Tackling climate change: The Albarella island example

Abstract

We attempted to consider Albarella Island as a model for estimating the ability of humans and the capacity of the environment to react to climate change. On its 550 hectares, this island hosts management centers, 2800 private homes, several restaurants and hotels, shops, public and private swimming pools, a golf course, beaches, green areas equipped to satisfy the 2,000 stable inhabitants and more than 110,000 annual tourists. We collected data on the following variables: 1) net carbon storage of the semi-natural ecosystems; 2) diet of humans staying on the island; 3) currently used fossil energy; 4) electricity demand; 5) waste produced; 6) transport. A dynamic simulation model of the island’s CO2 equivalent (CO2eq) emissions proposes two scenarios that illustrate how these variables can change over the next 10 years if the management remains that of the present day, or switching to all photovoltaics, proposing new diets to inhabitants and tourists, and planting trees on half of the island’s lawns. In the second case, CO2eq emissions lowered to 1/4 of the current value, bringing them to the level of 50-60 years ago. Running the Albarella touristic activities with renewed technology and minimum emissions impact in 2032 produces 4.8 kty-1of CO2eq: 14.5% (0.7 kty-1 of CO2eq) of these emissions could be stored in the ecosystems of the island, 25% (1.2 kty-1) would be produced by the solar panels construction, functionning and recycling that would furnish all the necessary domestic and industrial energy, and 60.5% (2.9 kty-1) would correspond to the emissions to supply the island’s food needs. Theoretically, the technological response works. The implementation of the model on the island is discussed, opening up global perspectives. Maintaining the current level of consumption, with the technical and natural means available today, it is not possible to go below 20% of today’s emissions.