Renewable energy and pollution

What is the latest the climate scientists have discovered? We know that climate science has come a long way over the years but the latest discoveries don't warm the heart. The alarming speed of Arctic ice melting is causing global sea rise around the globe.  We now also understand how pollution affects life forms and some of the diseases it causes. Responsible people all over the globe are mobilizing to support renewable energy sources. All energy sources have some impact on our environment, but fossil fuels do substantially more damage than renewable sources. This destruction consists of air and water pollution, damage to public health, wildlife and habitat use, water use, land use, and global warming emissions. Approximately 67 percent of the electricity generated in 2014 was from fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and petroleum), according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Fossil fuels released millions of tons of carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere, which is the prime reason for global warming.

Renewable energy reduces emissions

Renewable energy sources (which includes biofuels, biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar and wind) produce about 13 percent of power generation. In producing that electricity, they had minimal effects on the environment, insignificant effects on global warming and little effect on air quality. Plus, renewable energy sources like wind, solar, hydropower and geothermal—unlike fossil and nuclear energy—incur no fuel costs and are not subject to the price volatility of traditional energy sources. There is no cost for the wind or the sun, the heat from the earth or the movement of water and it's extremely important we learn how to harness these forces. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that carbon dioxide emissions in the United States rose by about seven percent between 1990 and 2013, with emissions from fossil fuel combustion being a leading factor in the overall growth in discharges. More recently, the U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from energy consumption rose three percent in the first six months of 2014 compared to the same period the previous year reversing a downward trend from 2012 to 2013.

China still the world’s biggest polluter, but hope is on the way

China remains the world’s worst emitting country, which was responsible for 29 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in 2012. Experts expect to see its emissions continue to increase until 2030. This trend desperately needs to stop. The good news is that China is the world's biggest solar panel manufacturer and they are on a major solar development program. Until their solar facilities have been constructed, things are going to be rough, particularly in the urban areas of the world's most populous nation.

Climate change convention

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change formally recognized that the long-term purpose of the convention was to hold the increase in global average warming to below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial level, a level that some authorities consider to be too high and a level at which the existence of many small island nations will be endangered by rising sea levels. Replacing fossil fuel-based electrical power with renewable energy sources is a significant step in slowing and ultimately stopping global warming. But the time for action is now. Reports from climate scientists are painting a picture that's even worse than they originally thought and there isn't much time left to change our ways. The world is in great peril if we cannot replace current fossil fuel burners with alternative energy sources that don't damage us and our world. Easily the most available of these sources is solar power, which has become a normal site in the towns and cities of the country.

Solar power is here to stay, and the sooner you explore how much you can save, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of residential solar power. Please visit our solar blog to find out more about the benefits of going solar.

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