The Fossil Fuel Industry Must be banned from Climate Change Negotiations

The Fossil Fuel Industry Must be banned from Climate Change Negotiations

Coal Burning Emitting Carbon Dioxide into the Environment, Hwange Coal Power Station in Hwange, Zimbabwe (http://www.bh24.co.zw/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/hwange-power-station2.jpg)

Fossil fuels are natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms and are used for energy generation mainly through combustion.Burning fossil fuels releases carbon into the atmosphere as shown in the typical power station at Hwange in Zimbabwe. Fossil fuels provide most of the energy that supports human transportation, electricity production, heating and cooling of buildings, and industrial activity but are the major causes of climate change.The usage of coal is increasing daily, thereby also increasing the amount of carbon dioxide being released to the environment, thereby potentially causing climate change. In the 1990’s, human fossil fuel use emitted 6.4 Petagrams of carbon (PgC) per year, and in from 2000-2008, 7.7 PgC/yr. Over 2000-2008, emissions increased by 3.4% per year, substantially faster than the growth rate of 1.0% per year in the 1990’s(http://carboncycle.aos.wisc.edu/fossil-fuels/). This evidently show that fossil fuels are the major contributors to climate and if the companies that are involved are not doing anything about it but increase their production, must be banned from climate change negotiations.

From an engineer’s perspective, the build-up of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is a greenhouse gas acts like a blanket or greenhouse around the planet; heat is trapped inside the Earth's atmosphere causing the greenhouse effect which results in global warming.The biggest producers of CO₂ in the world are the United States (USA), China, Russia, Japan, India, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, Italy and Mexico(http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/climate_change/greenhouse_effect_rev1.shtml)

The greenhouse effect will result in; temperatures will rise by as much as 10 °F by the end of this century, causing dramatic—and irreversible—changes to the climate.The consequences, both anticipated and unforeseen, will have deadly effects on humanity and the world as a whole. Water supplies in some critical areas will dwindle as snow and ice disappear. Sea levels will rise, threatening coastal populations. Droughts and floods will become more common. And hurricanes and other powerful storms will increase in intensity. Adding to the threat will be the impacts of climate change on agricultural production and the spread of disease. Human health will be jeopardized by all of these changes due to the behaviour by fossil industries companies (http://www.climateactionreserve.org/resources/climate-change-facts/).

The United Concerned Scientists Union in Washington, October 2016, performed an in-depth analysis whereby eight leading fossil fuel companies are not making a clean break from disinformation on climate science and policy. Also, none of the companiesis adequately planning for a world free from carbon pollution meaning the climate change effects will continue into the next century destroying our environment. These companies include Arch Coal, BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, CONSOL Energy, ExxonMobil, Peabody Energy and Royal Dutch Shell (http://www.ucsusa.org/press/2016/new-study-ranks-eight-major-fossil-fuel-companies-their-climate-change-actions#.V_cvP_l97IU).

As an urgent matter for mitigating climate change effects, fossil fuel companies must come up with policies, educational awareness programs and technologies that aim at combating climate change. Otherwise they remain the enemy in efforts being made worldwide to combat climate change and must be banned from the negotiations.

References

http://www.climateactionreserve.org/resources/climate-change-facts/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/climate_change/greenhouse_effect_rev1.shtml

http://carboncycle.aos.wisc.edu/fossil-fuels/

http://www.ucsusa.org/press/2016/new-study-ranks-eight-major-fossil-fuel-companies-their-climate-change-actions#.V_cvP_l97IU

About the author

Dr. Mercy Manyuchi ’s main focus is on Climate Change Effects and Sustainability and is involved in conducting Environmental Impact Assessment as well as Green Technologies that compact climate change. As a Chemical Engineer, Mercy also focuses on sustainable technologies that looks at combatting climate change.