Environmental problems Sustainability

In view of the finiteness of fossil energy products, accompanied by growing environmental problems, it is necessary to establish new, sustainable and future-oriented concepts for energy generation. The goal of sustainable development inevitably involves the exploitation of renewable sources of energy. Therefore, the European Union (EU) aims to double the proportion of renewable energy from 6% to 12% by 2010. Currently, around 4% (69 MtOE = 69 x 1061 of oil equivalents) of the EU s total... 

During the last three decades an increasing awareness is observed into the environmental problems caused by human activities22. These environmental problems are a direct risk for human health and the human survival potential. To challenge these problems, human activities, in particular agricultural and industrial production processes, industrial products, and transport, but also the individual way of living have to be made more sustainable. Sustainability does not only focus on the environment. It also involves economic aspects and aspects dealing with implementation. Implementation includes in this respect education, acceptance, human involvement into the application, and incorporation into the human mind. 

A large increase in biomass energy production has the potential to cause serious environmental problems. Land use issues and concerns about pollution are major concerns. Areas with fragile ecosystems and rare species would need to be preserved. Agricultural lands would also compete with food production. The loss of soil fertility from overuse is a concern. Biomass production would need to be varied and sustainable while preserving local ecosystems. 

Eastern European participants and scientists are convinced that phytoremediation and bioremediation can be a more sustainable solution to their environmental problems and are willing to learn more and to apply them extensively in the field. 

Chlorine-containing polymers such as poly(vinyl chloride) PVC undergo an autocatalytic dehydrochlorination reaction under the influence of elevated temperature and UV radiation. Since the HCl originating from the dehydro chlorination of the PVC chains is believed to sustain this autocatalytic process, stabilizers that irreversibly bond HCl can thus inhibit the degradation. Heavy metal compounds such as cadmium stearate or lead stearate are currently used for this purpose. However, alternatives are required due to environmental problems associated with the use of heavy metals. Indeed, the largest current application of LDH materials is in the polymer industry, mainly to stabilize PVC [3,229-232]. 

PROBLEMS LEADING TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 1.1. Environmental Problems... 

Ecological Part (Planet). The ecological part has to do with the impact of human action on nature. Mainly this means all the known environmental problems and processes that disrupt the ecosystems (ozone depletion, acidification, greenhouse effect, destruction of species, wastes, etc.). In a sustainable world all those known problems must be minimized or avoided. In addition, for as far as possible, sustainable development must have the power to avoid new problems. The precautionary principle is therefore adopted. 

Plant diseases cause serious losses in crop production. Pesticide application is currently the primary way to control crop disease, but it has raised an array of environmental problems. Achieving sustainable agriculture will require avoiding a... 

The chemistry of the atmosphere is diverse, driven in the main by the interaction of light with a few molecules that drives a complex array of chemistry. The type and impact of atmospheric chemistry varies in concert with the physical and biological change throughout the atmosphere. An integral understanding of atmospheric chemistry within the earth system context underpins many contemporary global environmental problems and is therefore vital to sustainable development. 

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