Understanding the Energy Crisis

Energy Crisis

• An energy crisis occurs when energy demand surpasses the available supply.
• These crises arise from production and distribution problems, not necessarily a lack of energy resources.
• Examples include oil crises, energy shortages, and electricity cuts.

Causes of Energy Crisis: Demand-Side

• Overuse and overconsumption from inefficient energy use.
• Growing populations increase overall energy needs.
• Climate change increases the need for temperature regulation in homes.

Causes of Energy Crisis: Supply-Side

• Political instability can cause shortages.
• Reliance on countries with political issues like Iran, Russia, and Venezuela.
• Depletion of natural resources reduces supply.

Non-Renewable Energy

• Examples include oil, gas, and coal.
• Cannot be replaced quickly once depleted.
• Burning them releases greenhouse gasses and causes pollution.

Comparison of Non-Renewable Energy Sources

• Coal: Relatively cheap, but non-renewable.
• Oil: Quick start-up time, but non-renewable.
• Gas: Cleaner than oil, but non-renewable.
• Nuclear power: Produces considerable energy, but non-renewable and produces dangerous nuclear waste.

Renewable Energy

• Renewable energy can be replaced quickly.
• Types of renewable energy include solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, tidal, and biofuel, each at 10%
• Higher investment in renewable energy leads to lower costs, more jobs, and cleaner energy sources.

Advantages of Renewable Energy

• Capable of easy regeneration compared to non-renewable.
• Boosts economic growth.
• Readily available in many forms.
• Supports a cleaner environment.
• Low maintenance costs.

Disadvantages of Renewable Energy

• Weather-dependent.
• High installation costs.
• Wind energy causes noise pollution.
• Solar energy variation problems exist.
• Wind energy supply is unpredictable.

Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Energy

• Renewable Energy: Continuous supply, replenished quickly, non-polluting, and locally available.
• Non-Renewable Energy: Limited supply, takes longer to replenish, and causes pollution and global warming.

Efficiency vs. Conservation

• Efficiency and conservation are the cheapest and cleanest sources of energy.
• Efficiency: Using technology to reduce energy waste, like LED bulbs.
• Conservation: Changing behavior, such as turning off lights.

Lebanon's Energy Problems

• Lack of energy sources.
• Insufficient ability to generate electricity.
• Poor laws and institutions.
• Absence of governance and transparency.
• Political disagreements.
• Lack of security stability.
• Disputes with Israel over gas fields.

Impacts of Energy Crisis in Lebanon

• Negative effects on the economy and development.
• Reliance on expensive and polluting generators.
• Harms the environment and poses health risks (air pollution, cancer).

Solutions for Lebanon's Energy Crisis

• Increase the use of solar and wind energy.
• Secure international support and partnerships.
• Implement policy changes.
• Encourage community engagement and raise awareness.
• Follow a path of renewable energy, development, and community involvement.

Water Pollution

• Water pollution is any harmful change in water quality that makes it unsafe for humans or the environment.
• Caused by chemicals, waste, or harmful substances.
• Results in illness, death in humans and damages ecosystems.
• Sources include sewage, industry, agriculture, and household waste.

Types of Water Pollution Sources

• Point Source: Pollution from a specific, identifiable location like a pipe or factory, easy to monitor and regulate.
• Nonpoint Source: Pollution from a broad area such as farm runoff, harder to control, identify, and more expensive to clean.

Main Causes of Water Pollution

• Domestic Sewage: Includes food waste, detergents containing phosphates, and disease-causing bacteria.
• Agriculture: Includes soil erosion, fertilizers, pesticides, and livestock waste.
• Industry: Includes harmful inorganic and organic chemicals and plastics.

Climate Change and Water Pollution

• Increased rainfall carries more harmful chemicals into waterways.
• Less rainfall reduces the water available to dilute pollution.

