“Sustainable raw materials and
renewable sources of energy in Europe”
(estratto del CDROM prodotto)
1:Differences and inequalities in the world
natural resources
The North Americans use by themselves more than a quarter of all the oil
and electric energy in the world-;if all the inhabitants of the world
consumed the same amount of energy it would be impossible to satisfy the
whole request. Most people consume like “poor people” and this leads to a
certain, more or less stable balance between availability and need, also as far
as food is concerned.
Hydrocarbons‟ reserves cause the greatest desires: first of all oil, as two
third of known reserves are concentrated in the Arabian-Persian Gulf. This
explains the geostrategic importance of this zone and the conflicts
generated by every possible diversification of the supply resources (The
Caspian Sea, Central Asia). The biggest reserves of natural gas are
concentrated in the Gulf as well.
Nuclear worries
Coal is still the main source of fossil fuels. The production is concentrated in
the countries where the exploitation of coal mines is profitable; actually the
sources are more abundant and more diffused than people believe, like for
the largest part of minerals.
The resources of uranium are less valued since nuclear energy worries the
world public opinion. Yet the problem is to understand how the future
energetic needs of the underdeveloped countries will be satisfied, without
exhausting fossil fuels too quickly and without worsening the greenhouse
effect.
There are few countries which, like China, still launch themselves into
enormous hydroelectric interventions: they cause serious consequences to
the population and to environment. The possibilities of future development
of this kind of energy are however still noteworthy.
Fresh water possession and the competition about its different uses, create
serious problems of home policies and could cause conflicts between the
countries in the mountains and the one in the valleys of big rivers (Turkey,
Syria and Iraq on the Euphrates, Egypt and Sudan on the Nile). On the other
side, the distribution of rain and fresh water resources don‟t coincide with
the distribution of the population on our planet. So, the general reduction of
lakes and water-bearing strata, caused by pollution and intensive
exploitation, is becoming more and more dangerous. An increase in the prices
could promote the exploration and delay the end of the energetic resources
(40 years for oil at the present face of exploitation; 50 years for natural
gasses, 150 years for coal), or accelerate the use of alternative energetic
sources.
A regularisation based on the prices of fresh water would only increase the
enormous differences in the domestic and agricultural use of water in the
world; water is consumed 12 times less in Sub-Saharan Africa than in
U.S.A.By the year 2020, almost a third of the global population will lack
water.
If we read separately the impossibility of renovating the natural resources
and the growth of global population we hide the fact that not the number of
human beings, but their way of consuming natural resources menaces the
world balance. In the future the rarefaction, or even the exhaustion of non-
renewable resources will be inevitable.As a consequence it will be necessary
to rebuild the degraded forestal and agricultural spaces and to recycle
water, metals and other products. In the first half of the XXI century, the
demographic growth will increase the world population by 3 billions; it means
that agricultural production will have to be increased by 50% and that the
needs of fresh water and energy will grow in a substantial way. Moreover ,
the necessary improvement of the living conditions of poorer peoples must
be taken into account.
Jan Daniel Valpiani
Adapted from:
“Atlante” di
LE MONDE DIPLOMATIQUE 2003
2:Do yourself a favour, do something for the
Earth
FRESH WATER POLLUTION
Causes:Fresh water is one of the most precious resources and it represents
less than 0.1 percent of the earth‟s total water.In much of the world there
is not enough of it and where there is, it is wasted and mismanaged.In fact
global water use tripled between 1950 and 1990 and the disparity in water‟s
availability to rich and poor is also increasing.While a U.S family uses about
2,000 litres of water every day,families in the developing world often
survive on 150 litres and have to walk several kilometres to getit.In
addition,the water available for human consumption is often contaminated
with industrial waste.
Effects: even when water is available,it is not safe to drink and it often
causes diseases.As the global population expands while the water supply is
limited, it seems inevitable that in the near future there will be armed
conflicts, the socalled WATER WARS,over who gets access to it.
Possible solutions:
More soap and detergents should be produced without the use of
substances that can harm the water supply. Factories which produce toxic
substances should be more strictly controlled and should dump them in safe
places.
DEVASTATION OF THE SEA
Causes:some people think that the sea can absorb whatever is thrown into it
since it is so deep and vast.But this kind of attitude is beginning to take its
toll:the sea is costantly polluted by wastes discharged into it and its wealth
is constantly depleted by OVERFISHING, the systematic capture of sheals
of fish by means of huge factory ships called FACTORY TRAWLERS.
Effects:High-tech fishfinding equipment and huge nets make it possible to
sweep up in a few days catches that once took an entire season.Other,
populations of fish have become COMMERCIALLY EXTINCT, too few to
bother chasing.In addition,due to the sewage, chemicals and oil split into the
sea fish,birds and marine plants are killed. Some of the world‟s coastal
waters have begun to create vast dead zones so empty of oxygen that
nothing can live there.
Possible solutions:the key to solving the problem of over fishing is
aquaculture: fish are raised in seafarms and then sold on the market without
destroying the shoals that swim free in the oceans. More attention should
also be paid to factories that pollute the sea by dumping waste into it and to
oil spills, which kill marine life.
DEFORESTATION
Causes:The most devastating deforestation has taken place in the world
tropical rainforest, which are cut down and burnt to clear land for
agricultural use and for cattle ranching.
