Question: What is your opinion on global warming?

Natasha Dowey answered on 12 Mar 2019: last edited 12 Mar 2019 9:51 am

People often ask me this, because I work in the oil and gas industry. Oil and gas are fossil fuels, which create carbon dioxide when burnt and contribute to man-made global warming. I do believe in climate change and global warming, the science proves that it is happening.
I think as a society we should be investing in renewable energy and nuclear, which both produce less carbon dioxide than oil and gas.
But its important to realise that oil and gas will be important to society for a long time to come. Gas is cleaner than coal and oil, and we are currently studying ways to capture the carbon dioxide produced by gas-fired power plants and store it back deep within the ground. Renewable energy isn’t always efficient- for example, in some places the wind doesn’t always blow, or the sun doesn’t always shine. One day we may have developed better technology, and we should be investing in that research, but in the meantime it’s important to have other energies (like nuclear, although expensive, and gas, which is cheaper) to add to the ‘energy mix’ to create a stable source of power for society.
Oil will be important to society for a long time because of its uses in making nitrogen fertilisers, which fertilise a huge amount of crops that feed people all over the world. It also goes into making medicines, plastics, road surfacing, all kinds of fuels and lubricants for manufacturing.
We can all do our bit to fight against global warming. The best thing we can do is consume less. That means eating less meat, travelling on less planes, driving less, buying less stuff, recycling, using charity shops for clothes, etc. Every time a product is made, and shipped around the world, it has a ‘carbon footprint’-the process of manufacturing and transport, and of keeping animals for meat, all contributes to climate change. It isn’t about changing everything you do completely, but its about being aware and making as many changes as you can in your life to help.