Post by pigeonpie on Oct 21, 2009 6:34:32 GMT
Menorca’s CO2 emissions 70% over Kyoto recommendation
Adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11th December 1997 and entering into force on 16th February 2005, the Kyoto Protocol set binding targets for 37 industrialised countries plus the European Union for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Based on emission levels in 1990, the worldwide target is for a 5% reduction by 2012. Although the U.S.A. is the largest ‘per capita’ emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels, the country has not ratified the protocol and is therefore not bound by the target of -7% set for it. In Spain’s case, the figure recorded in 1990 is permitted to increase by up to 15%.
In 1990 Menorca released 417,477 tons of CO2 (the principal cause of the greenhouse effect) into the atmosphere, hence the island’s target for 2012 is a maximum of 481,000 tons. The latest figures made public by OBSAM (the Menorca Socioambiental Observatory) show that the amount of CO2 released last year was 820,116 tons which is 70.8% higher than the level recommended in the Kyoto Protocol. Two-thirds of the gas released was the result of the production of electricity, the remainder emanating from fuel and gases (mainly those used in land and air transport).
In general terms, there has been an increase in emissions related to the generation of electricity over the last few years and a decrease in contamination from fuel and gases. Although there was a rise in emissions from fuel every year between 1994 and 2005, since 2006 the figure has gradually dropped. On the other hand, the amount of CO2 released as a result of generating electricity in 2008 was 132.9% more than in 1990. Only two years have passed without an increase in the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere - 1991 and 2007. Last year the increase was 2%.
Electrical consumption is one of the main causes of CO2 emission. Today, the majority of the island’s electricity is still produced by systems which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and electrical consumption in Menorca has increased 80% since 1997. The two municipal districts which have seen the highest increases in the amount of electricity used are Sant Lluís, at 140%, and Es Mercadal, at 108%, both the result of a major growth in tourism in the areas.
At the other end of the scale, Es Migjorn Gran and Ciutadella were the two districts registering the lowest growth in electrical consumption, at 61.9% and 70.8% respectively. However, Ciutadella was still the biggest customer last year, consuming 31.4% of the electricity used on the island, followed by Maó at 28.9%.
Although in recent years there has been a move towards generating electricity by alternative methods, such as the construction of wind and solar farms, OBSAM’s figures showed that the electricity produced by renewable sources only accounted for 0.3% of the total energy used on the island last year. This is in spite of the fact that the number of solar farms in Menorca doubled between 2007 and 2008.
Adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11th December 1997 and entering into force on 16th February 2005, the Kyoto Protocol set binding targets for 37 industrialised countries plus the European Union for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Based on emission levels in 1990, the worldwide target is for a 5% reduction by 2012. Although the U.S.A. is the largest ‘per capita’ emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels, the country has not ratified the protocol and is therefore not bound by the target of -7% set for it. In Spain’s case, the figure recorded in 1990 is permitted to increase by up to 15%.
In 1990 Menorca released 417,477 tons of CO2 (the principal cause of the greenhouse effect) into the atmosphere, hence the island’s target for 2012 is a maximum of 481,000 tons. The latest figures made public by OBSAM (the Menorca Socioambiental Observatory) show that the amount of CO2 released last year was 820,116 tons which is 70.8% higher than the level recommended in the Kyoto Protocol. Two-thirds of the gas released was the result of the production of electricity, the remainder emanating from fuel and gases (mainly those used in land and air transport).
In general terms, there has been an increase in emissions related to the generation of electricity over the last few years and a decrease in contamination from fuel and gases. Although there was a rise in emissions from fuel every year between 1994 and 2005, since 2006 the figure has gradually dropped. On the other hand, the amount of CO2 released as a result of generating electricity in 2008 was 132.9% more than in 1990. Only two years have passed without an increase in the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere - 1991 and 2007. Last year the increase was 2%.
Electrical consumption is one of the main causes of CO2 emission. Today, the majority of the island’s electricity is still produced by systems which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and electrical consumption in Menorca has increased 80% since 1997. The two municipal districts which have seen the highest increases in the amount of electricity used are Sant Lluís, at 140%, and Es Mercadal, at 108%, both the result of a major growth in tourism in the areas.
At the other end of the scale, Es Migjorn Gran and Ciutadella were the two districts registering the lowest growth in electrical consumption, at 61.9% and 70.8% respectively. However, Ciutadella was still the biggest customer last year, consuming 31.4% of the electricity used on the island, followed by Maó at 28.9%.
Although in recent years there has been a move towards generating electricity by alternative methods, such as the construction of wind and solar farms, OBSAM’s figures showed that the electricity produced by renewable sources only accounted for 0.3% of the total energy used on the island last year. This is in spite of the fact that the number of solar farms in Menorca doubled between 2007 and 2008.