Effects: The destruction of large parts of rainforests
Has caused in the loss of:
- huge numbers of trees which provided about 40 percent
of the oxygen of the earth;
- plants which are very
important for our health.In
fact, about 70 percent of plants identified by the
National Cancer Institute as useful for cancer
treatment are found only in rainforests, and 1,400
rainforest plants are believed to offer cures for cancer;
- Homes to 50 milion indigenous people.In addition,
the carbon dioxide produced from the burning of the forests
increases global warming and acid rains.
Possible solutions:
More agreements should be signed and enforced between nations to support
the protection of tropical rainforests. Trees should be cut in such a way as
not to damage both the surrounding trees and the rain forest floor (RIL –
reduced impact logging)
THE GARBAGE PROBLEM
Causes: in Europe each person produces at least half a kilo of waste every
day. In some countries, the average out can be as much as three kilos per
person. Cities are virtually choking on their citizens‟ refuse. Excess
packaging is one of the key waste products together with disposable goods
Effects: industralised countries are running out of space to put the
increasing amount of garbage. An equally serious question has to do with
what is contained in our trash. Experts believe that between 5 and 15
percent of municipal solid waste contains dangerous substances that can
injure living things
Possible solutions:
No doubt recycling is the most important step in easing the garbage crisis.
More products should be produced using recyclable materials and it should
also be made easier for consumers to dispose of garbage in a selective way.
GLOBAL WARMING
Effects: scientists have predicted that global temperatures will increase by
3 degrees by the middle of the 21st century causing the death of forests,
the flooding of coastal areas and droughts in some parts of the world.
Possible solution: as fossil fuels are the primary cause of the greenhouse
effect,cutting energy consumption is the primary solution. More money
should be invested to exploit energy-efficient technologies such as those
employed to make green cars.
AIR POLLUTION
Causes: Power plants, cars, gasoline, dry cleaners , and chemical factories
produce hazardous fumes which are released in the air we breathe every
day, creating the brownish smoke that can be seen over many of our
cities:smog.
Effects: Smog causes a variety of health problems such as chest pain and
asthma to people who live in cities. In addiction, it is borne by winds to the
farmlands and damage crops coming back to earth in the form of acid rain as
regular rain falls through clouds of air pollution.
Air pollution also causes ozone depletion . The ozone layer is a thin layer of
gas located in the stratosphere that shields the earth from most of the
sun‟s radiation. The smog produced by everyday human activity is making this
shield progressively less effective causing an increase in the risk of skin
cancer due to sun radiation.
Possible solutions: Much of the problem results from industrial emissions.
More power plants should be built that emit less polluting toxic fumes for
example by switching from dirty fuels like coal and oil to cleaner natural gas.
Electric utilities should rely more on renewable energy and sources like wind,
solar and hydroelectric power.
“DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR: DO SOMETHING FOR THE EARTH”
LOOK OUT ANY WINDOW
(B.R.Hornsby/John Hornsby)
There „s a man working in a field
Sees the rain and it‟s burning
He‟s saying this can‟t be real
As he sees the color of the fields turning
Far away the men to busy getting rich to care
Close their eyes and let it all out into the air
Hoping nobody else would care
Look out any window
Look out any open door
Look out any window
See what‟s going on in the world around you
There‟s a man working on a boat
Pulling lines from the water
Just trying to stay afloat
Filling the nets is getting harder
Far away the bend the rules so secretly
Close their eyes and let it all out into the sea
Hoping nobody else would see
Look out any window
Look out any open door
Look out any window
See what‟s going on in the world around you
Far away too many leaders let them get their way
Close their eyes and let it all out into the bay
Say they‟ll clear it up another day
Look out any window
Look out any open door
Look out any window
See what‟s going on in the world around you
Look out, look out for the big boys
Telling you everything they‟re gonna do
Look out, look out for the fat cat builder man
Turning this into a waste land
Look out, look out for the back room boys
That say the smoke is gonna blow away
Look out, look out for the men who say it‟s okay
Sitting in a building far away.
3:Switch off the lights, please!
The picture, which has been taken from a satellite, gives the idea of the
GLOBAL LIGHT POLLUTION and it clearly shows the tremendous
inequalities on our planet.
According to AGENDA 21, which provides the rules of conduct for a new
global partnership to support sustainable development, nearly ONE-THIRD
of the world population (1.7 billion people), living in the DEVELOPING
countries has NO ACCESS TO BASIC ENERGY SERVICES: they are still
without electricity.
Almost half of the world‟s people (about 2.8 billion) live on less than $ 2 a
day, while a fifth (1.2 billion) live under the line of $ 1 a day.
4:FAO: poverty and energy
FAO‟s Sustainable Development Department
Environmental technologies in agriculture aim at conserving the
regenerative and reproductive capacity of the natural resource base. They
combine traditional and scientific knowledge of natural processes and are
based on the utilization and recycling of renewable resources.
Renewable energies such as solar, wind and bioenergy can contribute strongly
to increase labour efficiency and diversified economic activities in rural
areas.
For many years FAO has been developing multidisciplinary approaches and
providing technical expertise in the field of bioenergy.
The main objective of FAO’s new bioenergy programme is to contribute to a partial
substitution of fossil fuels through biofuels, as well as the more rational, efficient,
effective and safe utilization of biofuels.
