Your Questions About Sustainable Energy

admin answers:

In order for something to be called sustainable, its present actions or uses cannot negatively impact its future integrity. The concept of sustainability can be applied in many contexts: the environment, resources, business, development etc.. To use energy as an example, the present use of fossil fuels is unsustainable since it is a limited resource that will not be available in the future. In contrasts, sources of energy like wind and solar power can be seen as more sustainable because that energy source is unlimited.
So to answer your question, although recycling is great, simply recycling is not enough to achieve environmental sustainability, also because the recycling process actually consumes a lot of energy itself.
Your next question is a tough one, because people are really divided on this subject. Some say that developing countries should be held to the same emission standards as the developed world, some say that the developed world should subsidize the development of sustainable energy sources in the developing world, some say that the developing would should be allowed to use whatever energy source is cheaply available to them and it is only the developed worlds responsibility to address the problems of high CO2 emission and climate change etc..
Personally I think it is unfair to require a country with limited means to invest in expensive forms of renewable energy rather then use the forms they have cheaply available to them in order to spur their development. However, I believe that as countries develop, it is crucial for environmental sustainability to become increasingly kept in mind during policy making.

admin answers:

So Slobovia is considering ways to use only energy that doesn’t just go away in the future? Good for Slobovia. They should consider:

Where do we get energy now?
Can it run out in 10 or 50 years? Are we scared? If yes, then:

What sustainable sources are available?
Wind? How much wind do we get, and where? How will we deal with no-wind days?
How much would it cost to build wind turbines? How will we distribute the power to homes and businesses? How will we raise funds for that project? How do we get the politicians to agree? Will they get re-elected if they raise taxes?

Do we believe that the climate is warming due to burning fossil fuels? Is the ocean rising drowning Slobovia, or is Slobovia traped in an endless drought? Or maybe not, so we don’t care?

Ask similar questions about solar (sun) sources of power.

And the list goes on and on …