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Committee: UNEP
Topic Area A: Climate Change
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Delegate: Miguel Carracedo
Climate change is probably one of the most important and alarming problems
in the world, not only on the environmental stand point of life but also socially,
politically and economically as well. The problem his not only affecting life in general,
but also it has changed the way we live and has taught us how should we use our natural
resources; although some countries didn't learn the lesson. However some countries are
more responsible in the cause of global warming. it is still unfair to blame it on one
general cause of the climate change, like: greenhouse gas and air pollution. But, an
increase in the population will carry the expansion of the industry to attend all their
needs. In many countries, the cheapest way to support these industries is through the use
of coal. Coal contributes more than any other fossil fuel to global warming because of its
carbon dioxide emission. The use of contaminating substances like this one and several
other are the reason for global warming and therefore climate change.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), being home to the second
largest tropical rainforest in the world, The Congo River Basin, takes these matters into
extreme account. Knowing that this crisis is staggering, the DRC feels as though global
awareness needs to first be changed locally. Therefore as being a signee of the
Environmental Modification Agreement, DRC realizes the health of the Congo River
Basin is extremely important and significant. DRC will partake in any efforts to help
prevent and more change in the climate. Also as the DRC is an extreme victim of
international logging companies, who actually force foraging tribes to sell their part of
the rainforest, the awareness of this issue needs to grow on the global scale as well.
There are many steps in which the DRC, must take in order to address this issue
appropriately and dynamically. On a basic level, DRC must inform the whole country of
the problems with climate change and also the risks that the world continues to take and
who it will affect the future. Another step that should be taken is decreasing the amount
of carbon dioxide emitted from transportation and the industry. Although DRC is still
part of the developing industry, transportation that would allow for "carpooling",
reducing the output of carbon dioxide should be considered. The Congo suggests to the
UN to limit the amount of coal being used in everyday life and in the industrial world.
Coal produces more carbon dioxide than any other source of energy or fossil fuel.
Therefore simultaneously reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. These
steps will promote the awareness of the issue in the DRC, and secure the future health of
the world.
Commitee: UNEP
Topic Area B: Renewable Energy
Country: Democratic republic of the Congo
Delegate: Beth Clark
Energy is an issue of ever increasing importance in our society. The battle for the
development of renewable energy sources is affecting nations all over the world. As they
are all infinite, renewable energy is essentially a sustainable form of energy. With most
of the world energy coming from biomass sources, our choices in energy are leading to
pollution and global warming.
Renewable energy basically indicates the use of natural resources to create
energy. Solar power, wind power and hydropower are all examples of renewable energy
sources. Renewable energy has been used for five generations, however due to the low
cost of fossil fuels; developed countries currently favor the usage of non-renewable
energy sources, notably crude oil, coal, and natural gas. Renewable is often dismissed as
expensive and unreliable, even though it is capable of becoming the sole form of energy
used on the planet. The low cost of fossil fuels means that historically, it has been hard
for renewable energy to gain popularity. Today, biomass is the main source of energy for
most undeveloped African countries, accounting for more than two-thirds of Africa’s
total energy consumption, most of this consumption occurring in sub-Saharan Africa
(excluding South Africa). Energy is retrieved from agricultural and animal residues, and
through firewood collection. Collection of firewood is the most popular form of biomass
energy, and also happens to be the most dangerous for the environment. It is also causing
major deforestation in the majority of African nations, which can threaten the survival of
rural communities.
It is important for the world to develop renewable energy sources, before we are
forced to by the depletion of fossil fuels, and other non-renewable sources we currently
favor. This issue will rapidly begin to affect countries all around the world, regardless of
their social, economical and political states. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is in
danger of becoming a victim to its energy source. In order to avoid becoming trapped by
deforestation, and the depletion of other non-renewable energy sources, countries need to
start planning a course of action to take when their energy source does begin to fail them.
If countries don’t start to develop alternate energy sources, they will inevitably reach a
situation of crisis that could cause violence in the mass public. However, in order to
develop new energy sources, the Congo also has to improve its education, because as
little as one percent of the public ever reach higher level education. In countries such as
the Congo, the issue is much larger than simply energy; it expands into education, the
economy, and essentially the structure of the country.
Renewable energy is an issue that is becoming increasingly urgent to our society.
Eventually, all countries will have to transition from non-renewable, to renewable energy
sources, but for some nations, such as the Congo, this issue is much more than a simple
problem. To develop alternate energy sources, Congo will have to organize the entire
structure of the nation, something that will take effort, honesty, trust and essentially a lot
of time.
Bibliography:
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“Renewable Energy”. November 2007. 12/02/08. Unknown, Author. "Renewable
Energy Sources." Energy Information Administration - EIA - Official Energy
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<http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/renewable.html>.
“WWF - Renewable energy sources." WWF - The Local to Global Environmental
Conservation. 16 Aug. 2007. 14 Feb. 2008
<http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/climate_change/solutions/energy
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"Renewable Energy Sources." Energy Information Administration - EIA - Official
Energy Statistics from the U.S. Government. 14 Feb. 2008
<http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts
"Renewable Energy Basics(Index)." Union of Concerned Scientists. 5 Aug. 1925.
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