Sustainable development
A brief historical report of the concept of sustainable development in the
Bruntland Report (1987): the Report defined sustainable development as
“development that meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
The report indicates the road that forms the infrastructure of the
approach to the problem adopted by the Rio conference in 1992, and
outlined in two of its important products: the Rio declaration and Agenda
21.
The way pointed out by the Earth Conference is based on the effort to
assure a right balance between environmental protection and economic
growth of the South of the World. The role of energy is relevant.
Economic development and social welfare depend on the availability of
energy.
The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), known as the
Johannesburg Summit 2002, has been surely a moment of reflection: the
gap between North and South is still very deep, where the fight against
poverty continues, and people still die of hunger.
Earth Summit 2002
The Earth Summit (UNCED), which took place in Rio de Janeiro in June
1992, focused the world‟s attention on two of the most critical issues:
environment and sustainable development. This event, gathered together
policy makers, scientists, economist, diplomats, press and NGO
representatives from 179 countries, with a view to reconciling the impact of
human socio-economic activities on the environment.
A large part of rural populations barely cover their energy subsistence
needs.
Biofuels are often neglected in political economic and social agendas.
Efficiency levels of biofuel utilization, in particular of fuelwood, charcoal
and lifestock manure are generally low.
Inefficient and unsafe use of biofuels can lead to health hazards.
Women and children in many rural areas spend a good portion of their
working day in search of fuelwood.
FAO stresses the potential of biofuels as locally available and renewable
sources of energy. In areas with forests and/or agroindustrial by-products
(residues and wastes) biofuel production, including electricy to be delivered
to power grids, has a future and is becoming competitive.
The threat to forests and trees outside forests if fuelwood is used in a
indiscriminately and unsustainable way, resulting in forest degradation or
deforestation, the loss of soil fertility as well as biodiversity.
Substitution of fossil fuels through utilization of biofuels will contribute
towards a cleaner environment, reduction of emissions and a mitigation of
climate change.
Rio Conference was entitled “Envirovment and Development” . The inclusion
of term “development” was significant: the concept of sustainable
development was enriched by new components related the problem of
poverty eradication.
The planet‟s environmental problems are deeply linked to economic
conditions.
When people live in poor conditions and national economies are weak
environment is in degradation. The same happens when environment and its
natural resources are over consumed. Rio‟s underlined an important aspect:
the rich and poor alike share the risks created by environmental
degradation, and must then share also the responsibilities “for the
redirection of the Earth onto a more secure, more humane and more
sustainable pathway”.
Agenda 21
Agenda 21 provides the code of conduct for a new global partnership for
sustainable development considered as this Agenda can be an ideal basis for
actions to be carried out by national governments, UN organizations
development agencies, NGOs and independent sector groups.
International strategies are necessary to put energy in the dynamics of
sustainable development.
The key message of Agenda 21 is that much of the world’s energy is
produced and consumed in ways that might not be sustainable in the
future if its related demand continues to grow at present rates and
technology remains constant. Energy sources need to be used in a way to
protect the atmosphere, human health and the environment. The future
challenge is to meet the growing demand for energy while, ad the same time,
mitigating the impact of energy supply and use in order to preserve the
quality of human and natural habitat. This goal could be reached
establishing a link between energy and sustainable development.
Nearly one-third of global population, living in developing countries
continues to lack access to basic energy services.
On poverty
Poverty represents at present the world‟s most urgent and fundamental
issue. It is a threat that affects principally the developing countries of the
World. Poverty is inability to achieve what is considered a minimum standard
of basic needs for material well-being. Poor are those people whose
consumption or income levels go below a minimum level (poverty line)
considered essential to meet basic needs.
The portrait of poverty today is serious and really very worring: almost half
the world’s people (about 2.8 billion) live on less than $2 a day while a
fifth (some 1.2 billion) live under the line of $ 1 a day.
Analysing the components of poverty it is possible to affirm that the
majority of the world’s poor are rural. Rural poor are generally affected
by hunger. They have no chance nor will to try new agricultural methods to
produce enough food for their subsistence, rural farmers emphasize over –
exploiting the land and sacrificing their future in this way.
Natural events such as droughts, floods and other disasters can wipe
out any development achievement that poor people could make.
Climate change will affect in particular poor people living in countries with
low aptitude to adaptation and limited coping mechanisms.
The rural poor are generally considered the “addressee” of plans of action
not concerned with them; on the contrary the rural poor represent an
important endowment of social solidarity and traditional values, which can
play an essential role on the road towards sustainability.
Energy is strictly linked to the most urgent and severe social issues :
sustainable development, poverty, jobs, gender disparity, population growth,
agricultural production, food security, health, land degradation, climate
change, environmental protection. “Without adeguate attention to the
critical importance of energy to all these issues, the global social goals
agreed on at UN conferences in the 1990s cannot be achieved”.
The number of people living with less than $1 a day is about the same
as the number of those lacking access to commercial energy: two billion
people have no access to clean and safe cooking fuels; 1.7 billion of
people are still without electricity. To meet their basic energy needs they
utilize wood supplies, crop residues and manure. The collection of the daily
energy supply requires human energy. The burden of this activity falls mainly
on women and children.
Poor people pay a higher price per unit of energy services than people in
industrialized countries and they are generally excluded from modern energy
uses.
