11
ral range of the past 650,000 years (Conway et al. 1988). The increase in GHG
emissions is largely due to the use of fossil fuels, although deforestation, changes in
the purpose of land, and agriculture have a significant but smaller contribution.
The main sources of GHG anthropogenic emissions globally are the burning of
fossil fuels for electricity generation, transport, industry, and households – which
together account for about two-thirds of total global emissions. Other sources
include deforestation, which accounts for one-fifth, agriculture, waste disposal, and
the use of industrial fluorinated gases. In general, in the EU, energy consumption –
the production and consumption of electricity and heat in industry, transport, and
households – accounts for almost 80% of GHG emissions (Longhetto et al. 1997).
On the one hand, emissions grew due to a series of factors, such as:
• Increase in the production of electricity and heat in thermal power plants, which
grew both in absolute terms and in comparison with other sources
• Economic growth in the processing industries
• Growing demand for passenger and freight transport
• Growing share of road traffic compared to other modes of transport
• Growing number of households
• Demographic changes in recent decades
• On the other hand, emissions dropped in the same period due to factors such as:
• Improvements in energy efficiency, especially among industry and energy end
users
• Improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency
• Better waste management and greater utilization of gas from landfills (waste sector achieved the largest relative reductions)
• Reductions in agricultural emissions
• Transition from coal to less polluting fuels, especially gas and biomass for electricity and heat production
Climate change is predicted to play a significant role in biodiversity loss and
jeopardize ecosystem functions. Changing climatic conditions are responsible, for
example, for observed changes in the distribution of a number of plant species,
north and up the hills. The combination of the rate of climate change and habitat
fragmentation is likely to impede the migration of many plant and animal species
and may lead to changes in species composition and further decline in biodiversity
in Europe. Changes in seasonal occurrences, flowering dates, and agricultural growing seasons are observed and projected. Phenological changes have also increased
the growing season of several crops in northern latitudes in recent decades, favoring
the introduction of new species that were previously unsuitable. At the same time,
there is a shortening of the growing season in southern latitudes. It is anticipated
that such changes in crop cycles will continue, with the potential for serious impacts
on agricultural practices (Carvalho 2017).
Similarly, climate change is expected to threaten aquatic ecosystems. Surface
water heating can have several effects on water quality, hence their use by humans.
These include more likely algae blooms and freshwater species to move north, as
well as changes in phenology. Also, in marine ecosystems, climate change may
1 General Aspects of Environmental Degradation vs. Technological Development…
ral range of the past 650,000 years (Conway et al. 1988). The increase in GHG
emissions is largely due to the use of fossil fuels, although deforestation, changes in
the purpose of land, and agriculture have a significant but smaller contribution.
The main sources of GHG anthropogenic emissions globally are the burning of
fossil fuels for electricity generation, transport, industry, and households – which
together account for about two-thirds of total global emissions. Other sources
include deforestation, which accounts for one-fifth, agriculture, waste disposal, and
the use of industrial fluorinated gases. In general, in the EU, energy consumption –
the production and consumption of electricity and heat in industry, transport, and
households – accounts for almost 80% of GHG emissions (Longhetto et al. 1997).
On the one hand, emissions grew due to a series of factors, such as:
• Increase in the production of electricity and heat in thermal power plants, which
grew both in absolute terms and in comparison with other sources
• Economic growth in the processing industries
• Growing demand for passenger and freight transport
• Growing share of road traffic compared to other modes of transport
• Growing number of households
• Demographic changes in recent decades
• On the other hand, emissions dropped in the same period due to factors such as:
• Improvements in energy efficiency, especially among industry and energy end
users
• Improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency
• Better waste management and greater utilization of gas from landfills (waste sector achieved the largest relative reductions)
• Reductions in agricultural emissions
• Transition from coal to less polluting fuels, especially gas and biomass for electricity and heat production
Climate change is predicted to play a significant role in biodiversity loss and
jeopardize ecosystem functions. Changing climatic conditions are responsible, for
example, for observed changes in the distribution of a number of plant species,
north and up the hills. The combination of the rate of climate change and habitat
fragmentation is likely to impede the migration of many plant and animal species
and may lead to changes in species composition and further decline in biodiversity
in Europe. Changes in seasonal occurrences, flowering dates, and agricultural growing seasons are observed and projected. Phenological changes have also increased
the growing season of several crops in northern latitudes in recent decades, favoring
the introduction of new species that were previously unsuitable. At the same time,
there is a shortening of the growing season in southern latitudes. It is anticipated
that such changes in crop cycles will continue, with the potential for serious impacts
on agricultural practices (Carvalho 2017).
Similarly, climate change is expected to threaten aquatic ecosystems. Surface
water heating can have several effects on water quality, hence their use by humans.
These include more likely algae blooms and freshwater species to move north, as
well as changes in phenology. Also, in marine ecosystems, climate change may
1 General Aspects of Environmental Degradation vs. Technological Development…