Effects of Water Pollution

• Can cause infectious diseases from contaminated water and crops.
• Loss of biodiversity reduces plants/animals life span and ability to reproduce.
• Economic damage results from high costs in healthcare and agriculture.
• Can cause political conflicts and instability between countries.
• Limits overall general development and economic growth.

Problems Caused by Water Pollutants

• Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Depletion: Biodegradation uses oxygen and low levels of oxygen can kill aquatic life.
• Bio-magnification: Harmful chemicals increase in concentration as they move up the food web, affecting the food chain.
• Eutrophication: Natural or human-caused nutrient enrichment in lakes and streams, leading to excessive algae growth and oxygen depletion.

Effects of Man-made Eutrophication

• Algal blooms reduce oxygen levels and causes hypoxia, leading to the death of aquatic organisms.
• Solutions include removing nitrates/phosphates, weeds, and using safe chemicals, while also aerating the water.

Groundwater Pollution

• Chemicals leak into underground water sources.
• Cleaning groundwater is very expensive, so prevention is the most effective solution.
• Lebanon has water laws but they are poorly enforced.

Bottled Water as a Solution

• Only a short-term solution that is expensive and bad for the environment.

Ocean Pollution

• Most ocean pollution originates from land.
• Includes oil, chemicals, and plastics. Solution involves reducing land and air pollution.

Reducing Water Pollution

• Prevent pollution before it happens.
• Use natural methods to treat sewage.
• Reduce poverty and population growth.
• Enforce laws to control pollution.

Sewage Treatment

• Septic Tank Systems are used for rural homes.
• Sewage Treatment Plants:
• Primary: Removes solids through a physical process.
• Secondary: Uses bacteria to break down waste.
• Tertiary/advance: Uses special filters and bleaching/chlorine.

Key Takeaways for Water Pollution

• Pollution control is the cheapest and most effective way to protect water.
• Protecting oceans starts with reducing land pollution.
• Prevent waste and protect the poor and environment.

Ozone Layer and Its Depletion: Atmosphere Structure

• The atmosphere consists of five layers: Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, and Exosphere.
• The ozone layer is located in the stratosphere at 18-26 km above Earth and contains 90% of atmospheric ozone.

Formation and Function of Ozone

• Ozone forms when UV rays split oxygen, creating individual oxygen atoms that combine with O2.
• Ozone layer absorbs harmful UV radiation protecting life on Earth.

Causes of Ozone Layer Depletion

• Main pollutants: CFCs, halons, methane, and nitrous oxide.
• CFCs are the most harmful and used refrigerants, solvents, and spray cans.
• Under UV light CFCs release chlorine radicals that break down ozone molecules.

History of CFCs

• Invented in 1928 as a safer alternative to toxic refrigerants.
• Named Freon and widely used during WWII.
• Severely damage the ozone layer and remain in the atmosphere for 100 years.

Effects of Ozone Depletion

• Increased UV radiation leads to higher risk of skin cancer and cataracts.
• Weakened immune systems.
• Harm to phytoplankton and aquatic ecosystems.
• Damage to DNA and nucleic acids in organisms.

Montreal Protocol (1987)

• International treaty to reduce ozone depleting substances.
• Part of the 1985 Vienna Convention.
• Resulted in a decline in CFC use and ozone layer recovery over Antarctica.

Air Pollution Overview in Lebanon

• Pollutants like PM2.5, ozone (O3), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) caused by fossil fuel combustion.

Health Impacts of Air Pollution in Lebanon

• Children are vulnerable, causes respiratory diseases, cognitive impairments, and pregnancy complications.

Photochemical Smog

• Occurs when sunlight reacts with NOx and VOCs, creating ground-level ozone.

Lebanon's Air Quality

• Unhealthy due to fossil fuel use, diesel generators, and poor waste management, with pollutants including PM2.5, ozone, and SO2.
• Solutions: Transition to renewable energy, improve waste management, promote green policies, and raise public awareness.

Protection Measures against Air Pollution in Lebanon

• Use HEPA filters, wear N95 masks, monitor air quality indices, and reduce outdoor activities during high pollution.