9781422274545

Future Energy Needs

C urrently, about 80–85 percent of the world’s energy comes from fossil fuels. Renewable energy sources provide only the remaining 15–20 percent of the required energy. Since the demand for energy is grow- ing, the use of fossil fuels to produce energy is bound to increase. The use of fossil fuels will further increase global warming as they release large volumes of CO 2 .

Future Projections According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an international organi- zation set up by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the global temperature might rise from 6.1 to 11°F (3.4 to 6.1°C) during the twenty-first century if people continue exploit- ing fossil fuels at a high rate. Sea levels are expected to rise by 7 to 23 inches (18 to 59 cm). Natural calamities like hurricanes , storms, floods, and droughts will become frequent. Due to the melting of ice caps, the availability of fresh water will reduce, thus creating a shortage of drinking water. Many species of plants and animals would become extinct.

CLIMATE CHANGE: Problems and Progress

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