Global Challenges - Coping with climate change

Country - UK

Aim: To reduce carbon emissions by 60 by 2020.   

Strategy: 10% of elecritcity supply to come from renewable sources by 2010, rising to 20% by 2020. The majority is likely to come from onshore and offshore wind farms.

Evaluation: The key issue is land planning. Where do wind turbines go? Protests against turbines are frequent, and offshore turbines are costly. Wind is not 100% reliable, so other power sources need to be kept as standby.

Country - USA

Aim: An 18% reduction in GHG emission intensity by 2012 (from 183 tonnes of carbon dioxide per million dollars of GDP to 151 tonnes)

Strategy: A key strategy is subsidising farmers to grow maize and other crops, to make biofuel. This can be used in cars and trucks, either 'neat' or mixed with fossil fuels to…