The need of finding innovative strategies to assure that the supply of
modern energy reaches the poor, both women and men, in every part of the
world.
Energy services can be considered as an essential input to meeting primary
development needs, such as water, medical care, education, sanitation,
access to information. Energy plays a key role also a production.
“Energy is the lifeblood of modern societies and can be considered a
prerequisite for the wellbeing and welfare of the population”.
Energy has achieved the role of the fourth of the essential elements that
traditionally constitute the basic human needs: besides food, clothes and
shelter man needs energy for survival.
Energy, is one of the most important contributors to environmental
problems, including indoor air pollution, urban air pollution, acidification and
global warming.
Renewable options are deeply linked to the natural resources of each
area. They allow the development of an ad hoc local energy strategy and are
modelled to the needs and main characteristics of the communities.
Renewable energy equipment can be produced in the country itself, with
consequent generation of income, development of local economies and
provision of national funds for useful investments in other vital social
sectors.
Poor rural people must not considered as mere recipients of initiatives but
active partners acting in the developmental agenda.
Accelerate the climbing on the energy ladder by leapfrogging developing
countries can shift from their inefficient fuels to clean energy technologies.
In this new century our biggest challenge is to take an idea that seem
abstract – sustainable development – and turn it into a daily reality for all
the world‟s people”.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, “From Rio to Johannesburg” in The Future is now,
Vol. 1, April 2001, p.2.
5:Sustainable development
1972
Stockholm – Sweden
ONU conference about Human Environment.
113 countries meet to decide an action plan.
Declaration of human rights and responsibilities on global environment.
In the 70s a large number of countries realized that the natural resources
of the Earth had to be protected with strategic plans because nature plays a
fundamental role in world economy.
“Especially in developing countries scientific research and development of
ecology must be encouraged.”
“We have to operate all over the world with more in the future, thinking
about the consequences of our actions on environment.”
1983
ONU founded the World Commission for Development and Environment.
SUSTAINABILITY: necessity to eliminate the technological differences
between developing countries and industrial countries, reconciling economic
growth and equal distribution of resources according to a new model of
development.
1987
definition of SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
”Development that meets the needs of the present generation, without
affecting the needs of the future generations.”
BRUNTLAND REPORT:
First part:
- clear water and clear air
- protection of “natural beauties”
Second part:
- Reduction of waste
- Recycling of waste
Third part:
Protection of environment and sustainable development must become an
integral part in the warrant of all the governments, international and private
organisations.
All the activities economically and ecologically acceptable have to be
supported.
1992
Rio De Janeiro – Brazil
179 countries take part in ONU conference and sign 5 documents:
- -Agenda 21: action program for the XXI century, based in the
concept of sustainable development, as an object for everyone
around the world.
- Declaration of the principles for the sustainable management of
the forests.
- Rio Declaration, about environment and development.
- Agreement about climate change.
- Agreement about biodiversity.
“The participation and the awareness of all the citizens is necessary.”
5th action plan of the European Union about environment.
Intervention sectors:
- manufacturing industries
- energy
- transport
- agriculture
- tourism
1972
Stockholm – Sweden
ONU conference about Human Environment.
Meeting of 113 countries to decide an action plan.
Declaration of human rights and responsibilities on global environment.
In the 70s a large number of countries realized that the natural resources
of the Earth had to be protected with strategic plans because nature plays a
fundamental role in world economy.
“Especially in developing countries scientific research and development about
ecology must be encouraged.”
“We have to operate all over the world with more prudence and caution,
thinking about the consequences of our actions on environment.”
1983
ONU founded the World Commission for Development and Environment.
SUSTAINABILITY: necessity to eliminate the technological differences
between developing countries and industrial countries, reconciling economic
growth and equal distribution of resources according to a new model of
development.
1987
definition of SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
”Development that meets the needs of the present generation, without
affecting the needs of the future generations.”
BRUNTLAND REPORT:
First part:
- clear water and clear air
- protection of “natural beauties”
Second part:
- Reduction of waste
- Recycling of waste
Third part:
Protection of the environment and sustainable development must become an
integral part in the warrant of all governments, international and private
organisations.
All the activities which are economically and ecologically acceptable have to
be supported.
1992
Rio De Janeiro – Brazil
179 countries take part in ONU conference and sign 5 documents:
- -Agenda 21: action program for the XXI century, based in the
concept of sustainable development, as an object for everyone around
the world.
- Declaration of the principles for the sustainable management of
the forests.
- Declaration of Rio, about environment and development.
- Agreement about climate change.
- Agreement about biodiversity.
“The participation and the awareness of all the citizens is necessary.”
5th action plan of the European Union about environment.
Intervention sectors:
- manufacturing industries
- energy
- transport
- agriculture
- tourism
1999
Italy- Institution of the service for sustainable development to promote and
coordinate new initiatives.
“society has to uncouple environmental degradation from economic
development.”
2001
the strategy of the E.U for sustainable development:
Main objectives:
- Limit the changes of the climate, increase the use of clean energy
- Think about the threats for public health
- Manage natural resources with more precautions and awareness
- Improve the transport system and the use of the land.
