Matching renewable energy and conservation targets for a sustainable future
2021; Elsevier BV; Volume: 4; Issue: 7 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/j.oneear.2021.07.001
ISSN2590-3330
Autores Tópico(s)Photovoltaic Systems and Sustainability
ResumoRenewable energy facilitates emission reductions, but its deployment also presents challenges. Recently in Joule, Cole et al. examined barriers to establishing a 100% renewable energy power system in the United States, but land-use-change impacts of renewable energy deployment on biodiversity conservation were unexplored and warrant interdisciplinary investigation. Renewable energy facilitates emission reductions, but its deployment also presents challenges. Recently in Joule, Cole et al. examined barriers to establishing a 100% renewable energy power system in the United States, but land-use-change impacts of renewable energy deployment on biodiversity conservation were unexplored and warrant interdisciplinary investigation. Climate change results from CO2 emitted by the combustion of fossil fuels entering Earth's atmosphere.1Davis S.J. Caldeira K. Matthews H.D. Future CO2 emissions and climate change from existing energy infrastructure.Science. 2010; 329: 1330-1333https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1188566Crossref PubMed Scopus (775) Google Scholar Under the United Nations Paris Agreement, countries agreed to limit the global average temperature increase to well below 2°C relative to pre-industrial baselines; the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change later proposed a roadmap to allow an energy transition toward net-zero carbon emissions via significant reduction in fossil fuel production and increased renewable energy capacity.2Baruch-Mordo S. Kiesecker J.M. Kennedy C.M. Oakleaf J.R. Opperman J.J. From Paris to practice: sustainable implementation of renewable energy goals.Environ. Res. Lett. 2019; 14: 024013https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab39aeCrossref Scopus (3) Google Scholar The forthcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) is expected to accelerate actions toward meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. The potential for renewable energy to mitigate climate change, create jobs, evoke environmental justice, and meet the electricity demand of a growing human population now fuels sociopolitical activity pushing aggressive agendas for emission reductions and carbon neutrality. According to a recent Briefing Room fact sheet from the White House, the Biden-Harris Administration targets a 50%–52% reduction in emissions by 2030 through increased production of renewable energy.3The White HouseFact sheet: President Biden sets 2030 greenhouse gas pollution reduction target aimed at creating good-paying union jobs and securing U.S. leadership on clean energy technologies. White House Briefing Room.https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/22/fact-sheet-president-biden-sets-2030-greenhouse-gas-pollution-reduction-target-aimed-at-creating-good-paying-union-jobs-and-securing-u-s-leadership-on-clean-energy-technologies/Date: 2021Google Scholar Although the need for renewable energy deployment is apparent,3The White HouseFact sheet: President Biden sets 2030 greenhouse gas pollution reduction target aimed at creating good-paying union jobs and securing U.S. leadership on clean energy technologies. White House Briefing Room.https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/22/fact-sheet-president-biden-sets-2030-greenhouse-gas-pollution-reduction-target-aimed-at-creating-good-paying-union-jobs-and-securing-u-s-leadership-on-clean-energy-technologies/Date: 2021Google Scholar pathways to achieving a transition to renewable energy remain unclear. Recently in Joule, Cole et al.4Cole W. Greer D. Denholm P. Frazier A.W. Machen S. Mai T. Vincent N. Baldwin S.F. Quantifying the challenge of reaching a 100% renewable energy power system for the United States.Joule. 2021; 5https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2021.05.011Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (16) Google Scholar used state-of-the-art modeling to estimate the cost of achieving a 100% renewable energy system for the contiguous United States under a wide range of future conditions. The authors' goals were to inform electric-sector decision-maker assessments of the cost and value of pursuing higher penetration of renewable energy systems and to bolster understanding of the requirements to decarbonize the electricity sector. The authors highlighted the complex, cost-related challenges associated with a 100% renewable energy transition, including but not limited to nonlinear increases in cost, variable definitions of 100% renewable energy, the speed of transition, and capital cost contributions to system cost. However, as the authors acknowledge, the challenges of the transition to renewable energy span beyond economic costs alone. Specifically, insufficient consideration of land-use change in pathways for a transition to renewable energy could lead to knowledge gaps with socioecological implications that, in turn, could affect the sustainability of renewable energy buildout. Therefore, research that investigates and addresses the ecological challenges associated with a transition to renewable energy is warranted.5Katzner T.E. Nelson D.M. Diffendorfer J.E. Duerr A.E. Campbell C.J. Leslie D. Vander Zanden H.B. Yee J.L. Sur M. Huso M.M.P. et al.Wind energy: An ecological challenge.Science. 