O2 to form CO2, which is then absorbed by plants and converted back into carbon for use as fuel. Although several warnings have been issued in the past about the risks of greenhouse gas emissions, no significant restrictions have been adopted to prevent environmental pollution and now many researchers have concluded that global warming is underway. The number of people in the world is expected to double by the middle of the 21st century. And economic development will continue to grow. Global demand for energy services is expected to increase by an order of magnitude by 2050, while demand for primary energy is expected to increase 1.5-3 times. This means there will be more harmful gases released into the atmosphere and problems will increase. The purpose of the article is to discuss environmental problems such as stratospheric ozone depletion, acid precipitation, the greenhouse effect, and ways to reduce these problems. Environmental Problems With the invention of fire, the release of extra carbon into the atmosphere began. Since wood could not meet the demand for fuel, the industrial revolution began with the use of fossil fuels, for example, oil, coal and gas. The use of such fuels increased the concentration of CO2 in the air, causing the onset of global warming. Ozone located in the stratosphere is known to play a natural balancing role, such as absorbing ultraviolet (UV) rays. radiation and absorption of infrared radiation. Ozone depletion in the stratosphere can lead to harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation entering the earth, causing skin cancer, eye degeneration and other damage to many biological varieties. Figure 2 shows a schematic representation of natural and anthropogenic sources of ozone depletion. Although energy activities such as the combustion of fossil fuels and biomass represent 65-75% of anthropogenic N2O emissions, CFCs, which are used as a refrigerant inair conditioning and cooling and as blowing agents in foam insulation, play the most important role in ozone consumption. products from the burning of fossil fuels (e.g. non-ferrous ores, industrial boilers and transport agency smelters) can be transported over great distances through the atmosphere and deposited through rain on Earth onto ecosystems that are significantly risky due to excess acid. Figure 1 shows the processes that lead to acid rain. This acid deposition has been observed to be linked primarily to SO2 and NOx emissions. Effects associated with acid precipitation involve lakes, rivers and groundwater acidification, fish and aquatic life, damage to forests and crops, damage to buildings, metal structures, acid precipitation and causes tissue degeneration. Some energy-related projects are a major source of acid precipitation. For example, power plants, home heating and manufacturing energy use account for 80% of SO2 emissions, while coal use alone accounts for approximately 70% of SO2 emissions. Road transport is a major source of NOx emissions, accounting for 48% of total emissions in OECD countries. The countries in the world that contribute the most to acid emissions are the United States, the former Soviet Union and China. Global climate change (greenhouse effect) Probably the most serious environmental problem related to the application of energy is global climate change, also known as global warming. or the greenhouse effect. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the environment, such as CO2, CH4, CFCs, halons, N2O, ozone, and peroxyacetyl nitrate, increase the way these gases capture heat transmitted from the Earth's surface, thereby increasing Earth's surface heat. Table 1 shows the role of different substances in the greenhouse effect. The Earth's surface temperature has increased by approximately 0.6 C over the last century and, in conclusion, sea levels are estimated to have risen by approximately 20 cm. Energy Conservation Energy conservation is vital for sustainable improvement. Energy maintenance is of great importance in terms of sectoral energy use, the range of industrial energy profits is between 24% and 34% of the total industrial fuel used. The developed energy consumption reduction programs can be implemented by countries. Energy consumption programs can benefit not only consumers and public services, but also the community. In particular, efforts to reduce energy consumption lead to reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants into the environment. Renewable Energy Sources The sun is the source of all energy, and the initial forms of solar energy consist of heat and light. The heat and light of the sun can be absorbed, modified and used in many ways. Renewable energy technologies such as biomass, wind energy and water replace traditional energy sources, providing an excellent opportunity for tasks such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preventing global warming. Unlike energy sources whose formation takes millions of years and many conditions, renewable energy sources (RES) are constantly renewable, inexhaustible, sustainable and harmless to the environment and human health, despite problems such as the lack of fossil fuels, the damage to the environment caused by nuclear sources and political disagreements. To meet the energy and sustainability demands of future eras, the transition to renewable systems to help mitigate climate change, to reduce acid precipitation and the reduction, 1995