“Each person has to feel that his/her actions can help save the planet”
“We live on a planet which is part of ecological, social, economic,
cultural relationships. If we want to reach a sustainable development we
have to feel responsible for the protection of the ecosystems: every
kind of life depends on them and, therefore, we should consider
ourselves as a part of ONE single humane COMMUNITY and take care
of the future generations survival”
Kofi Annan
2002
Johannesburg- South Africa
-Adoption of an action plan
-Collaborations among governments,companies, institutions and citizens.
-Global political declaration aimed at eliminating poverty by means of
economic development on condition that economic growth is not responsible
for further environmental degradation and ruthless use of natural
resources.
6:Can you pass the Environmental Test?
NUMBERS: WHAT WE CAN DO
50 MILLION: The houses that could be heated for 20 years with the
quantity of
wood and paper we throw away
10%: The reduction of the energy system just turning down the
thermostat in our houses of one degree only
3000 LITRES: The quantity of water used by a family of 4 people who have a
shower a day. One person can live for three years with the
same
quantity of water
THE GOLDEN RULES TO SAVE THE EARTH
1) Respect: Love the environment
_Pavements: don‟t throw away anything, not even a ticket
_Wastes: selective collection of glass, paper, organic wastes, aluminium
_Washing: wash at home (not at a dry cleaner), always with ecologic
detergents
2) Reflections: focus on the shopping
_Inventory: before shopping write down a list about what you really need
_Usefulness: choose classic clothes or furniture. You could get bored of
freakish colours and strange shapes
_Purchase: when you buy an object, it isn‟t for ever: if you get bored of it
you can exchange it with friends
3) Reduction: Save the Earth
_Transports: reduce the use of cars in cities to the minimum, increase
the use of public transport
_Travel: rediscover a less polluting means of transport like the train
_Electric energy: switch off the light of the room when we go out and use
light bulbs at low consumption
4) Reutilization: one, one hundred, one thousand of uses
_Wardrobe: your nylon tights cut into pieces can become hair bandle
_Kitchen: empty tuna tins can be used to keep spices or dried fruits
_Clothes: they can be dyed and they‟ll look new again
5) Recycling: everything can be transformed
_Printing: newspapers and magazines can be recycled to make new paper
_Garbage: a café machine or a bicycle handle will be an art work
_Perfumery: small pieces of Marseille melt together soap can become new
soaps
LIVING THE PLANET
ENVIRONMENT
Draft questionnaire for European students (work in progress)
Can you pass the Environmental Test?
1) What is the current world population on the Earth?
a) 2 billion
b) 5 billion
c) 13 billion
d) 6 billion
2) Which action is most effective in reducing the threat of global
warming?
a) composting
b) planting a tree
c) reducing the use of energy
d) recycling
3) How much water does the average person living in the USA use a
day?
a) 12 gallons
b) 50 gallons
c) 30 gallons
d) 100 gallons
4) The concentration of which gas can be reduced by preventing
forest depletion?
a) Carbon dioxide (CO2)
b) Nitrous oxide (N2O)
c) Oxygen (O2)
d) Methane (CH4)
5) Witch form of household heating is considered less dangerous for
the environment?
a) coal
b) wood
c) natural gas
d) electricity
6) What is the most common cause of extinction of animal species?
a) hunting
b) disease
c) loss of habitat
d) being run over by a car
7:Renewable energies
Why is renewable energy important?
Renewable energy is important because of the benefits it provides. The key
benefits are:
-Environmental benefits
Renewable energy technologies are clean sources of energy that have a
much lower environmental impact than conventional energy technologies.
-Energy for our children‟s children‟s children
Renewable energy will not run out. Ever. Other sources of energy are finite
and will some day be depleted.
-Jobs and the economy
Most renewable energy investments are spent on materials and workmanship
to build and maintain the facilities, rather than on costly energy imports.
Renewable energy investments are usually spent in the same state, and often
in the same town.
-Energy security
Dependence on foreign oil supplies decreases along with reasons for
international conflicts and wars.
Environmental benefits
Renewable energy technologies are a lot friendlier to the environment than
conventional energy technologies, which rely on fossil fuels. Fossil fuels
contribute significantly to many of the environmental problems we face
today-greenhouse gases, air pollution, and water and soil contamination-
while renewable energy sources contribute very little or not at all.
Greenhouse gases -carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrocarbons,
and chlorofluorocarbons- surround the Earth‟s atmosphere like a clear
thermal blanket, allowing the sun‟s warming rays in and trapping the heat
close to the Earth‟s surface. This natural greenhouse effect keeps the
Earth‟s average surface temperature at about 60°F(33°). But the increased
use of fossil fuels has significantly increased greenhouse gas emissions,
particularly carbon dioxide, creating an enhanced greenhouse effect know as
global warming. Carbon dioxide is responsible for one-half to two-thirds of
our contribution to global warming. Renewable energy technologies, however,
can produce heat and electricity with a very low or no amount of carbon
dioxide emissions.
Energy use from fossil fuels is also a primary source of air, water, and soil
pollution. Pollutants –such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen
dioxide, particulate matter, and lead- take a dramatic toll on our
environment. On the other hand, most renewable energy technologies
produce little or no pollution. Both pollution and global warming pose major
health risks to humans. According to the American Lung Association, air
pollution contributes to lung disease –including asthma, lung cancer, and
respiratory tract infections- and close to 335,000 people in the United
States die from it every year. Meanwhile, the long-term effects associated
with global warming may be even more devastating. Deaths due to extreme
weather could increase, and diseases could have a greater potential to thrive
as temperatures rise. Ultimately, renewable energy technologies could help
us break our conventional pattern of energy use to improve the quality of our
environment.
