EU Renewable Policy
The European Union policy of renewable energy was enacted in 2009. The main focus of the policy was to embrace the use of renewable energy. The use of renewable energy for the countries in the EU was encouraged to help minimize the level at which it depended on other countries for energy. EU also embraced the use of renewable energy as a way of reaching its goal, which is to make the EU countries and the world in general safe from global warming and stopping climate change. The member states that are involved in the EU policy included Germany, Portugal, France, Italy, Spain, and Lithuania, where each country was given the targets to have met by 2020, putting into consideration the abilities and potential the individual countries had. By 2016, most of the states had attained the set target for 2020 towards the uses of renewable energy.
Benefits of the Policy to EU Members
By using renewable energy, the EU member states can produce their electricity. The EU countries, therefore, do not have to incur the high cost of either generating electricity or depending on other countries for the sources of power (Blimpo and Cosgrove-Davies). The cost of using renewable energy to make electricity is relatively low as compared to that of manufacturing electricity using other means such as using fuel whose prices are high. Electricity manufacture using renewable energy sources such as biogas can also be done throughout the year as compared to electricity manufacture by means that as hydrothermal, which is also a renewable source. Production using hydrothermal sources can be low when there is prolonged drought hence low water levels in the dams and other water bodies. Manufacture of energy using renewable sources is therefore guaranteed as the sources are many, and they complement each other. Production of electricity can also earn the state’s revenue as excess power can be fed back to the grid or even share with the neighboring countries.
The use of renewable energy in the EU countries also has the advantage of increased employment opportunities. With the establishment of the generating firms and plants to use the renewable sources of energy such as biomass or hydrothermal, creates job opportunities for the citizens of the EU states. Increased employment opportunities mean that a large group of the population will be produced, which therefore reduces the dependency rate. The employment opportunities created help the citizens to improve their living conditions and better their lives, which in turn leads to the growth of the countries income as revenue amount will be high. The number of people living below the poverty line in the country will reduce, and the citizens’ combined efforts will lead to development in the country.
The policy of using renewable sources of energy in the EU countries helps counter deforestation. Using sources of energy such as biomass, solar power, or hydrothermal energy helps instead of the use of sources such as fuel, and charcoal helps to conserve the environment. Environmental conservation, the primary goal of the policy is achieved as the trees will not be cut to obtain charcoal, and neither will fuel leak in water bodies during (Akenji). The citizens of the countries will, therefore, not suffer from the harsh weather conditions that are associated with climate change and global warming. The citizens’ plans, especially the agricultural plans, will not be disrupted by severe weather conditions as the crops will be cultivated during the right seasons. Tourists who visit the countries due to the climatic conditions they are associated with will also tour the country, which increases revenue.
Renewable energy also encourages invention and innovation among the citizens of the EU states. The citizens and even the government will try to find ways of producing energy using different means. The government will also sort to develop existing methods. The citizens will also try to find other sources of energy that can be renewed to obtain cheap and quality power. EU member countries are, therefore, among the leading countries in production as they embrace the innovations and inventions by their citizens. Through increased inventions and innovations, the country’s revenue increases, and the living standards of the citizens also increase.
Harms of the Policy to EU Members
Health impacts on the citizens of the EU states are associated with renewable energy production. Since the policy involves the generation of renewable energy, high technology methods may be used to ensure that the energy produced is sufficient for use by the whole country. Even though the main focus of the policy of renewable energy is ensuring that the rate of climate change may reduce by 2020, the people working in the processing firms and plants may be exposed to health hazards such as heart problems (United Nations Publications). Using high technology methods makes the people inhale and even gets exposed to the radiation produced by the machines or the emissions associated with the production, which makes them develop health complications.
Increased human displacement is also another advantage associated with the EU policy on renewable energy. Since many plants and manufacturing firms will be brought up, many citizens of the country will be forced to move from their homes to make room for the plants and firms to be put up. Additionally, people living new the sources of energy, for example, people living near dams and other water bodies, will be forced to move as the plants that produce electricity using hydrothermal means needs to be located near the water bodies. The production of renewable energy will, therefore, lead to increased land grabbing, especially by wealthy people, thus leaving many citizens homeless.
The manufacture of renewable energy by the EU member states also leads to increased food prices. Seeing as renewable energy manufacture causes an increase in land grabbing, the land that was formerly used for food production in the EU countries will have reduced (Lewandowski). The amount of food produced will, therefore, have reduced and thus have decreased, which in turn causes an increase in the food prices, especially for the developing countries that depend on the EU countries for food production. Increased food crop (biofuel) production by the EU countries in the little available land for farming increases the global process of food as there is low production, decreasing the availability of food and, thus negative impact on food security globally.
Noise pollution is also associated with the manufacture of renewable energy. The plants used to process renewable energy cause a lot of noise when they are running. The noise pollution may obstruct the peace of the people around it. Wildlife will also migrate to get away from the noise. The migration of wildlife, which is often the cause of tourism in most countries, gets away, which therefore causes a reduction in tourism.
In conclusion, the policy has more advantages than disadvantages as the use of renewable energy has more environmental benefits, which is geared towards the EU goal of reducing global warming. For its next policy, the EU should find a way to recycle waste such as polythene to create an environmentally friendly country and the world in general.
Work Cited
Akenji, Lewis. Sustainable Consumption and Production: A Handbook for Policymakers. UNEP, United Nations Environment Programme, 2015.
Blimpo, Moussa P., and Malcolm Cosgrove-Davies. Electricity Access in Sub-Saharan Africa: Uptake, Reliability, and Complementary Factors for Economic Impact. World Bank Publications, 2019.
Lewandowski, Iris. Bioeconomy: Shaping the Transition to a Sustainable, Biobased Economy. Springer, 2017.
United Nations Publications. World Investment Report 2018: Investment and New Industrial Policies. UN, 2018.