Global economics

Technology forthe Global Economic, Environmental Survival and Prosperity... 

Hydro-electricity is the most developed renewable resource worldwide, even if it has to face social and environmental barriers [29]. In fact societal preferences are difficult to predict, while hydro-sites are often difficult to reach, which results in high transmission and capital investment costs. These are difficult to be accepted by private power companies. The global economic hydropower potential ranges between 7000 and 9000 TWh per year. Particularly mral communities without electricity appear to be convenient for small (<10 MWe), mini- (<1 MWe), and micro- (<100 kWe) scale hydro schemes. They have low environmental impacts, and generation costs are around 6-12 c/kWh. Emissions of GHG linked with hydro-electricity operation are due to flooding of land upstream of a dam that can imply a loss of biological carbon stocks and can produce methane emissions due to vegetation decomposition. 

These external cost can be considerable compared to the present calculated cost. The present global economic production expressed as GNP is estimated at 18 1012 per year so the world ecosystems produce a factor 1.8 higher annual value (19). This means that the external cost can even exceed the present cost when the ecosystem is seriously affected by human activity. 

These forecasts assume a relatively stable global economy. In the past, major unpredictable shocks to the global economic system have had an important impact on fertilizer demand36. 

BASF, a multinational chemicals industry leader, reported that plastics consumption grew from 86 million tons in 1990 to 174 million tons in 2003. At one time, BASF projected that plastics demand would grow further to 318 million tons in 2015. However, due to the global economic crisis of 2008-2009, the picture for plastics consumption worldwide changed significantly. Decreasing sales, plastics plant shutdowns and employee layoffs became commonplace. BASF, for example, reported reductions in its production in 2009, and shortened work hours were implemented for more than 4,000 employees early that year. By June 2009, BASF shortened hours for an additional 3,000 employees and planned to cut 2,000 jobs by the end of the year. 

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