2019; 366: 1206-1207https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaz9989Crossref PubMed Scopus (23) Google Scholar The likely acceleration of the sixth mass species extinction and increasing biodiversity loss pose additional socioenvironmental challenges and necessitate global biodiversity conservation to maintain humanity's life-support system.6Ceballos G. Ehrlich P.R. Raven P.H. Vertebrates on the brink as indicators of biological annihilation and the sixth mass extinction.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2020; 117: 13596-13602https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1922686117Crossref PubMed Scopus (166) Google Scholar Species extinctions are permanent and affect the living systems upon which humans depend.6Ceballos G. Ehrlich P.R. Raven P.H. Vertebrates on the brink as indicators of biological annihilation and the sixth mass extinction.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2020; 117: 13596-13602https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1922686117Crossref PubMed Scopus (166) Google Scholar Human pressures on the biosphere, including habitat loss from anthropogenic land-use change, have steadily increased, leading to reductions in biodiversity and the ecosystem goods and services that wild species provide.6Ceballos G. Ehrlich P.R. Raven P.H. Vertebrates on the brink as indicators of biological annihilation and the sixth mass extinction.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2020; 117: 13596-13602https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1922686117Crossref PubMed Scopus (166) Google Scholar, 7Powers R.P. Jetz W. Global habitat loss and extinction risk of terrestrial vertebrates under future land-use-change scenarios.Nat. Clim. Chang. 2019; 9: 323-329https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0406-zCrossref Scopus (159) Google Scholar, 8Grodsky S.M. Hernandez R.R. Reduced ecosystem services of desert plants from ground-mounted solar energy development.Nat. Sustain. 2020; 3: 1036-1043https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-0574-xCrossref Scopus (20) Google Scholar Powers and Jetz7Powers R.P. Jetz W. Global habitat loss and extinction risk of terrestrial vertebrates under future land-use-change scenarios.Nat. Clim. Chang. 2019; 9: 323-329https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0406-zCrossref Scopus (159) Google Scholar evaluated potential loss in range-wide suitable habitat and extinction risk for ∼19,400 vertebrate species on the basis of global decadal land-use scenarios to year 2070; the authors identified substantial declines of suitable habitat for species worldwide and 1,700 species at risk of imperilment from land-use change alone. In June 2021, G7 leaders committed to the G7 2030 Nature Compact9G7 Cornwall UKG7 2030 Nature Compact.https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/100200012.pdfDate: 2021Google Scholar to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by conserving at least 30% of global land and 30% of global ocean by 2030 with the goal of facilitating both a net-zero and nature-positive world for people and the planet. In the 2021 report titled "Conserving and restoring America the beautiful,"10US Department of the InteriorUS Department of AgricultureUS Department of CommerceCouncil on Environmental QualityConserving and restoring America the beautiful.https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/report-conserving-and-restoring-america-the-beautiful-2021.pdfDate: 2021Google Scholar the Biden-Harris Administration also committed to conserving at least 30% of the lands and waters of the United States by the same 2030 benchmark. Competition for finite land resources exists among land uses, including but certainly not limited to renewable energy production and conservation. Land-use competition could continue to intensify with the rapid growth of renewable energy development and human populations, the latter of which in turn results in further urban sprawl and necessitates increased agricultural production of food. Siting decisions around renewable energy could be influenced by factors other than conservation, including economics, the technical state of renewable energy technologies, and government-issued energy-supply mandates. Therefore, utility-scale renewable energy development often occurs near and in conservation lands and globally important biodiversity areas.11Rehbein J.A. Watson J.E.M. Lane J.L. Sonter L.J. Venter O. Atkinson S.C. Allan J.R. Renewable energy development threatens many globally important biodiversity areas.Glob. Change Biol. 2020; 26: 3040-3051https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15067Crossref PubMed Scopus (53) Google Scholar,12Hernandez R.R. Hoffacker M.K. Murphy-Mariscal M.L. Wu G.C. Allen M.F. Solar energy development impacts on land cover change and protected areas.