Presented were the results of studies on energy demand in Poland with par-ticular regard to the use of renewable energy resources (RER).It was stated that the results of renewable energy use have been overesti-mated, particularly concerning biomass burning and its effect on greenhouse gas emission. Biofuels emit more carbon dioxide (CO2) per unit of generated energy than conventional fuels, including coal. It is impossible to assume a "zero" emis-sion of CO2 forming during biomass burning.We will be unable to fulfill by 2020 our obligations towards the European Union (EU) concerning energy saving, greenhouse gas emission and increasing the share of RER in national energy balance in Poland.Intensive increase in the use of solid, liquid and gaseous biofuels may threaten forestry and agricultural economy in Poland as well as necessary protec-tion of soil, water and air in rural areas. Decreasing greenhouse gas emission will require capital consuming investments in nuclear power stations, hydro-electric power plants and wind turbines, as well as in solar and geothermal facilities. In-terdisciplinary basic and development research are necessary in the area of the effect of energy transformations on the shaping and protection of rural environ-ment. ...
A forecast of socio-economic changes in agricultural holdings and sustain-able agriculture until 2030 was presented against the background of necessary energy and ecological changes occurring in rural areas and in the whole Poland.Results of Agricultural Census of 2010 (PSR'10) and initial results of Na-tional Census (GUS) of 2011 were used to determine the trends of changes in rural areas and in agriculture. It was forecasted that by 2030 about 39% of the population of Poland will live in rural areas constituting 33.0% of individual households. Farmer population in agricultural holdings over 1.0 ha AL will con-stitute 13.3% of rural communities and 5.2% of the whole country population. There will be about 530 thousand commodity farms (agricultural enterprises) which will supply to the market almost all commercial output of food raw materials. Introducing sustainable production and new technologies based on modern machinery aggregates will diminish unit labour and energy outlays, simultaneously contributing to an improvement of ecological requirements for soil, water, air, plants animals and human protection in rural areas. Agriculture will reduce methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission to the atmosphere, among oth-ers through increased use of renewable energy sources (RES). A critical and re-served attitude should be adopted ...
