ENERGY POLICIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Energy Policies and Environmental Sustainability



Energy Policies and Environmental Sustainability

Introduction

Accurate knowledge of environmental damage is essential for progress towards a rational use of energy, taking into account the potential harm. This knowledge should help locate the point of balance between the benefits of energy and its "adverse effects" on the environment, and thus determine the optimum level of energy consumption (Energy, Society, and Environment, 2001). It is also an instrument of policy choices to the most environmentally friendly energy systems.

Determining the "equilibrium point" is a difficult task given the high complexity of the interactions between human activities and the environment: health impacts of diffuse pollution, climate change, relations between the local and global risks. Transfer processes, storage, processing of materials between the environment, species and humans affect the environment at all time scales (UNDP, 2003). To reveal the environmental issues, it is necessary to identify and assess potential impacts, risks related hazards. The qualification of the damage is difficult because the goods are often not achieved merchants. The environmental assessment focuses on both projects and plans and policies.

Impacts of renewable energy

Renewables have a major advantage over fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal). They use natural sources like the heat of the earth, tides or the sun, directly or through the wind, ocean currents, water flows, photosynthesis, waste recycling.

Diversifying our energy mix implies in particular the development of electricity and heat from renewable sources.

In addition to their inexhaustible, renewable energy emit little or no pollution (wind, solar), they are available on our territory, which creates jobs (wood energy), increasing energy independence and helps stabilize the cost of energy (Suarez, 1995, p. 18). However, some energy are intermittent, they do not produce continuous (such as solar and wind) and sometimes pose problems of integration in the natural environment (dams, intensive crops for biofuels) or landscape (solar panels, wind turbines).

The development of renewable energies must take into account the different environmental policies (fight against the greenhouse effect, natural environment protection, health and safety, etc). In this sense, an integrated approach to all environmental impacts of each project enables the development of high quality projects, environmentally.

Discussion

Energy Policies and Environmental Sustainability

The protection of the environment and the climate is one of the global challenges of the twenty-first century is a priority in German politics, media and civil society. Internationally Germany is considered a country at the forefront of climate protection and a pioneer in the implementation of renewable energy. In 2011 Germany was the first industrialized country to decide the permanent abandonment of nuclear energy (Najam, 1995, p. 258).. The Federal Government is actively promoting environmental protection, development strategies and climate friendly energy partnerships and conceives their efforts from a global perspective. The Secretariat supports the implementation of the Convention United Nations Framework on Climate Change is based in the federal city of Bonn. Since 1990 Germany has reduced its emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions by nearly 24%, amply fulfilling the commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, which came into force ...