The Assignment Name and number
An overview of the environmental sustainability
Environmental sustainability involves making decisions and taking actions that are in the interest of caring for the natural world with emphasis on preserving the environment’s capability to support human life (Clini, Musu, & Gullino, 2008). In Europe, high industrialization has seen massive alteration of the natural world and the environment at large. The environment bears the natural resources such as minerals, water, air and plants to sustain human existence and world economies. Sustenance of the environment is a key pillar in the growth of the European Union and other economies in the world. Recent developments show that in 2006, the European Union (EU) renewed the EU Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) in order to meet new and bigger challenges and further its commitment to environmental sustainability (Almgren & Hager, 2001). According to the EU environment commissioner, Mr. Janez Potocnik, the EU has prioritized environmental sustainability as a key pillar to revamp European economies such as Greece and Portugal. The EU has also started an environmental action programme for Europe titled “Living well within the limits of our planet”. The programme is targeted to steer the EU’s environmental policies up to 2020 (European Commission, 2013). The overall goal of this plan is to transform the EU into an inclusive and sustainable green economy.
Externalities associated with non-renewable energy use
The externalities associated with non-renewable energy use can either be positive or negative. There is the pollution that is created by fossil fuels such as petrol and diesel. The more the pollution in the atmosphere, the more the need for environmental sustainability measures and the more hurting it becomes to an economy (Almgren & Hager, 2001). The carbon dioxide produced from coal plants can be used to produce cement and is therefore a positive externality. Old coal plants can create acid rain from the sulfur dioxide given off. Petrol engines are 30 to 40% more powerful than biogas additive version and are therefore more efficient in the running of industries, automobiles among other machines that are part and parcel of growing economies. Renewable energy sources and their future
Wind energy in Europe
Wind energy in the EU totaled 105, 000 megawatts supplying 7% of the EU’s electricity. In 2012 alone a total of 11, 895 megawatts of wind power were generated accounting for 11.4% of new power capacity for the region (European Commission, 2013). The wind energy sector in Europe has grown at an annual average of 15.6% over the last 17 years. By 2020, the wind power capacity of Europe shall be more than three times the current capacity due to improvements in generation and distribution technology. According to Clini, Musu and Gullino, (2008) the use of wind power shall save the EU $40 billion per year through avoidance of petroleum. At the moment, the generation of wind energy is through the use of wind driven turbines. In future, wind energy turbines shall replace the current diesel generators due to its abundance and the ongoing research on its potential and usability on large industrial scale.
Wind Energy in Portugal
In Portugal wind generated power has increased steadily over the last few years. The country generated 4, 525 MW of power from the resource in 2012, up from 4, 083 MW in 2011 and 3,898 MW in 2010 while in 1998, the country could only manage to generate 60MW of power from wind (Almgren & Hager, 2001). Portugal therefore has a huge potential for wind energy that will help reduce its expenditure on fossil fuels and also ensure increased environmental sustainability which is a huge impetus to economic growth.
References
Almgren, R., & Hager, W. (2001). Business and sustainability in the European Union. Brussels: CEPS.
Clini, C., Musu, I., & Gullino, M. L. (2008). Sustainable development and environmental management: Experiences and case studies. Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Springer.
European Commission Environment Retrieved 25 April 2013 from http://ec.europa.eu/environment/index_en.htm
