Chairpersons:
Katarina Tica (RS) Âli Okumuşoğlu (TR) |
Journalist:
Anja Martinović (RS) |
“Climate change is destroying our path to sustainability. Ours is a world of looming challenges and increasingly limited resources. Sustainable development offers the best chance to adjust our course.” – Ban Ki Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations
Burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas all contribute to the production and release of Carbon Dioxide and Nitrous Oxide into the atmosphere. Such gases can lead to a long list of health risks such as: asthma, reduced lung functioning, cardiovascular problems, cancer etc.
With the last decade being the hottest in Europe, heat waves coming at an increased frequency, river flow droughts becoming more frequent and severe along with sea levels rising, global warming is rapidly becoming a leading issue within Europe.
Furthermore, deforestation leads to large amounts of Carbon Dioxide being released into the atmosphere as well due to trees releasing their absorbed CO2 when cut down. Fertilizers containing nitrogen triggering nitrous oxide emissions and though not as much as any of the aforementioned causes, livestock farming also contributes into this as animals such as cows and sheep release high amounts of methane when digesting food. All of these leading to numerous gases being released into the atmosphere and initially contribute to the greenhouse effect by not allowing heat that is insulated by the sun to be dissipated.
With such negative impacts being inflicted upon the atmosphere, causing an increase in the greenhouse effect and overall increase in global warming. What measures could be taken to prevent the temperature changes that are leading to occurrences of natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, blizzards, wildfires, avalanches, earthquakes and droughts and their effects on European citizens?
Key Terms
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Facts and Figures
Key Actors |
Chart: Gasses causing Global Warming
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- The European Investment Bank’s project, European Local Energy Assistance is a project that allows local and regional authorities to develop and launch large-scale sustainable investments. It pays for 90% of everything that is needed to prepare, implement and finance a project allowing for maximisation of investment in sustainable energy within the EU.
- The United Nations has many treaties and projects at work regarding climate change, most important one being the Cancun Agreements established upon the Climate Conference in 2010.
- The European Commission has set EU targets to be established against global warming for 2020, 2030 and in the long term ranging all the way to 2050.
- All Member States are to follow a ‘National Action Plan’ under the Renewable Energy Directive (including 2020 targets) in which they all set distinctive aims according to their available resources and available energy markets. Under these plans they will set aims and cover renewable energy including electricity, heating, cooling and transport along with making joint projects with other Member States, achieving national targets and using a variety of renewable technologies.
- Eurostat is responsible for both the bi-annual monitoring of the report on sustainable development and along with the Member States developing the ‘Sustainable Development Indicators’
- The G7 has many active projects and decisions in order to limit global warming and has worked towards a lot of funding for this. They also very recently agreed to limit global warming to “two degrees” in a meeting.
Key Conflicts
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Measures Already in Place
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Key Conflicts
- How could the measures already taken by the EU be further developed to assist in minimizing the effects of climate change upon Europe?
- How can the EU disaster management system be further improved to minimize the impact of natural disasters?
- How can public health be further preserved from damages caused by pollution?
- How could the EU Sustainable Development Strategy be expanded to maximise its impact upon reducing the risk of natural disasters?
- What further steps should the EU take to finance and support sustainable development projects?
Links for Further ResearchEU Climate Action
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFq5p2l0Q2o Causes and Consequences of Climate Change https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyiNyWQeysI Adapting to climate change http://www.ecologic.eu/12160 Sustainable use of natural resources http://ec.europa.eu/environment/natres/studies.htm |
Anja Martinovic (RS)Anja is a passionate traveler, adrenaline addict, lover of food and drink, and always ready for some action. Though cold at the first sight, she is a romantic soul who dreams of long walks on the beach enjoying the sunrise ( sunsets are fine as well). Moving to California in August, she feels both happy and sad, and as one of the biggest reasons of not being completely happy is living without EYP people and sessions.
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