Problem Statement
The proposal's objective is to assess the environmental sustainability of some of the randomly selected countries in Europe and Central Asia. Particularly, the research will focus on three main variables, including air pollution, power plant emission, and economic factors. The study is conscious of the rampant climate change affecting the larger European and Asian regions. Therefore, the primary goal is to draw a causal relationship between various variables (air pollution, power plant emission, and economy) and the resultant climate change.
Introduction
Climate change is a significant global problem with severe implications. Some of the most affected places in the world include Europe and Central Asia. The recent increase in droughts in Central Asia manifests the ever-changing weather patterns thanks to climate change. In Europe, the constant flooding, especially in the Balkan countries, is also proof that climate change is a reality. Three fundamental aspects of climate change in Europe and Central Asia include air pollution, power plant emissions, and the growing economy. The project is crucial because it will provide a basis for mitigating climate change in the regions. It also sheds light on how the world can promote sustainable living. The research offers a rationale for steady economic development without jeopardizing the climate.
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Proposed Hypothesis-1 : Electricity generation via the power plant emission massively contributes to climate change.
Proposed Rationale: Abdallah & El-Shennawy (2013) assert that approximately 40% of carbon dioxide emissions are produced from electricity generation thanks to fossil fuel combustion. Carbon dioxide is regarded as one of the primary greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.
Proposed Analysis: Graphs, and pie charts
Expected Results: Europe and Central Asia have a high rate of power plant emission from fossil fuels. As illustrated in research, emission plays a significant role in releasing fossil fuels that eventually contribute to the greenhouse effect.
Proposed Hypothesis-2 : Methane emission through agricultural activities is a significant cause of climate change in Europe and Central Asia.
Proposed Rationale: Agricultural activities contribute to climate change through emissions. Direct agricultural activities contribute directly to 17% while land-use changes account for emissions of between 7-14% (Agriculture and Climate Change: Towards Sustainable, Productive and Climate-Friendly Agricultural Systems).
Proposed Analysis: Graphs and heat maps
Expected Results: Methane production through agricultural activities has adverse implications on climate change. However, this does not happen to the same degree as other traditional greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.
Proposed Hypothesis-3 : Economic growth is directly associated with increased emission of greenhouse gases.
Proposed Rationale: Economic growth contributes to increased energy consumption. The more an economy grows, the more likely greenhouse gases are produced to satisfy the increased energy demands (Lapinskienė, Peleckis, & Slavinskaitė, 2017).
Proposed Analysis: Graphs and environmental Kuznets curve (EKC)
Expected Results: Countries across Europe that have recorded increased GDP are likely to demonstrate an increased greenhouse gas emission. However, this might not true for all countries. Researchers found that some European countries have implemented green sustainable measures as part of their modus operandi. Therefore, economic growth does not necessarily contribute to pollution.
Proposed Hypothesis -4: An increase in inequality has a direct impact on global warming.
Proposed Rationale: The Gini index is an economic variable that determines the income inequality in society. Evidence has shown a direct relationship between global warming and increased inequalities across the world. The impact is more significant for developing countries (Dasgupta, 2020).
Proposed Analysis: Gini Index, heat map
Expected Results: The relationship between inequality as depicted by the Gini index is not unidirectional with global warming. An increase in inequality does not have any impact on global warming. Conversely, increased global warming contributes to heightened inequality (Dasgupta et al., 2020).
Proposed hypothesis-5 : Shifts to nuclear electricity production will help mitigate climate change problems in Europe and Central Asia.
Proposed Rationale: The expansion of nuclear power is regarded as one of the reliable methods of cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Unlike burning fossil fuels, nuclear fission is not associated with carbon dioxide production or any other greenhouse gases (Sioshansi, 2009).
Proposed Analysis: Bar graphs and heat maps
Expected Results: As illustrated by the author, “Like renewables, nuclear power produces no GHG emissions during operation, but there are too many global carbon dioxide-emitting generation sources” (Sioshansi, 2009). Therefore, European countries must continuously use nuclear as the primary source of electricity production. However, as shown in research, nuclear carriers adverse implications on an individual's health.
Proposed hypothesis-6: Population increase is directly correlated with the increasing pollution and subsequent climate change.
Proposed Rationale: The global population continues to increase, and Europe has not been left behind. The general assumption is that an increase in population increases energy demands without and outside the domestic setting. Eventually, this leads to a corresponding increase in atmospheric pollution and climate change.
Proposed Analysis: Census data, heat maps, and graphs
Expected Outcome: Despite the association between climate change and population increase exists, there is no clear correlation. According to Jiang & Hardee (2011), the causal effect between the two phenomena is problematic because of compounding factors such as economic growth and technology changes. Regardless, stakeholders cannot ignore the impact of population growth.
References
Abdallah, L., & El-Shennawy, T. (2013). Reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity sector using smart electric grid applications. Journal of Engineering , 2013 .
Agriculture and Climate Change: Towards Sustainable, Productive and Climate-Friendly Agricultural Systems https://www.oecd.org/agriculture/ministerial/background/notes/4_background_note.pdf
Dasgupta, S. et al., (2020). Inequality and growth impacts from climate change - insights from South Africa. European Institute on Economics and the Environment https://media.rff.org/documents/WP_20-10.pdf
Jiang, L., & Hardee, K. (2011). How do recent population trends matter to climate change?. Population Research and Policy Review , 30 (2), 287-312.
Lapinskienė, G., Peleckis, K., & Slavinskaitė, N. (2017). Energy consumption, economic growth, and greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union countries. Journal Of Business Economics And Management , 18 (6), 1082-1097.
Sioshansi, F. (Ed.). (2009). Generating electricity in a carbon-constrained world . Academic Press.
