Renewable and non-renewable resources The use of energy resources in Ireland and Europe The impact of fossil fuels Environmental pollution at a national and a global scale Sustainable economic development Conflict between environmental and economic interests 5 Environmental impact of economic development development 5 Environmental impact of economic development development

Energy resources  We consume large amounts of energy in the way we live and work today  Energy is produced from a number of different resources  Sources include: Fossil fuels, nuclear power, natural resources such as wind, water and the sun  Renewable resources are natural resources that can be replaced  Renewable resources include wind, water, timber, sunlight and fish  Non-renewable resources are resources that cannot be replaced once they have been used  Non-renewable resources include oil, natural gas, coal, iron ore, copper and peat  The production of energy has a major impact on the environment – global warming Chapter 5: Environmental Impact of Economic Development

Ireland’s energy resources Ireland’s energy resources  Ireland depends on fossil fuels for energy – 96 per cent of all energy used in Ireland in 2008  Ireland has very limited supplies of fossil fuels  In 2008, imported oil and gas accounted for 81 per cent of Ireland’s energy supply  Ireland’s non-renewable resources: peat and natural gas  Ireland’s renewable resources: solar, wind and water power Chapter 5: Environmental Impact of Economic Development

The EU’s energy resources  Fossil fuels are the main sources of energy  Oil and gas have replaced coal as the main sources of energy  The EU supplies 50 per cent of energy resources it consumes  The other 50 per cent are imported  Currently imports 82 per cent of oil used and 57 per cent of natural gas  The EU depends heavily on Russia for oil and natural gas Chapter 5: Environmental Impact of Economic Development

Nuclear power  The world's first commercial nuclear power station opened in the UK in 1956  By April 2011, there were 437 nuclear reactors operating in the world  Nuclear power stations currently supply: 6 per cent of the world’s energy and 13 per cent of the world’s electricity  Environmental concerns over the disposal of nuclear waste and a series of nuclear disasters threaten the future of nuclear power Chapter 5: Environmental Impact of Economic Development

Renewable energy  Currently, the world relies heavily on fossil fuels  Fossil fuels account for more than 85 per cent of the world’s primary energy consumption  Non-renewable – supplies of fossil fuels will eventually run out  The burning of fossil fuels contributes to global warming  Renewable energy resources include hydropower (water power), solar power, wind energy, biofuels and geothermal energy  Hydropower: power that is generated by the force of moving water, currently accounts for almost 20 per cent of the world’s electricity  Wind energy: a clean and renewable source of power, supplies 2.5 per cent of the world’s electricity  Biofuels: a biofuel is a type of fuel derived from biomass, provided 2.7 per cent of the world’s transport fuel in 2010 Chapter 5: Environmental Impact of Economic Development

Wind farms in Ireland  Ireland has ideal conditions for generating wind power – large unpopulated areas that are exposed to regular winds  The development of wind power in Ireland started in the early 1990s  By 2010, there were 110 on-shore wind energy projects and one off- shore wind farm in Ireland  Wind power accounted for 14 per cent of electricity production in Ireland in 2010  Arklow Bank Wind Park: first off-shore wind farm in Ireland Chapter 5: Environmental Impact of Economic Development

Environmental impact of energy consumption  The production and consumption of vast amounts of energy has a negative impact on the environment  Acid rain:  Fossil fuels emit sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the air, these gases then mix with water vapor in the air to form an acid  Acid rain can have harmful effects on forests, soils, freshwaters (lakes and rivers), buildings and human health  Smog:  A type of air pollution, occurs when large quantities of smoke mix with fog  Smog can have harmful effects on human health Chapter 5: Environmental Impact of Economic Development

Global warming  Global warming: the rise in the average temperature of the Earth  Caused by the build up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere  The greenhouse effect: gases let sunlight through to the earth but trap the heat and warm the temperature  Causes of greenhouse gases: fossil fuels, industrialisation, population growth and deforestation  Impacts of global warming: alter sea levels, modify precipitation patterns, change agricultural production, and increase health problems Chapter 5: Environmental Impact of Economic Development

The Kyoto Protocol  An international protocol that aims to reduce global warming  Originates from an international conference on global warming held at Kyoto, Japan in 1997  Participating countries aimed to reduce their collective greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2 per cent by 2012  Agreed to reduce the burning of fossil fuels, increase their use of alternative fuels and reduce deforestation  The EU was given a target of an 8 per cent reduction in emissions by 2012  Some countries are currently failing to meet their commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions Chapter 5: Environmental Impact of Economic Development

Sustainable economic development  Takes a long-term view of development  Definition: development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs  To achieve sustainable development, environmental needs must be taken into account when planning economic activities  EIA: used to assess the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project would have on the environment  EIS: results of an EIA are documented in an EIS, lists the possible impacts that the proposed development would have  EPA: set up in 1993 to protect Ireland’s environment, set up in 1993 to protect Ireland’s environment Chapter 5: Environmental Impact of Economic Development

 Often conflict between the need to develop economic activities and the need to protect the environment  Conflict of interest can lead to disputes between developers and communities  The Mayo Gas terminal: a gas field discovered off the coast of Mayo in 1996  Corrib Gas Project: plan to construct a pipeline to transport gas from the field to an onshore processing terminal in Bellanaboy  Objections: Health and safety issues, danger of air and water pollution, exploitation of Ireland’s gas resource  Support: will supply 60 per cent of Ireland’s gas needs for a period of 20 years, short-term employment for over 500 workers, 50 permanent jobs Chapter 5: Environmental Impact of Economic Development Economic development versus environmental protection Economic development versus environmental protection