What does clean energy have to do whit me?
As a homeowner?
By using renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies in your home
and automobile, you‟ll help the environment and typically save more money in
the long run.
As a small business owner?
You can reduce your utility bills and impact on the environment by using
renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies. There are also small
business opportunities in clean energy.
As a student or teacher?
You can benefit from learning about renewable energy-efficient
technologies, and how they can help our environment and replace fossil fuels,
which are being depleted.
As an electricity provider?
There are many renewable energy technologies available for electricity
production, as well ways you and your customers can save money through
energy efficiency.
As a farmer or rancher?
Not only can you save money using energy-efficient and renewable energy
technologies, but there are also agribusiness opportunities in renewable
energy.
As an inventor?
There are opportunities available to inventors of energy or energy-efficient
technologies.
8:Energy from the Ocean
Introduction to ocean energy
The ocean can produce two types of energy: thermal energy from the
sun’s heat, and mechanical energy from the tides and waves.
Oceans cover more than 70% of Earth’s surface, making them the
world’s largest solar collectors. The sun‟s heat warms the surface water a
lot more than the deep ocean water, and this temperature difference
creates thermal energy. Just a small portion of the heat trapped in the
ocean could the world.
Ocean thermal energy is used for many applications, including electricity
generation. There are three types of electricity conversion system: closed-
cycle, open cycle, and hybrid. Closed-cycle systems use the ocean’s
warm surface water to vaporize a working fluid, which has a low-boiling
point, such as ammonia. The vapor expands and turns a turbine. Open-cycle
systems actually boil the seawater by operating at low pressures. This
produces steam that passes through a turbine/generator. And hybrid
systems combine both closed-cycle and open-cycle systems.
Ocean mechanical energy is quite different from ocean thermal energy. Even
though the sun affects all ocean activities, tides are driven primarily by the
gravitational pull of the moon, and waves are driven primarily by the winds.
As a result, tides and waves are intermittent sources of energy, while
ocean thermal energy is fairly constant. Also, unlike thermal energy, the
electricity conversion of both tidal and wave energy usually involves
mechanical devices
9:Bioenergy
Bioenergy is understood as energy generated through biofuels. Biofuels are
fuels of biological and renewable origin such as fuelwood, charcoal, lifestock
manure, biogas, biohydrogen, bioalcohol, microbial biomass, agricultural
waste and byproducts, energy crops and others.
In the context of the mitigation of climate change, bioenergy issues and
biofuels have gained a lot of attention. Current energy systems in
industrialized countries are largely based on the use of fossil fuels.
Worldwide, more then fifty percent of the wood harvested is used as a fuel.
For some developing countries fuelwood consumption represents over eighty
percent of wood harvested. In some cases the use of fuelwood contributes
to severe forest degradation and deforestation. On the other hand,
sustainable production and utilization of biofuels enhance rural livelihood
systems and substitute fossil fuels, thus contributing to climate change
mitigation.
The use of non renewable fossil fuels has generated an excessive immission
of CO2 into the atmosphere and an incredible environmental impact. For
these reasons the use of biomasses as an alternative source of power limits
the immission of carbon dioxide into the air. Moreover, the dependence of
energy supply on foreign countries or from the necessity to find alternative
uses for agricultural production. Therefore, for the substances composed of
glucose or convertible into glucose, fermentation processes which allow the
production of ethanol or methane (biogas) have been developed.
10:Biodiesel
The methyl ester or biodiesel is obtained by means of a reaction of
transesterification charged to the tryglicerides of the vegetable oils with
methyl alchool following the reaction:
1 molecule of tryglicerides (vegetable oils) + 3 molecules of methanols = 3
molecules of methyl ester (biodiesel) + 1 molecule of glycerine
Biodiesel has been tested for its use in motor vehicles and for heating, with
excellent results as for working and utilization in:
environment:
- renovation of the raw material
- non immission of CO2 into the atmosphere and reduction of other
polluting elements
- reduction of the environmental impact
socio-productive sectors:
- reduction of the dependence on foreign countries
- preservation of the occupation in the agriculture and in the
connected industrial sector
11:Hydroelectric power
Flowing water creates energy that can be captured and turned into
electricity. This particular kind of energy is called hydroelectric power.
The first hydroelectric power plant was built in 1880, in Northumberland.
The technology of the plants has remained the same for all centuries.
The most common type of hydroelectric power plant uses a dam on a river to
store water in a reservoir. Water released from the reservoir flows through
a turbine, spinning it, which in turn activates a generator to produce
electricity.
Another type of hydroelectric power plant can even store power. It is called
pumped storage plant.
In this kind of plant the power is sent from a power grid into the electric
generators. The generators then spin the turbines backward, which causes
the turbines to pump water from a river reservoir to an upper reservoir,
where the power is stored. To use the power, water is released from the
upper reservoir back down into the river reservoir. This spins the turbines
forward, activating the generators to produce electricity.
A small or micro-hydroelectric power system can produce enough electricity for a home,
a farm or a ranch. Hydroelectric power could represent a quarter of the total power in the
world and it is very important in these last years in many countries, for example, in Brazil
and in Norway.