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2015; 112: 13579-13584https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1517656112Crossref PubMed Scopus (110) Google Scholar Rehbein et al.11Rehbein J.A. Watson J.E.M. Lane J.L. Sonter L.J. Venter O. Atkinson S.C. Allan J.R. Renewable energy development threatens many globally important biodiversity areas.Glob. Change Biol. 2020; 26: 3040-3051https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15067Crossref PubMed Scopus (53) Google Scholar identified ∼3,000 renewable energy facilities affecting 886 protected areas, 749 key biodiversity areas, and 40 distinct wilderness areas worldwide; the next wave of renewable energy development could increase the number of affected protected areas and key biodiversity areas by ∼30% and the number of wilderness areas by 60%.11Rehbein J.A. Watson J.E.M. Lane J.L. Sonter L.J. Venter O. Atkinson S.C. Allan J.R. Renewable energy development threatens many globally important biodiversity areas.Glob. Change Biol. 2020; 26: 3040-3051https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15067Crossref PubMed Scopus (53) Google Scholar In California, most utility-scale solar energy installations are sited in shrublands and scrublands with a high conservation value within 10 km of protected natural areas.12Hernandez R.R. Hoffacker M.K. Murphy-Mariscal M.L. Wu G.C. Allen M.F. Solar energy development impacts on land cover change and protected areas.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2015; 112: 13579-13584https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1517656112Crossref PubMed Scopus (110) Google Scholar Land-use change associated with renewable energy development could have profound effects on biodiversity, ecosystems, and ecosystem services.8Grodsky S.M. Hernandez R.R. Reduced ecosystem services of desert plants from ground-mounted solar energy development.Nat. Sustain. 2020; 3: 1036-1043https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-0574-xCrossref Scopus (20) Google Scholar,13Moorman C.E. Grodsky S.M. Rupp S.P. Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019Google Scholar Land used for conservation could be directly converted to renewable energy production, thereby diminishing or, in some cases, potentially eliminating its capacity to support biodiversity and ecosystems services in relation to its previously undeveloped state.12Hernandez R.R. Hoffacker M.K. Murphy-Mariscal M.L. Wu G.C. Allen M.F. Solar energy development impacts on land cover change and protected areas.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2015; 112: 13579-13584https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1517656112Crossref PubMed Scopus (110) Google Scholar,13Moorman C.E. Grodsky S.M. Rupp S.P. Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019Google Scholar For example, solar energy development in the Mojave Desert negatively affected cacti and yucca, which in turn reduced plant-based ecosystem services.8Grodsky S.M. Hernandez R.R. Reduced ecosystem services of desert plants from ground-mounted solar energy development.Nat. Sustain. 2020; 3: 1036-1043https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-0574-xCrossref Scopus (20) Google Scholar In general, we know little about the interactions between renewable energy and ecosystems, be they negative, neutral, or positive. Research on the interactions between renewable energy and ecosystems is presently proceeding more slowly than the buildout of renewable energy. The lack of standardization and inconsistent methodologies among ecological studies at renewable energy facilities could further limit our ability to understand the effects of renewable energy development on ecosystems with currently available data. Renewable energy production and biodiversity conservation might not necessarily be mutually exclusive. This very notion has created a novel, fertile research environment in which we can explore the possibilities of a sustainable transition to renewable energy. Most researchers agree that the critical first step to avoiding any negative effects of renewable energy development on biodiversity is science-informed, conservation-minded siting of renewable energy facilities.13Moorman C.E. Grodsky S.M. Rupp S.P. Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019Google Scholar For example, in a case study in California's Great Central Valley,14Hoffacker M.K. Allen M.F. Hernandez R.R. Land-sparing opportunities for solar energy development in agricultural landscapes: a case study of the Great Central Valley, CA, United States.Environ. Sci. Technol. 2017; 51: 14472-14482https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b05110Crossref PubMed Scopus (41) Google Scholar solar energy development in marginalized lands with low conservation value, including developed land-cover types, salt-affected agricultural land, and contaminated sites, offered extensive opportunities to spare land for conservation while meeting projected electricity needs. Hernandez et al.15Hernandez R.R. Armstrong A. Burney J. Ryan G. Moore-O'Leary K. Diédhiou I. Grodsky S.M. Saul-Gershenz L. Davis R. Macknick J. et al.Techno-ecological synergies of solar energy for global sustainability.Nat. Sustain. 