Fossil Fuels and the Environment

Climate change is a major global issue today and one of the most controversial. The debate is full of well-mixed ideals myths and realities. The pro-climate change world has an aggressive global campaign machinery against fossil energy use which is believed to be the cause of global warming and climate change. The sceptics are just as strong: either they do not believe that the climate is changing or they think human activities have nothing to do with it. Infusion of politics inspired by intra-country exigencies has further complicated the issues and it has become difficult to distinguish between realities facts and fiction. Ideals and myths are strong weapons for sensitizing and motivating global mitigation action on climate change but it is also useful to know what is real or possible. Facing realities would help to focus on feasible sustainable adaptation and mitigation actions that could help the world optimize energy use and deal with the consequences of climate change. Global warming is one of the major indicators of climate change and extensive climate database shows that the average global temperature has been rising steadily from pre-industrial 14oC and although there are many natural phenomena that can cause the Earth to heat up or cool strong scientific evidence indicates that between 0.8oC and 1.2oC of the rise has been caused by human activities which release heat-trapping greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere mostly in the last seven decades or so. This apparently small temperature rise can have very big impact on the global climate largely because the oceans which occupy around three-quarters of the Earths surface area absorb over 90% of the anthropogenic heat and much of the carbon dioxide. An increase in the average global temperature by even less than 1oC can have a profound influence on weather and climate in many ways in particular wind dynamics and the intensity frequency and geographical spread of extreme weather; draught and desertification. Also about 7 million deaths annually are associated with environmental pollution. Although there are many natural phenomena that can cause global warming and climate change ample scientific evidence shows that human activities particularly in the last seven decades or so have exacerbated the negative impacts on weather climate human health and the survival of the ecosystem with potentially devastating consequences which may resonate for centuries even millennia. Fossil fuels have powered the global economy for centuries but also account for by far the largest share of anthropogenic emissions that have been causing profound environmental issues. Considering the pivotal role of fossil fuels in industry transportation and building sectors of the global economy the vital role fossil energy production and trading in country economies security and human development across all regions of the world and the currently slow rate of decarbonizing energy the dominance will likely persist for decades. This book discusses in depth the global energy resources production and use by the different sectors of the economy and associated environmental issues. The extensive recent publications on energy use and the environment are reviewed in depth alternative pathways to a lower carbon energy global economy are discussed and strategies for adaptation and mitigation that could place the world on the pathway towards a sustainable environment are presented.