12:The Fridays of the Universe
13:The new economy for a sustainable future
Text analysis of essays and opinion texts
THE NEW ECONOMY FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE –
by Gianfranco Bologna
PROBLEM:
- acceptable living conditions on the earth
THESIS:
- our planet is suffering
- humanity has gone beyond the limits of its global regenerative
capacity
- there are too many inequalities and disparities
- there are limits to the rates which should be respected
in order to support these thesis, the author utilizes data banks from
many associations and inserts other writers‟ passages into the text
(auctoritates), they are meant to make readers aware of the main
problem:
- Rudolf Julius Clausius:
o the consumption of goods in a certain period mustn‟t exceed
its production in the same period; however, it rarely happens
- John Stuart Mill:
o the human state is neither to fight to pass over, nor to crush
each other: these are among the most negative symptoms of the
industrial progress
- Herman Daly:
o if we intend to help the poor, we have to face the moral
problem of the redistribution of wealth, we can‟t hide it
o at the to moment we are driven by the increasing mania of
unlimited growth
o sustainable development means the development without any
growth beyond the environmental capacity of regeneration and
absorption
ECO ECONOMY – L. R. Brown
THE ECONOMY AND THE EARTH
PROBLEM:
- is environment part of economy or is economy to be part of
environment?
THESIS:
- economists create an economy not in tuning with the ecosystem
on which it depends
- the earth is falling apart out of control
- world economy is in conflict with the natural systems of the
earth
- we are moving toward economic decline in the long term
- the production capacity is overcoming the real demand
ANTITHESIS:
- economy is luxuriant
- environment comes after economy
CONFUTATION OF THE ANTITHESIS:
- the economic growth has as a consequence an excessive
exploitation of the natural resources. In its turn exploitation will take
to a weakening of economy itself
CONCLUSION:
- economists and ecologists have to collaborate and favour the
development of a sustainable economy
- economy comes after the terrestrial ecosystem so the only way
for a economic policies will be to put ecology first
ECONOMY OF SELF-DESTRUCTION
PROBLEM:
- the self-destruction of the Earth
THESIS:
- we are destroying the earth because we are overcoming the
ability of the ecosystem with hazardous consequences (arguments to
support the thesis)→
ARGUMENTS TO SUPPORT THE THESIS:
- soils are less and less fertile
- desertification is spreading
- great storms of dust are created
- the levels of the underground waters are lowering
- the rate of flow of the rivers is decreasing
- there are more and more fires in the rain forests
- two thirds of the oceanic fishing area is near to the limit
- we are destroying the biodiversity: several species of flora and
fauna are disappearing
- temperature has increased and it causes climate changes and the
melting of ice lands
- natural disasters like typhoons and tornado are more and more
frequent
CONCLUSION:
- if we don‟t change current economic policies we may arrive to
consequences, probably catastrophic, global
LESSONS FROM THE PAST
PROBLEM:
- the decline of the civilizations (on the environmental level)
THESIS:
- the impact of the people in the environment has brought, also in
the past, negative consequences
- we are not better in comparison with the men of the past
civilizations so we have to pay attention to our behaviour and choices
- the decline is caused by unsustainable economic choices on the
environmental level
ARGUE TO SUPPORT THE THESIS:
- Sumerians:
o the wrong system of irrigation brought to the collapse of the
agricultural production (creditable to the salinization of the earth
) and consequently to the end of Sumerian civilization
- Maya:
o deforestation and the erosion of the earth were the causes of
their slow and inexorable decline
- inhabitants of Easter Island:
o the deforestation has inclined to the lack of trees and then to
the impossibility to get the food and to the consequent and
notable reduction of the population
o if China would imitate the model of western industrialization,
would exhaust all the resources of the planet and would destroy
entirely the atmosphere and the territories of the earth
CONCLUSION:
- learning from the history it would be necessary to avoid to
exploit too much the environment that surround us and look for help
our planet, instead
THE ACCELERATION OF THE HISTORY
PROBLEM:
- the sustainability of the evolution
THESIS:
- the technological advancement makes it difficulty to manage the
acceleration of history
- the history of people is growing fast: it is by now a run
ARGUE TO SUPPORT THE THESIS:
- the increase of the population is an unprecedented one.
- the world economy is growing more and more.
CONCLUSION:
- we are going beyond the limits in all the fields and it would be
necessary to slow down our lifestyle
THE ALTERNATIVE: RESTRUCTURING OR DECLINE
PROBLEM:
- the choice between the economic progress and the supportability
of the lifestyle
THESIS:
- the ecological deficit is threatening the earth
- we aren't able to sustain the progress at an economic level with
the present system
- the market is one of the causes of the ecological decline because
it offers products below cost since it doesn't include the
environmental costs of the products themselves
CONCLUSION:
- we have to transform our system which is destroying the
environment into one suited to the safeguard; economy is a part of
the global ecosystem and it can support progress only if it's
restructured in an ecocompatible way
- we have to build a eco-economy, change our life style as a
consequence we have to change the economic politics of our society
radically and make it sensitive to environmental problems that will
conduct us to an exhaustion of the resources used nowadays.
Lester R. Brown è il presidente dell‟Earth Policy Institute. È conosciuto in
tutto il mondo come fondatore e presidente del Worldwatch Institute e
come autore e curatore di varie pubblicazioni.
