Sunday, March 16, 2008

RENEWABLE GREEN ENERGY

Green Alternatives Re-UseableLlifesyles

Renewable energy

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Renewable energy sources worldwide in 2005 (2004 for items marked * or **). Off-grid electric and ground source heat pumps not included. Source: REN21^[1]

Renewable energy effectively uses natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished. Renewable energy technologies range from solar power, wind power, hydroelectricity/micro hydro, biomass and biofuels for transportation.

In 2006, about 18 percent of global final energy consumption came from renewables, with 13% coming from traditional biomass, like wood-burning. Hydropower was the next largest renewable source, providing 3%, followed by hot water/heating which contributed 1.3%. Modern technologies, such as geothermal, wind, solar, and ocean energy together provided some 0.8% of final energy consumption.^[2] The technical potential for their use is very large, exceeding all other readily available sources.^[3][4]

Renewable energy technologies are sometimes criticised for being unreliable or unsightly, yet the market is growing for many forms of renewable energy. Wind power has a worldwide installed capacity of 74,223 MW and is widely used in several European countries and the USA.^[5] The manufacturing output of the photovoltaics industry reached more than 2,000 MW per year in 2006,^[6] and PV power plants are particularly popular in Germany.^[7] Solar thermal power stations operate in the USA and Spain, and the largest of these is the 354 MW SEGS power plant in the Mojave Desert.^[8] The world’s largest geothermal power installation is The Geysers in California, with a rated capacity of 750 MW.^[9] Brazil has one of the largest renewable energy programs in the world, involving production of ethanol fuel from sugar cane, and ethanol now provides 18 percent of the country’s automotive fuel.^[10] Ethanol fuel is also widely available in the USA.

While there are many large-scale renewable energy projects, renewable technologies are also suited to small off-grid applications, sometimes in rural and remote areas, where energy is often crucial in human development.^[11] Kenya has the world’s highest household solar ownership rate with roughly 30,000 small (20–100 watt) solar power systems sold per year.^[12]

Climate change concerns coupled with high oil prices, peak oil and increasing government support are driving increasing renewable energy legislation, incentives and commercialization. EU leaders reached agreement in principle in March 2007 that 20 percent of the bloc’s energy should be produced from renewable fuels by 2020, as part of its drive to cut emissions of carbon dioxide, blamed in part for global warming.^[13] Investment capital flowing into renewable energy climbed from $80 billion in 2005 to a record $100 billion in 2006.^[14] This level of investment combined with continuing double digit percentage increases each year has moved what once was considered alternative energy to mainstream. Wind was the first to provide 1% of electricity, but solar is not far behind.^[15] Some very large corporations such as BP, General Electric, Sharp, and Royal Dutch Shell are investing in the renewable energy sector.

With an ongoing fuel crisis, many of Americans have turned their attention to alternative energy sources. While this, in my opinion, is wonderful and a step in the right direction, using bio-fuels is becoming a huge social issue. Despite its promising appeal to the ever present global warming issue, it will soon desperately wage a huge social war–contributing to even more global hunger, as well as the downfall of the American farmer.

Consider our current rate of fuel consumption in America. Then substitute ethanol biofuel. Growing car fuel from the soil, the same place we get our food, is incomprehensible. If ethanol use increases any more substantially, i.e., enough to satisfy Americans’ insatiable need for and overuse of their vehicles to drive EVERYWHERE, global hunger will become even more pervasive, soil will become stripped and depleted of natural nutrients, and land erosion would occur on a large scale–three life altering, environmentally horrifying side effects from the over production of ethanol. The many Americans thoughtlessly jumping on the band wagon should be aware of these crucial draw backs of ethanol consumption, and start to think for themselves. Ideas like these affect EVERYONE–all over the world.

Self-control and Self-preservation:

More Americans should be supporting the idea that we need a more innovative, more efficient and effective solution to this fuel crisis/global warming issue. Sadly, for many lazy and ‘time is money’ driven Americans, driving less, car pooling, walking, or using public transit is simply not an option. Although alternative modes of transportation, such as walking or riding a bike would kill two social issue birds with one mighty, opinionated stone–obesity and our fuel crisis–too many Americans are more concerned about their drive-thru fast food services so they can get home to watch more, and more, and more television. Maybe using our precious food source for vehicle fuel instead of food would do our country some good for a brief period of time!

It seems that many Americans need to change their attitudes, and consider being more to life than how much money they have in their piggy banks, how much food they can consume in one sitting, and which television show they missed because the fast food line was too long. Self worth is something people gain from doing good things for themselves and others, not how much ’stuff’ we have.

How Ethanol is Affecting the Farmer:

For those who do not have the pleasure of a readily available farmer to consult for environmental insight and concerns, they are and have been taking a serious hit from increases in ethanol use. Some media sources have mis-led many in thinking the increase in popularity of biofuels have helped farmers via the increased price of corn, but a vital piece of information not mentioned is that the cost of fertilizers for growing corn has equally gone up in price, creating a wash in cost and profit for farmers. This is starving the farmer!

What Else We Can Do:

Everyone should dig deeper and further research other, more effective alternatives. Countries such as Iceland have done well to research and develop highly effective alternatives. Every home and business in Iceland uses geothermal power as their solitary energy source. (With a large portion of the “Ring of Fire” under U.S. soil, that is a long vein of underground volcanic activity, geothermal power is within our reach, and could easily be tapped into as an effective U.S. alternative. Some states are presently using alternatives, such as geothermals and wind power!) Icelandic scientists have also been in the process of developing vehicles powered by electricity and hydrogen alone–meaning no harmful exhaust released into the air, and little to no depletion of natural resources.

If you want to be a part of this solution, petition your congressman and state representatives, and continue to make the transition into an organic, conscious lifestyle. Your consumer spending and purchasing habits effect corporations–the real men behind the curtain. There are a variety of eco-friendly products available on the market today. From eco-travel and vacations, to biodegradable clothing (including shoes), energy reducing household items, and even recycleable packaging and vehicle parts! The next time you go shopping, think before you buy. What will these products do to my body, and what will they do to the environment in which I live?

“You can’t change the world, but you can make a dent.” -Smoochy