2019; 2: 560-568https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-019-0309-zCrossref Scopus (75) Google Scholar developed the concept of techno-ecological synergy—a framework for engineering mutually beneficial relationships between technological and ecological systems—as it applies to solar energy technologies. Restoration of pollinator habitat at solar facilities is a potential techno-ecological synergy buzzing around social, academic, and industry circles alike. In the pollinator-friendly solar scenario, the same parcel of land could support solar energy production and pollinator habitat (i.e., native, low-growing flowering plants), and there are potential synergies between the two to the benefit of both the solar industry and biodiversity conservation. The techno-ecological synergies of restoring native vegetation at solar facilities could extend beyond pollinators to include increased solar energy production, carbon sequestration, erosion control, and reduced colonization by invasive species. The explication of techno-ecological synergies for renewable energy systems could lead to win-win scenarios for renewable energy and biodiversity conservation while reducing land-use competition between the two. Yet, techno-ecological synergies—or simply put, co-benefits—of conservation-minded renewable energy development have only just begun to be quantified. Given the realities of current renewable energy deployment, research efforts that empirically test the effects of renewable energy development on biological conservation and identify means by which to mitigate its negative effects on biodiversity, ecosystems, and ecosystem services are warranted. Research can guide such mitigation by experimentally testing the efficacy of adaptive approaches to developing renewable energy to minimize impacts to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services, including the following: (1) variable site-preparation practices, (2) novel conservation measures, (3) adaptive facility designs from the local to the landscape level, and (4) altered operations and maintenance procedures.13Moorman C.E. Grodsky S.M. Rupp S.P. Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019Google Scholar Further, more research is needed to identify potential techno-ecological synergies of all renewable energy sources in a variety of ecosystems. For example, potential techno-ecological synergies of wind energy remain largely unexplored in comparison with those presently discussed for solar energy. The solution for producing knowledge that allows us to match renewable energy and biodiversity goals in the United States and around the world most likely lies in creative, interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers in combination with inclusive engagement of diverse stakeholders.13Moorman C.E. Grodsky S.M. Rupp S.P. Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019Google Scholar,15Hernandez R.R. Armstrong A. Burney J. Ryan G. Moore-O'Leary K. Diédhiou I. Grodsky S.M. Saul-Gershenz L. Davis R. Macknick J. et al.Techno-ecological synergies of solar energy for global sustainability.Nat. Sustain. 2019; 2: 560-568https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-019-0309-zCrossref Scopus (75) Google Scholar The collective ability of scientists to produce knowledge that informs a sustainable transition to renewable energy most likely hinges on coordinated and transdisciplinary research approaches that holistically address renewable energy deployment scenarios.13Moorman C.E. Grodsky S.M. Rupp S.P. Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019Google Scholar,15Hernandez R.R. Armstrong A. Burney J. Ryan G. Moore-O'Leary K. Diédhiou I. Grodsky S.M. Saul-Gershenz L. Davis R. Macknick J. et al.Techno-ecological synergies of solar energy for global sustainability.Nat. Sustain. 2019; 2: 560-568https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-019-0309-zCrossref Scopus (75) Google Scholar For example, renewable energy penetration pathways such as those simulated by Cole et al.4Cole W. Greer D. Denholm P. Frazier A.W. Machen S. Mai T. Vincent N. Baldwin S.F. Quantifying the challenge of reaching a 100% renewable energy power system for the United States.Joule. 2021; 5https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2021.05.011Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (16) Google Scholar could integrate explicit biodiversity conservation considerations via input from energy ecologists to guide realistic yet sustainable renewable energy deployment in terms of both economic and biodiversity costs. Quantifying the effects of renewable energy development on cultural ecosystem services could provide a path for assessing the environmental justness of renewable energy deployment while connecting to biodiversity conservation as a maintainer of ecosystem services. Researchers and stakeholders across diverse fields can all cooperate, collaborate, and communicate through coordinated engagement to generate knowledge that facilitates a sustainable transition to renewable energy. For example, representatives and researchers in the renewable energy industry can together play a key role in the development of sustainable renewable energy via collaborative research, fundraising, and science applications.13Moorman C.E. Grodsky S.M. Rupp S.P. Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019Google Scholar Through such collaboration, we can more efficiently achieve techno-ecological synergies of renewable energy and better deploy renewable energy in more viable, environmentally responsible, and sustainable ways. Creativity, collaboration, and human ingenuity can help pave the path forward for matching renewable energy and biodiversity goals to sustain all natural resources for future generations.
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