ПАРИЖСКАЯ КОНФЕРЕНЦИЯ ПО КЛИМАТУ И ЭНЕРГЕТИЧЕСКИЕ ПРИОРИТЕТЫ ДОНАЛЬДА ТРАМПА

Abstract

The article shows the significance of the Paris Climate Conference, different attitudes to its decisions of the U. S. President D. Trump, his administration, the Republican and Democratic parties’ supporters, as well as of American fuel and energy complex corporations and those companies that profess the green exchange rate. Various instruments for the development of renewable energy sources (RES) are considered. Data for the harmful effects of greenhouse gas emissions on the environment and human health are presented. The problem of climate change is one of the points of inter-party disagreements that are broadcasted to great masses of population. According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center in Washington, Democrats, along with moderate and liberal Republicans, support the fight against global warming, while conservative Republicans, due to close ties with energy-intensive industries, are in the position of climate skepticism. The analysis of renewable energy advantages and disadvantages is given. To demonstrate its limited possibilities, the author points out that green technologies can only work together with a fossil fuels system, since any electric system operating from wind or solar energy needs repair first; secondly, gas and coal thermal power plants are able to generate capacity in the amount and at a time when the market needs it, while the solar and wind stations work intermittently when the wind is blowing and the sun is shining. Although these disadvantages are recognized as fair, nonetheless, RES have unquestionable advantages over hydrocarbons. What is particularly important is the easy accessibility of the huge potential of solar energy (especially in the southern states), which is considered the second opportunity after the nuclear power to solve the global task of inexhaustible power generation. Along with this, the solar energy looks preferable in comparison with coal and gas thermal power in terms of the environmental impact. Despite protective measures, including projects on carbon sequestration and CO2 capture, the problem is solved only partially. In the article, a special section is devoted to energy-efficient industrial technologies for individual consumers and households. The author stresses that the possibilities of the Trump administration to radically change the diversified character of energy are very limited, since there is essentially no federal regulation of this issue in the United States (with the exception of hydro power plants), and the power industry structure is largely formed by the states. Examples of the renewable energy development in countries of Europe, Southeast Asia and Latin America are given.