2. Environmental and Ecological Effects of Energy Production and Consumption

The exponential increase of energy consumption, since the beginning of the industrial revolution, has produced significant changes in the global environment, chief among which is the increase of the average concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from 280 ppm in 1750 to more than 390 ppm in 2011. Climatologists predict that this change will cause an increase of the average temperature of the planet as well as regional and global and climatic changes. Other significant environmental effects of energy consumption are: the several ecological problems caused by acid rain, which has threatened in the past the ecosystems of several lakes and rivers; lead contamination of the atmosphere; nuclear waste, which is produced by the more than 430 nuclear power plants in continuous operation worldwide; and, the waste heat rejection by all thermal power plants, which is accompanied by fresh-water consumption. Environmental threats are neutralized by public policy, either national policy or concerted international efforts and protocols that are ratified by several countries. Despite the efforts of the environmental community, there is not yet a global agreement for the mitigation of the effects of high carbon dioxide concentration, which poses the principal environmental threat of the twenty-first century. The problem of nuclear waste is being addressed at several national and regional levels and it appears that solutions for the long term storage of radionuclides will become available in the near future. National public policies and international collaboration has almost solved the acid rain and lead contamination problems. The two are viewed as success stories stemming from international collaboration and successful public policy. This chapter starts with a short section on the environment and ecosystems, continues with descriptions of the most significant environmental problems that are caused by energy consumption and delineates adopted and proposed suggestions on the mitigation of environmental threats.