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Every time we
switch on machinery, lighting or turn up the thermostat we use energy.
Whatever kind of fuel we use (whether we burn it directly or indirectly),
when electricity is generated, we are releasing greenhouse gases,
including carbon dioxide (CO2), into the atmosphere, contributing
to climate change.
It is now widely
accepted that climate change is the most serious environmental threat
to our planet. Left unchecked, it will have profound effect on weather
patterns globally. Recent research suggests that in Scotland there
will be:
- more severe
weather events
- rainfall
may increase by up to 50% in the west
- storms, floods
and gales are likely to be more common
These effects
will impact on golf. Traditional links courses are already experiencing
problems of coastal erosion, while the general change in weather
patterns may affect golf courses in terms of different prevalence
of turfgrass pests and diseases, seasonality of play, changes required
to drainage and irrigation systems, pricing of energy and fuel supplies,
as well as less predictable revenue streams from tourism and events.
While climate
change policy is being tackled at government and international levels,
everyone should recognise that it will affect their lives; how they
live, work and play, and that there is something they can do, by
taking some personal responsibility for energy conservation. Individual
efforts may seem trivial in the big picture but collectively they
add up - for example, over a quarter of the CO2 produced in the
UK comes from domestic energy use alone.
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