Renewable Energy
WHAT IS RENEWABLE ENERGY?
At present, the world relies heavily on coal, oil, and natural gas for its energy – fossil fuels which are non-renewable. These fuels draw on the earth’s finite resources that will eventually run out, becoming increasingly expensive and too environmentally damaging to extract as time goes on.
The use of fossil fuels is now accepted worldwide to be contributing to global warming and climate change. Renewable energy – solar, wind, hydro (water), biomass – is constantly replenished and will never run out. Most renewable energy comes either directly or indirectly from the sun.
Solar energy can be used directly for generating electricity, hot water heating and solar cooling, and is suitable for a variety of domestic, commercial and industrial uses.
The heat from the sun creates the winds, and this wind energy is captured by turbines which produce electricity.
Sunlight also causes plants to grow. The organic matter produced by plants is known as biomass. Biomass can be used to produce electricity, heat and transportation fuels such as bio-diesel.
The energy from water flows in streams and rivers comes from the sun – the hydrological cycles are driven by evaporation – and can be tapped to generate power via water turbines, so producing hydro-electricity.
Wave power is generated by winds, which are created by the heat from the sun, whereas tidal power is driven by gravitational energy affected by the sun’s mass.
Renewable energy is important because of the benefits it offers:
Environmental
Renewable energy offers clean sources of energy that are a lot friendlier to the environment than conventional energy technologies.
The increased use of fossil fuels has significantly increased greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide, creating an enhanced greenhouse effect known as global warming.
Energy use from fossil fuels is also a primary source of air, water, and soil pollution producing carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and lead. These take a dramatic toll on our environment whilst most renewable energy technologies produce little or no pollution.
Pollution and global warming pose major health risks. Air pollution contributes to lung disease including asthma, lung cancer, and respiratory tract infections whilst the long-term effects associated with global warming may be even more devastating. Deaths due to extreme weather could increase, and temperature rises could result in the migration of diseases to parts of the world presently unaffected by them – and produce ideal conditions for their survival.
The quality of our environment would undoubtedly be improved by the use of renewable energy technologies.
Energy for our children and their children’s children
Renewable energy will not run out. Fossil fuels, the world’s current main source of energy at present, are a finite resource and will some day be depleted – according to the petroleum industry’s best analysts the world supplies will start to run out from 2020 to 2060.
Sustainability – meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs – is the only way forward . Renewable energy sources are sustainable and their use will not only benefit us in the present, but will ensure continued energy production for future generations.
Jobs and the local economy
A good deal of the fossil fuels required to provide electricity, heating and fuel are imported. All money spent on energy imports is money lost to the local economy.
Most renewable energy investments are spent on materials and workmanship to build and maintain the facilities. Jobs develop locally – directly from the design, installation and servicing of renewable energy products – thus increasing local economic growth.
Additionally, the income generated from these local jobs is much more likely to be spent in the local community than that which is paid to conventional energy suppliers.
