Is Solar The Best Response To Climate Change?

The ongoing debate regarding energy has enormous consequences all over the world. Elections in America in the autumn of 2018 will define our immediate energy future. The current administration is entirely “in the pockets” of coal and oil interests. Nuclear power has also been mentioned as a solution, despite its terrible safety record.

Clean energy sources like wind and solar can assist us in reducing climate change now and solar panels are cheaper than ever before. Our wildlands are threatened by the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels, especially oil and coal. No single clean energy solution has been developed yet. But together, we can develop solutions to create a sustainable energy future and decrease global warming.

Solar Energy Is The Best Answer We Currently Have

When looking for the causes of global warming, we need to examine our own energy use. Burning fossil fuels is polluting our atmosphere with carbon dioxide and other global warming discharges. These gases behave like a blanket, trapping heat. The result is a series of adverse impacts, from stronger, more regular storms, to drought, sea level rise, and extinction of animal and plant species. In the United States, almost a third of global warming emissions come from our electricity generation. Most of those emanations develop from fossil fuels like coal and natural gas.

What is carbon dioxide and why is it so hazardous?

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most prevalent greenhouse gas, but additional air pollutants—such as methane—also cause climate change. Different energy sources produce different amounts of these pollutants. To make comparisons clearer, we use a carbon dioxide equivalent, or CO2e—the amount of carbon dioxide needed to produce an equivalent volume of warming.

By contrast, most renewable energy sources generate little or no global warming emissions. Even when including “lifecycle” outflows of clean energy (i.e. the emissions from each stage of a technology’s life—manufacturing, installation, operation, decommissioning), the global warming emissions linked with renewable energy are negligible.

How Do We Define Renewable Energy Sources?

The United States heavily depends on filthy fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas for energy.  Whereas fossil fuels will ultimately run out or become too expensive to recover, renewable energy resources— especially wind and solar energy— are continually available. Making America more environmentally secure requires adopting cleaner types of energy to provide our power. Renewable energy offers wildlands bigger protections by providing alternatives to oil and gas drilling and coal mining. Replacing fossil energy with renewable energy can lower carbon emissions and check the most dangerous effects of climate change.

Where Do Renewable Power Sources Originate?

Renewable energy comes from the wind, the sun, and the earth’s geothermal heat. Other kinds of energy, like biomass and hydropower, can be considered renewable if they are produced sustainably. Scientific investigations make it clear that the United States needs to transform its energy system with cleaner options. We need to make significant investments in the full range of clean energy possibilities, from renewable energy to efficiency programs. If we do not embrace cleaner technologies, we will further solidify the role of polluting fossil fuels. For example, the Western Grid Group predicts that western states will spend $200 billion in electricity infrastructure over the next 20 years. We have an opportunity to help develop that investment to meet clean energy goals. Will we pollute the earth even more or will we wake up?

What Is The Role Of Public Areas In Renewable Energy?

Private and public lands contain substantial wind, solar and geothermal resources. Development is not wise on public lands. Where it does occur on public lands, it needs to be done in a responsible manner. This concept needs to be introduced to Donald Trump and Ryan Zinke, among others in the current administration.

Improved Health Through Solar Energy

The air and water pollution released by fossil fuel plants is associated with breathing difficulties, neurological damage, heart attacks, cancer, premature death, and a host of other severe problems. The pollution affects everyone: one Harvard University study determined the life-cycle costs and public health consequences of coal to be an estimated $74.6 billion every year.

Negative Health Repercussions From Pollution Are Very Serious

The bulk of these negative health impacts come from air and water pollution that alternative energy technologies simply don’t present. Wind, solar, and hydroelectric systems produce electricity with no air pollution emissions. Geothermal and biomass systems release some air pollutants, though total air effusions are much lower than those of coal- and natural gas-fired power plants. In addition, wind and solar energy demand virtually no water to produce and thus do not pollute water resources or strain supplies by competing with agriculture, drinking water, or other water necessities. Fossil fuels can have an important impact on water resources: both coal mining and natural gas drilling can poison sources of drinking water, and all thermal power plants, including those powered by coal, gas, and oil, withdraw and use water for cooling.  

Powerful winds, sunny skies, abundant plant matter, warmth from the earth, and fast-moving water can each render a vast supply of energy. A tiny fraction of US electricity currently comes from these sources, but that could change. Studies have repeatedly shown that renewable energy can contribute a sizable share of future electricity needs, even after accounting for potential constraints.

Explore the exciting world of solar energy! Today, with solar panel prices at all-time lows, it has never been so affordable to install your own solar energy system. Imagine generating your own power and being independent of the electrical grid.

How To Save Energy

Efficiency is another key to slowing global warming. There are some easy steps we can all practice to help the environment. Reduce, reuse, and recycle is a mantra of some environmentalists and these things help. Why not be more efficient drivers too? If we cut down on fast accelerations and hard braking circumstances when driving, this will help save gas and consolidating errands helps as well. Turning off gadgets when not in use also makes a notable difference.

Experts generally agree that four actions are most critical to a cleaner planet: having fewer children; living without a car; dodging transatlantic flights, and eating a plant-based diet.

For example, If you eat a hamburger, you add the emissions associated with raising cattle and producing other ingredients. There are emissions that result from the production, transportation, and storage of patties, buns and more. Emissions produced by rotting food and packaging waste add to your personal carbon footprint.