No big deal?

A drastic switch to low carbon-emitting technologies, such as wind and hydroelectric power, may not yield a reduction in global warming until the latter part of this century, new research suggests.

The study, published February 16, in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, claims that the rapid deployment of low-greenhouse-gas-emitting technologies (LGEs) will initially increase emissions as they will require a large amount of energy to construct and install.

These cumulative emissions will remain in the atmosphere for extended periods due to the long lifetime of CO2, meaning that global mean surface temperatures will increase to a level greater than if we continued to use conventional coal-fired plants.

Delaying the rollout of the technologies is not an option however; the risks of environmental harm will be much greater in the second half of the century and beyond if we continue to rely on coal-based technologies.

SO what can we infer? Doomed if we don't, doomed if we do?? But there is a way out - energy conservation. Go slow on the use and wastage of energy. Things we have got used to plugging in and operating will have to be phased out or used wisely. Easier said, you think? For instance, how many of us can stop using the washing machine to conserve power and water?!