Non-renewable energy sources and their environmental impacts in the UK

Non-Renewable Energy in the UK

Despite significant investment in renewable energy in recent years, non-renewable energy sources still remain the major sources of energy in the UK. As of 2012, approximately 85% of energy in the country came from fossil fuels (Carbon Brief, 2012). Regrettably, non-renewable energy has increasingly been shown to have negative impacts on the environment and the economy (Younger, 2004; Mamurekli, 2010). More unfortunately, with non-renewable sources of energy becoming scarcer, it is projected that they may not fully meet the demand for energy in the future (Energy Envoys, 2014). Focusing on the UK, this paper pays attention to three issues: economic and environmental factors that impact on non-renewable energy; economic and environmental impacts of non-renewable energy; and the sustainability of non-renewable energy.

Economic and Environmental Factors

Both economic and environmental factors can be blamed for the increased dependence on non-renewable sources of energy in the UK. First, there has been increased economic activity since the 18th century (Jones, 2014). Manufacturing has increased exponentially, technology has advanced dramatically, there have been more cars on the road, and more real estate establishments have been set up. Coupled with increased population growth, this has meant increased dependence on fossil fuels. Moreover, non-renewable energy remains significantly cheaper than renewable energy in terms of both production and consumption. This monetary aspect makes most countries to depend on fossil fuels as their primary source of energy (Riddell et al., n.d.). Nonetheless, it is quite regrettable that much focus is on the short-term costs as opposed to the far much higher long-term costs such as climate change. On its part, the UK government has in the last few years introduced measures to make renewable technology cheaper. This includes incentives and subsidies for producers of renewable energy, among other measures (Department of Energy and Climate Change, 2011). These measures are expected to reduce dependence on non-renewable energy in the long-term.

Economic and Environmental Impacts

The combustion of fossil fuels has been shown to be the major contributor of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere (Younger, 2004). These gases have largely contributed to global warming and climate change. Climate change has actually been termed as one of the major challenges facing the world and particularly the UK in the 21st century (Mamurekli, 2010). Temperatures have increased, sea levels have risen, rains have become acidic, storms have become severer, and seasons have changed (Ayers, 2011).

Fossil fuels also contribute to air pollution. The concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouses has increased to worrying levels, with coal being the major contributor (Ayers, 2011). Though greenhouse gas concentrations in the UK have declined by 29% since 1990, they still remain at undesired levels. In 2014, for instance, carbon dioxide emissions were approximately 422 million tonnes (Department of Energy and Climate Change, 2016). Moreover, the extraction, burning and utilisation of coal releases toxic metallic elements such as mercury, which may have serious impacts of the environment (Ayers, 2011). Air pollution poses a serious threat to public health. It has to a large extent been associated with respiratory diseases such as chronic bronchitis and lung disease, with people populations involved in the production of fossils fuels and those living near factories being the most affected (Mamurekli, 2010). In the UK, coal-fired power plants are estimated to be responsible for more than 1,500 premature deaths every year (Green Peace, 2013).

Further, non-renewable energy increases wildlife and habitat loss (Ayers, 2011). The production of coal, natural gas and oil often requires large tracts of the natural environment to be cleared or interfered with. Ecological degradation and disturbance makes the environment inhabitable for wildlife and may endanger human health. Other impacts include ground water pollution and depletion, soil erosion, dust emissions, land use distraction, solid waste pollution, oil spills, as well as unexpected events such as fires and explosions (Younger, 2004; Mamurekli, 2010).

From an economic perspective, the impact of non-renewable energy is even greater. First, the health and environmental impacts associated with the use of fossil fuels translate to significant economic costs. The morbidity and mortality burden associated with coal production, for instance, increases health care expenditure as well as lost working days (Green Peace, 2013). These costs are estimated to be in the range of £1-3 billion annually (Green Peace, 2013). In addition, the effects of climate change continue to impose a huge economic burden on the government and the UK population. Increasingly strong and severe storms have resulted in extensive destruction of private and public property. For instance, the two most recent storms, Storms Eva and Desmond, are estimated to cost the UK economy in excess of £5 billion (Burn-Callander, 2015). This is certainly a huge burden to the economy. The government is now spending more on constructing and maintaining flood barriers and other measures aimed at minimising or avoiding the risk and impact of floods.

Sustainability

There is no doubt that non-renewable energy has significantly contributed to making the world what it is today in terms of advancement. Virtually every invention seen today has been supported by non-renewable energy in one way or another. Major events in the global calendar such as the industrial revolution would perhaps not have been possible without non-renewable energy. The UK has particularly been a top beneficiary of non-renewable energy. The availability of coal was specifically instrumental in supporting the country\'s economic expansion and global dominance in the 18th and 19th centuries. Nonetheless, significant concerns about the sustainability of non-renewable energy have emerged in the last few decades.

Similar to most other countries around the world, the demand for energy in the UK has grown tremendously in the last two centuries or so against the backdrop of population growth, technological advancement and the subsequent increase in energy consumption. In the UK, the growth has particularly been notable since the 1970s (Department for Business, Energy and Industry Strategy, 2016). Nonetheless, the increased demand has not been accompanied by a similar increase in the discovery and availability of non-renewable energy sources. It has been projected that the current reserves of oil, natural gas, and coal will be depleted in the next 40 years, 60 years, and 250 years, respectively, if there is no significant shift to renewable sources of energy (Energy Envoys, 2014). In the UK, several coal mines have been shut down over the last two to three decades due to lack of economically viable reserves, among other factors (Mamurekli, 2010). Though these projections could be flawed, there is a possibility that non-renewable energy sources may not fully meet the demand for energy in the future, which will certainly be greater than it is today. Demand will exceedingly surpass supply, consequently rising prices for fossil fuels to levels never imagined (Energy Envoys, 2014).

More importantly, the shortage of energy may be considerably detrimental to the economy. Scarce energy would imply derailed economy activity as there would be no adequate energy to power factories, transport systems, and other systems that require energy for survival. This may in one way or another hamper economic growth, consequently threatening social and economic stability. Simply, dependence on non-renewable sources of energy is not sustainable. The faster the shift to renewable energy sources the better.