Lester R. Brown is the president of the Earth Policy Institute. He‟s known all
over the world as the founder and the president of the Worldwatch
Institute and as the author and curator of many publications.
14:Men’s attitudes toward nature
Men‟s attitudes toward nature
Paolo Rossi: he was born in Urbino in 1923. He gaduated in Florence and in
1947 he obtained the
certificate of philosopher. Since 1989 he was member of
European Accademy.
Problem: relationship man-nature
Thesis: it is necessary to respect nature, instead of dominating and
submitting it, and create a
harmonious relationship with it
Antithesis: ideology of domination: man must dominate nature because:
- man is the higest expression. Everything is at man‟s service and he
isn‟t at the service of anything or anyone.
- man, who is the master of the earth (in the same way as God is the
master of the universe), can behave like God
- man, thanks to his domination on nature, can satisfy all his needs,
and free himself from conflicts and tensions
- Faith in science and in technology is a necessary thing in order to
guarantee the invention of machines and artifices that allow to profit
of the fruits of the earth
- Progress is a law of history and the development of science can be
identified itself with moral progress and political progress
- Science and technology are soft instruments, they can‟t hurt
nature
Refutation of the antithesis:
- Try to win and submit nature generate feelings of guilt
- an unequal fight beetween man and uncontrollable forces which
operate in history is and has always been a MATTER of FACT
Antithesis 2: ideology of submission: man must submitt to nature because:
- nature is good for its essence and man is a robber of richnesses
- science puts out beauty and hates contemplation
- the only way to survive is the return to the supremacy of nature
- nature is seen like a harmonious friend raped by men‟s violence
- the image of nature conceived as a self-regulating and self-
equilibrating system is contrasted with human violence
Refutation antithesis 2:
- the complete submission to nature is a too restricted way of
thinking
- Primitivism doesn‟t take into account the suffering involved in the
fight for survival
Conclosion:
Man should unite supremacy and submission interacting with his background;
he should also create a sort of balance in the use of science and technology
and respect nature as well.
15:Comenius... who was he?
John Amus Comenius was born in 1562 in Moravia, in the area that is now
known as Czech Republic. John Amuos Komenisky (this was his true name)
died Amsterdam in 1670.
He was a Moravian Churchman and educator, the last bishop of the Moravian
Church.
Comenius related education to everyday life and emphasized the contact
with objects in the environment; he believed that learning, spiritual and
emotional growth were tightly linked. He was the first to use pictures in
text-books and he did not regard religion and science as incompatible.
According to Comenius, teaching was to be in the vernacular rather than in
Latin and languages were to be learnt by the conversational method. He
worked for a universal system of education offering equal opportunities to
men and women;
During his lifetime Comenius published 154 books, mostly dealing with
educational philosophy and theology .
Known today as the “Father of Modern Education “, he pioneered modern
educational methods:
education for everyone
learning by easy steps
financial aid for students
extracurricular activities
lifelong learning
career preparation
15:Credits
LINKS
Liceo Scientifico A.ORIANI - Ravenna- Italy
www.racine.ra.it/lsoriani/index.html
lsoriani@provincia.ra.it
CLASS 2F:
Francesco
Alice Mattarelli
Baldi
Annarita Baldini Francesca Morigi
Margherita Briccoli Daris Nardini
Serena Cavalcoli Stefania Ranieri
Chiara Fiorini Alexandra Rocco
Giulia Gamberini Marco Salciccia
Massimo Giannini Eugenia Straforini
Barbara Giordani Giuseppe Tassinari
Enrico Guardigli Francesco Tenti
Giulia Gulminelli Jan Daniel Valpiani
Veronica Lanconelli Matteo Vasi
Nadia Malavolti Andrea Zanoletti
CREDITS
The state of the planet (Giuseppe Tassinari, Daris Nardini, Jan Daniel
Valpiani)
Differences and inequalities in the world natural resources (Jan Daniel
Valpiani)
Do yourself a favour, do something for the Earth (Francesco Tenti, Matteo
Vasi)
Switch off the lights, please! (Stefania Ranieri, Eugenia Straforini)
FAO: poverty and energy (Serena Cavalcoli, Giulia Gamberini)
Sustainable development ( Nadia Malavolti, Barbara Giordani, Stefania
Ranieri)
Can you pass the Environmental Test? (Margherita Briccoli, Alexandra
Rocco)
Renewable energies (Serena Cavalcoli, Giulia Gamberini)
-Wind, Solar and Geothermal energies (Enrico Guardigli)
- Energy from the Ocean (Serena Cavalcoli, Giulia Gamberini)
-Bioenergy (Alice Mattarelli)
-Biodiesel(Alice Mattarelli)
-Hydroelectric power(Annarita Baldini)
The Fridays of the Universe(Alice Mattarelli, Francesca Morigi)
The new economy for a sustainable future( Alice Mattarelli, Annarita Baldini)
Men‟s attitudes toward nature(Andrea Zanoletti, Massimo Giannini)
THE TEACHERS:
Maria Luisa Cropano
Loriana Notturni
Diva Ponti
Comenius project coordinator: Diva Ponti
The Principal: Dina Valenti
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Computer lab assistants: Cesare Corzani and Alberto Frisenda