Page 6 - Pakistan Link - May 17, 2019
P. 6

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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