Editor’s note: The opinions in this article are the author’s, as published by our content partner, and do not represent the views of MSN or Microsoft. There has also been discussion on other incentives such as free parking with charge points, and preferential use of bus lanes. Greenpeace activists float a picture of Mary Poppins wearing a gas mask in front of the Houses of Parliament (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images) Much of that dirty air was produced by the 38.2 million road vehicles that last year travelled 328 billion miles around the country. In Pictures: Places around the world already affected by climate change [Microsoft GES] Popular with tourists, this coastal city came perilously close to literally running out of water early in 2018. The situation forced officials to restrict the amount of water an individual, home or building could use in a day. ____________________________________________________ More on our empowering the planet campaign: ____________________________________________________ But replacing fossil fuel with electric powered cars will do nothing to address the chronic road congestion that blights many of our cities. In fact they can be worse because the lithium ion batteries they use are not as energy dense as petrol or diesel. Central Asia’s largest nation has scarce amounts of water and around 50 percent of the population consumes poor quality drinking water that fails to meet international standards, according to a report by United Nations Development Program. Inefficient agricultural practices have worsened the situation as crop yield continues to go down without a decrease in the amount of waterconsumed. The region’s largest lake, the Aral Sea (pictured), has also been rapidly shrinking, impacting the region’s fresh water supply. A huge gap between the demand and supply of water and its deteriorating quality have led to widespread shortages in the country. Groundwater reserves are dwindling, and due to the absence of proper sanitation and wastewater management systems, bodies of water are getting polluted by industrial and urban waste. A decrease in rainfall has been observed in the country over the years, leading to groundwater and rivers not getting adequately replenished. According to surveys, the cost of water in the country has gone up 30 percent in the last decade due to a shortage of groundwater. Presently, the government is planning to dig seven new wells, to reach a deepaquifer that contains fossil water from 10,000 to 30,000 years ago. A soaring population has added to the already prevalent water shortage in Iran due to its arid, desert environment. In addition, the rural population – with its higher dependence on water-intensive activities like agriculture – is greater than the urban one. The country has mismanaged its water resources, with thousands of illegal groundwater wells dug in many areas. The country has several desalination plants supplying potable water, but they are failing to meet the rising demand. The country doesn’t have a single perennial source of water and started taxing residents for the resource. With one of the world’s lowest levels of rainfall, Qatar faces the immense challenge of looking for an alternative source of freshwater. Their per capita use of water is twice the average consumption in the European Union and their population is expected to grow nearly eightfold by 2050. The desert country relies on desalination plants for its water in the absence of rivers and lakes. The country has experienced dramatic population growth due to the improving economy in the past few decades. This aerial picture shows floating photovoltaic solar pannels at the power plant O'Mega1 in Piolenc, southern France (GERARD JULIEN/AFP/Getty Images) Using solar panels on the roof of your house to charge up your electric car is a great idea. Renewable energy tariffs allow you to only recharge using wind or solar, so that could work for weekend charging. Rather than spend public funds on supporting the purchase and use of EVs for some of the more wealthier sections of society, we should be pouring investment into new affordable bus and tram routes, and park and ride schemes. In particular electric bikes allow people to arrive at work not as a sweaty mess but with normal clothes and heart rate. James Dyke is an assistant director of the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter
Komentar
Posting Komentar