Burning Our Future: The Looming Catastrophe of CO2 Emission Roulette
This article explores the urgent and harrowing reality of CO2 emissions, which pose a significant threat to our planet. We delve into the consequences of unsustainable behavior, shedding light on the escalating risks associated with carbon dioxide (CO2) Emissions. From the impacts on global temperatures to the profound effects on ecosystems and human well-being, we confront the uncomfortable truth behind our CO2 emissions. Join us on a gripping journey as we unmask the hidden dangers and emphasize the need for immediate action. Our world stands at a critical crossroads, and it is crucial that we change its course before it’s too late.
Global warming is a serious concern for the continuity of life on Earth. The major indicator for global warming is CO2 emissions level, where CO2 accounts for about 76% of total greenhouse gas emissions.
Electricity production is a significant contributor to worldwide CO2 emissions with the burning of fossil fuels being the main culprit. Oil, gas, and coal are commonly used to generate electricity and heat, but their use contributes to greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Fossil fuels – coal, oil, and gas – are by far the largest contributor to global climate change.
Thus, the problem remains with the continuous increase in CO2 emissions what type of alternatives countries are seeking to reduce the CO2 emissions from electricity and heat production?
To effectively analyze the changes in CO2 emissions from different sources of electricity production, we explored the World Development Indicator’s dataset related to CO2 emissions from electricity and heat production, the total energy production from Fossil fuel, and the use of alternative sources from renewables.
The problem of the dramatic increase in CO2 emissions: From 1960 to 1998, the CO2 emissions level dramatically increased, reaching a high average level of 40.2% of total fuel combustion with a high-pitched slope of +0.427
It is critical to know how the increase in electricity production from renewable sources, which compensate for part of the world’s power demand, limits the dramatic increase in CO2 emissions. From 2000 to 2014, the industrial revolution introduced a new era in renewable energy, reducing the CO2 emissions growth range with a slim slope of +0.058 only.
We believe that renewable energy is the key to limiting CO2 emissions and reducing these emissions levels in the near future.
Impact of electricity production on CO2 emissions:
The impact of electricity production from Oil, gas, and coal sources on CO2 emissions is obvious when looking at the data collected from World Development Indicator’s dataset from the year 1960 to 1998, which is explained by a comparable increased trend.
The electricity demand is increasing worldwide, thus, the need for more power plants is essential. However, the dependency on conventional models operating on fossil fuel sources is increasing and negatively contributing to the level of CO2 emissions. With the direct impact of electricity product sources on CO2 emissions, what can countries do to limit the rise in CO2 emissions’ level globally?
Alternatives as the solution: “Renewables” are the main alternative electricity production sources. The trend of electricity production growth from renewable sources shown below indicates a modest growth of 1% approx. till the year 1999.
In 2000, with the fourth industrial revolution, Renewable Energy became a major alternative source of electricity production.
Alternative electricity sources in countries with the highest kWh consumption per capita:
The proposed solution is to advance electricity production from Renewable sources and examine its impact on CO2 emissions. The selection of the Top 10 consumers of electricity per capita provides clear feedback on the proposed solution. The data from sample countries shows the correlation when the renewables contribute to a higher percentage of electricity production, the CO2 emissions increase is limited if not reduced.
The result is similar when examining the major industrial countries worldwide, where their use of renewables is very limited till 1999;
Effectiveness of alternative electricity sources: The year 2000 was the era of the fourth industrial revolution for the Internet and renewable energy. The use of renewable energy became more popular and the positive impact on CO2 emissions, limiting the sharp slop increase, is well proven by looking at the data after the year 2000 (CO2 emissions level increased by less than 1% only from 2000 to 2014).
Final recommendation: Focusing on improving the growth in Renewable power plants would have a positive contribution to reducing CO2 emissions to lower limits. As of 2015, the use of renewable energy limited the sharp increase in CO2 emissions but didn’t reduce it due to the high demand and the need to cover the consumer’s requirements through conventional electricity production from Fossil fuel. Thus, with the advancement in technology, it is highly recommended to invest more in renewable energy and limit the dependency on oil, gas, and coal. In conclusion, the growth rate for developing new power plants operated by renewables should become way higher than the increase in new conventional power plants running on fossil fuel to secure the limitation, if not reduction, of CO2 emissions from energy and heat, resulting a better future for the global climate.