Replacing fossil fuels with solar

Fossil fuels are one of the planet's biggest killers. This means not just human and animal life but plant life as well. Humanity no longer has many responsible choices for the generation of power. Only a few decades of fossil fuels remain and without a sensible energy policy, the world is doomed to progressively worse climate-related weather events. For example, Hawaii recently experienced their first hurricane in more than a quarter century. Japan, a nation in the northern hemisphere, recorded record high temperatures and many deaths from the heat. But that’s just two dramatic examples. There are a thousand other examples of the damage fossil fuels have done to life on earth. The time has come for renewable energy. There is no longer any sensible reason to continue to drill for oil in environmentally sensitive areas. Solar panels are now cheaper than ever and new solar technologies promise cheaper and more efficient energy for the future. Fossil fuels have been a major ingredient of man’s “progress” during the past century. Environmental damage caused by these fuels make them a very bad investment for humanity. Fortunately, the world is slowly waking up to the viability of solar energy.

What are fossil fuels?

Fuels that have been formed from the fossilized remains of prehistoric plants and animals are called fossil fuels.

Coal

Coal is a hard, black colored rock-like substance made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and a differing amount of sulfur. Coal contributes to around a third of the total energy produced in the world. However, coal mining is very hazardous to coal mine laborers and to the public in general. The myth of “clean coal” is being promoted by President Donald Trump in spite of powerful scientific evidence that no such thing exists.

Oil

Oil was formed from the remains of sea animals that died millions of years ago. Oil is made up of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Oil contributes to around 23% of the total power produced in the world. Oil contributes greatly to pollution worldwide and is largely responsible for the terrible air quality seen in the urban regions of India and China.

Natural gas

Natural gas was formed from the remains of sea animals that died many years ago; the gas formed was confined in the rocks undersea. Natural gas contributes to about 21% of the total energy generated in the world. From these statistics, it is clear that most of the present day energy demand is met by consuming fossil fuels. In fact, nearly 86% of the worldwide demand is met by fossil fuels; another eight percent is met by nuclear energy and the remaining six percent is met by renewable sources of energy.

Disadvantages of fossil fuels

There are many obvious disadvantages associated with the burning of fossil fuels. A brief summary: When fossil fuels are burned in excess amounts they cause the emission of greenhouse gas (CO2). Greenhouse gases cause the earth to absorb more heat and therefore increase the earth's temperature. This effect is called the greenhouse effect. With ocean drilling for oil, there are possibilities of oil spills which could affect the aquatic life in the ocean. There have been numerous oil spills in recent history and oil companies have been extremely lax in dealing with environmental concerns. Fossil fuels also give birth to pollution which not only affects humans but the aquatic life as well.

There has never been a better time to install a solar energy system!

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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