The Urgent Issue of Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons. A word that you might have used once or twice in a chemistry lesson once upon a time, but it's now probably dropped out of your vocabulary.

Hydrocarbons. A word that you might have used once or twice in a chemistry lesson once upon a time, but it's now probably dropped out of your vocabulary. It’s a scientific term, niche, specialised, which is probably why it’s often left out of the public discourse on climate change. But hydrocarbons are really quite simple. Hydrocarbons are naturally occurring. They are made of a mixture of water (hydro) and carbon, which forms a compound. And these compounds are found in oil, gas and coal. Oil, gas and coal, collectively labelled as fossil fuels, are highly combustible thanks to these hydrocarbons, so they’re burned for energy production. When fossil fuels are burned, hydrocarbons are broken back down and released back into the atmosphere as water and carbon. This is where the science gets sadly much more familiar. Concentrated carbon in the atmosphere heats up the planet, with the scientific community concluding that so far global temperatures have risen by an average of 1.1℃. This has been caused by human activity - like burning fossil fuels - forcing a higher concentration of carbon in the atmosphere. And this trend will continue if fossil fuels remain a primary source of energy production. If global temperatures rise beyond an average of 1.5℃, there will be catastrophic consequences for the planet. Professor Jim Skea, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, puts it in a simple, yet stark way, “It’s now or never.” Either nations, governments and businesses urgently make huge reductions in the amount of fossil fuels they burn, or the planet will cease to be liveable. While this is a troubling choice, it is a simple one. We all understand survival, and we have never been in a better position to make the vital changes. Now or never. The IPCC urges a rapid abandonment of fossil fuels for any hope of keeping global heating below the 1.5℃ threshold. This is entirely possible. The technology to replace the burning of fossil fuels with abundant renewables has never been more affordable, available or efficient. The cost of solar panels, the fastest growing renewable energy source, has plummeted, and the world’s annual cumulative solar capacity has grown by 25% for the past five years. Wind energy has seen similar growth, nearly quadrupling over the past decade. Hydropower is currently the most widely used form of renewable energy, accounting for a little over half of all current renewables capacity. Countries like China which, despite producing excessive carbon emissions, can meet around 17% of its substantial energy needs from hydropower. There are countries and cities showing the rest of the world how to meet demand using renewables. Sweden reached its target of 50% renewables a decade ago. 84% of electricity generated in New Zealand comes from renewables. And more developed nations are announcing ambitious targets and planning decisive action to achieve a safer low-carbon future, free from fossil fuels. It is possible to generate electricity cheaply, reliably and most importantly cleanly for everyone Now or never. The decision has been made for us, enough of us just need to realise it. Contact your local elected officials. Public support for green policies is at an all time high, but remind your officials of the people behind the polls. Make your support for renewable energy projects known: campaign, get your community behind them and most importantly, use your wallet! Check with energy suppliers if they have renewable energy tariffs and, if you’re in a fortunate enough position to invest, opt for green projects or pension schemes. We can choose now.