Renewables and environmental implications

ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 5 (1) 2009, 11-24 Renewables and environmental implications Janusz Gołaszewski* Center for Renewable Energy Research, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland ABSTRACT Man has always been using energy from renewable sources. Recently, however, new quality in the perception of energy problems has been created and a distinct progress in energy use of biomass, geothermics, sun, water and wind has been achieved. Why is it that today views are re-evaluated towards sustainable usage of all available energy potential (fossil fuels, renewable sources, nuclear power), with clearly and firmly determined goals for a systematic development and an increase of share of energy from renewable sources in primary energy production even up to 70-80% by 2050. The fact that issues of pro-ecologically orientated energy and fuels are presently given a global dimension results from several economic, social and, above all, environmental factors, of which the main ones are: (i) systematically growing demands for primary energy, which is closely connected with demographic changes and lifestyle, (ii) fossil fuels resources are limited, depletable and their supply and consumption are not balanced, and (iii) since technologies for energy conversion from renewable sources are known for being less efficient and more expensive compared to fossil fuels, it is necessary to develop new technologies, search for new solution and continuously introduce innovations. According to the International Energy Agency, the rate of present changes and development in technologies for energy utilization have distinctive traits of energy revolution although some claim that it is only evolution. Nevertheless, new political INTRODUCTION Discussion on environmental consequences of renewables is always an attempt to find a balance between growing energy use and environment management and protection. On the one hand there are different energy sources, i.e. renewable in a sense that they may be renewed in a relatively short time, non-renewable which are also renewable but their consumption goes faster than programs orientated on pro-environmental development of energy sector with significant share of energy from renewable sources proclaimed by the European Union, the United States and the United Nations support the idea of revolutionary changes. Environmental paradoxes related to exploitation of renewable sources are discussed, including a question of disparity between environmental effects, clean energy fiction, the myth of cheap energy, apparent diversification of agricultural production and enhanced biodiversity. In reference to biofuels, wind turbines, hydropower plants as well as solar and geothermal facilities, their interference with environment is analyzed from the point of view of environment management and protection. It has been stated that energy from renewable sources has become a significant component in the structure of supply and consumption of useful energy. This energy is an equivalent of energy from fossil fuels that has a great potential of reducing greenhouse gases emission. At the same time, differences in technological advancement of energy conversion from renewable sources between countries may deepen the present disproportions and cause secondary degradation of valuable natural ecosystems. Thus, rationalization of activities in order to capture specific equilibrium between positive and negative consequences of utilization of energy from renewable sources is purposeful. Rational use of renewables together with providing for environmental requirements will facilitate sustainable energy development. the renewal. There is also a term of “alternative energy” which may be interpreted in many ways but usually it describes energy which is environmentally friendly. An alternative may be energy from hydropower plants, alternative may be simply a change of a conventional coal burner into biomass burner, alternative may be energy cogeneration instead of generating only electricity. On the other hand there is the environment with its elements like climate, ecosystems, landscapes, resources and other components. * Professor Janusz Gołaszewski was an invited speaker at The Second International Environmental Best Practices Conference, 14-18 September 2009, Krakow, Poland 12 ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 5 (1) 2009 Both sides of the balance must be equalized by proper environmental management, i.e. a process of intentional changes of natural environment, which are intended for economic usage (for agricultural, tourist as well as for energy purposes) or to restore the ecological function of ecosystems and landscapes. The second criterion of the balance is environmental protection which is focused on the proper exploitation and use of natural resources and restoration of the components of natural environment. Besides this, all of it must be considered in terms of sustainable development and energy security. The other common terms in the field of renewables are green and clean energy. The different colours taken, even if conventional, are connected to greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions including carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides, sulphur compounds, and others. In general, green colour is always restricted to renewable sources of water, sun, wind, geothermal or biomass as well as to environmentally friendly processes of their conversion to different forms of energy. It should be noted that also coal, even if black or brown, may be green, it means it may be the source of clean energy when proper technologies like CCS (carbon capture and storage) may significantly reduce GHG emission. The objective of the paper is to discuss some of environmental consequences of renewable energy use in the context of global energy policy, environmental paradoxes related to exploitation of renewable sources and chosen environmental effects connected with use of biofuels and wind-, solar-, and geothermal energy. ENERGY RESOURCES – GLOBAL CONTEXT Man has always been using energy from renewable sources. In recent times, however, a new awareness in the perception of energy problems has been created and distinct progress in energy use of biomass, geothermics, sun, water and wind has been achieved. Why is it that today views have been re-evaluated towards sustainable usage of all available energy potential (fossil fuels, renewable sources, nuclear power), with clearly and firmly determined goals for a systematic development and an increase of share of energy from renewable sources in primary energy production even up to 70-80% by 2050. The fact that issues of pro-ecologically orientated energy and fuels are presently given a global dimension results from several economic, social and, above all, environmental factors, of which the main ones are as follows. Systematically growing demands for primary energy, which are closely connected with d e m o g r a p h i c c h a n g e s a n d l i f e s t y l e (...truncated)