Page 6 - Pakistan Link - May 17, 2019

P6 – PAKISTAN LINK – MAY 17, 2019 OPINION
Th e Solution to Climate Change Grows on Trees

n By John Keppler cleaner form of energy.
Top environmental groups, including the
mericans are tired of half measures Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,
on climate change. Seven in ten support wood biomass. Th e group has mapped
AAmericans want utility companies out numerous pathways towards a sustainable
to overhaul their operations and generate future, and they all rely on biomass.
100 percent of the nation’s electricity from For more proof of biomass’ potential, look
renewables in the near future. to the United Kingdom. Th e UK cut its carbon
Th at’s ambitious. Renewable energy ac- emissions 38 percent between 1990 and 2017.
counts for just 17 percent of electricity genera- Th at’s a sharper decline than any other major
tion today. Utility companies oft en claim an developed country.
all-renewable future is impossible, since wind Th e transition to renewable energy ac-
and solar only generate power when the wind counted for 37 percent of the UK’s 2017 emis-
is blowing and the sun is shining. Utilities say sions reductions in the electricity sector. Bio-
they need a reliable energy source, like natu- mass was responsible for about a third of those
ral gas or coal, that can produce electricity at reductions.
night and on calm days. Money may not grow on trees -- but the
Fortunately, there’s an environmentally solution to climate change does. It’s time for
friendly alternative to fossil fuels that utilities Americans to embrace clean, sustainable bio-
can use around the clock. Wood biomass, trees mass.
and the parts of trees that the timber industry revolution. infrastructure. Many of our coal plants, for (John Keppler is the Chairman and CEO
can’t use, is plentiful and reliable. And it helps Wood biomass is simple to produce. Climate change is primarily of Enviva)
utilities dramatically reduce their carbon foot- Companies take wood that would have gone to
print on a lifecycle basis. waste -- like limbs and sawdust -- and grind it caused by a build-up of heat- Illegal Construction in
Replacing fossil fuels with wood biomass into wood pellets. Power plants can burn those trapping “greenhouse gases”
should be part of our approach to preventing pellets to generate electricity. in the atmosphere. The United Karachi
catastrophic climate change. Wood biomass is more environmentally Nations’ Intergovernmental
Climate change is primarily caused by a friendly than fossil fuels. Scientists and regu- Panel on Climate Change
build-up of heat-trapping “greenhouse gases” lators around the world agree, wood biomass n By Col. Syed Riaz Jafri (Retd)
in the atmosphere. Th e United Nations’ Inter- can displace up to 90 percent of the equivalent recently released a report Westridge, Rawalpindi
governmental Panel on Climate Change re- lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions even aft er detailing the potential
cently released a report detailing the potential accounting for supply chain emissions. It also consequences of global he January 2019 orders of the Su-
consequences of global temperatures rising produces far fewer harmful pollutants -- like temperatures rising 1.5°C preme Court to demolish all illegal
1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. It warned of sulfur, mercury, sulfur oxide, and arsenic -- above pre-industrial levels. Tconstruction and encroachments -
more extreme weather events, rising seas, and than fossil fuels. including wedding halls, shopping malls,
risks to water supplies. Biomass doesn’t compete with other re- It warned of more extreme and plazas in the residential areas of the
Already, the planet has warmed roughly newable sources like wind and solar -- it’s weather events, rising seas, and Cantonment - in Karachi to restore the city
1°C above pre-industrial levels. Th at level complementary. For utilities, the chief draw- risks to water supplies. to conditions 40 years ago have yet to be
keeps rising as we burn more fossil fuels. back of wind and solar farms is that they can’t Already, the planet has implemented in full.
We don’t have much time left to prevent operate 24/7. Right now, most utilities rely on warmed roughly 1°C above Owing to certain administrative and legal
further temperature increases. Th at’s why coal and natural gas plants to generate elec- pre-industrial levels. That level limitations of the Karachi City Administra-
Americans are embracing renewable energy. tricity when solar and wind-powered facilities tion, the Sindh Provincial Government has
Th ere’s no shortage of talk about solar and aren’t active. keeps rising as we burn more now been tasked with the demolition of all il-
wind energy. And rightfully so. Th ese sources Th ose utilities could instead use wood fossil fuels legal construction within 15 days to facilitate
help reduce emissions. But wood biomass also biomass. It’d be relatively inexpensive to incor- the plying of the Circular Railway in the city.
should play a role in the renewable energy porate wood biomass into our existing energy example, only need a few upgrades to use this CONSTRUCTION, P24

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