Calculate the energy dependence ratio of this country: Energy net imports Mtoe (MegaTons Oil Equivalent): 56 Mtoe. Energy net consumption: 61 Mtoe. Is the country independent regarding its energy consumption?
The energy dependence rate shows the proportion of energy that an economy must import. It is defined as net energy imports divided by gross inland energy consumption, expressed as a percentage. A negative dependency rate indicates a net exporter of energy, while a dependency rate in excess of 100 % indicates that energy products have been stocked.
What is the main cause of the decrease of energy imports in 2020?
Why do some vaccines require boosters?
Antibodies don't last forever and their rate of decay matters. For diseases like measles, this rate is relatively slow. The antibodies seem to stick around for longer and vaccine-induced immunity remains quite durable over time. For some other vaccines (like the one for tetanus), the antibodies get broken down faster. Scientists combat this with booster shots to cause a larger immune response to make up for its faster decay so that the overall threshold for protection is still met over time. Sometimes, memory cells also take time to develop and they only work in the presence of an infection or vaccine. If the vaccine from the first dose has waned, memory cells stop working. So boosters are there to also make sure that the memory cells stay active.
In the quick search, look for the vaccine schedule of Estonia. In which months and/or years do the Estonian government recommend vaccination against the measles?
What are renewable energy sources?
Renewable energy means the energy that is naturally found in nature and that constantly renews itself. The mentioned energy is constantly present in nature. Solar, wind, biomass, hydrogen, geothermal, and waves are renewable energy sources.
"Solar panels don't work well in cold climates." discuss your opinion.
There are working ranges in which panels can be used technically. However, contrary to popular belief, solar panels can work more efficiently as conductivity increases in cold weather. Although these problems are less experienced in modern panels, their efficiency decreases by around 10% on hot days. The rays that produce electricity in solar panels are UV rays. These rays are invisible to the naked eye. UV rays can also reach the earth in cloudy weather. It provides more electricity generation only in sunny weather.
How can we best reduce ocean plastic pollution?
About 11 million metric tons (or eight million tons) of plastic waste and pollution enters the world’s oceans every year, which has detrimental impacts on marine wildlife and the health of ecosystems – animals can ingest plastic, get entangled in them, and plastic debris increases the risk of invasive species to just list a few. A 2020 report found that should no action be taken, plastic pollution is set to grow to 29 million metric tons per year in less than 20 years from now. But scientists in the same report say it is possible to slash 80% of that pollution: by reducing the growth of virgin plastic production, improving waste collection systems, and investing in recyclable plastics. https://earth.org/plastic-pollution-statistics/
What material is plastic made up of ? Describe the molecules.
Plastic is a polymeric material—that is, a material whose molecules are very large, often resembling long chains made up of a seemingly endless series of interconnected links. Natural polymers such as rubber and silk exist in abundance, but nature’s “plastics” have not been implicated in environmental pollution, because they do not persist in the environment. https://www.britannica.com/science/plastic-pollution
To what extent plans to support the sustainable development and the transition to a more sustainable and green and fair society, influence the policy of the country you live in?
“a new kind of tyranny that, if not stopped, will surely lead us to a new Dark Ages of pain and misery yet unknown to mankind” (Tom DeWeese - American Policy Center president - on the UN agenda supporting the sustainable development goals).
In your opinion, is access to food important for the development of society? In case so, which is its relevance in relation to other aspects supporting sustainable development?
"In the Bocas del Toro Province of Panama, two indigenous women, Rosibel Quintero and Isabel Sánchez, founded the United Woman of Bonyic (OMUB) to develop and manage community gardens. Seeing some children faint during class because they were not physically suited for the long-distance travel to school, Rosibel Quintero and Isabel Sánchez believed that the OMUB could be a solution to malnutrition among children and created a small vegetable garden at the school. [..] Due to disruptions to the tourist industry during the pandemic which left the women without income and resources, the community resumed community vegetable gardens, adding new crops with financial support of a small donations program from the United Nations Development Programme. [..]" (Case Study retrieved from the publication "Bringing Data to Life - SDG human impact stories from across the globe" (United Nations, 2022).
The main human causes of climate change are:
You are a natural researcher! You do not believe immediately in what rumours or uncontrolled sources say! You try to engage your peers in reasoned analyses, and the world really needs people like you! Share the scientific knowledge and keep up the good work!
What would happen if there was no natural greenhouse effect?
The “natural” greenhouse effect makes life on Earth possible, providing an average global temperature for the planet of about +14.5º C. Some of the gasses present in the atmosphere retain part of the sun's heat that the earth reflects back into space (they are greenhouse gasses). Without them, it would escape, so the average temperature of the planet would be about -18º C (below zero) and our planet a cold and barren place.
