Are solar energies really green?
Are solar energies really green?
As countries gear up to take on one of the biggest threat to our planet, global warming, it is astounding how some people still refuse to co-operate in what is becoming a global, consolidated effort to save our planet. Yet the throngs of environmentally conscious people are finally starting to make headway, as mirrored by the higher priority being given to environmental issues. Our best stake in this global war against climate change is to rid ourselves of our addiction of fossil fuels, and to do that, we have to explore the alternate: green energies.
Friendly power source Since we discovered the environmental consequences of using fossil energy, we found a growing interest in renewable energy. Financial outcomes, adding to the environmental, are a major booster in this quest: While fossil energy is a limited resource, resources such as the sun, the wind or underground heat are abundant!
Solar electricity sources
Energy sources were always in the minds of our brightest scientists. Large wind turbines are the main method of exploiting this resource, whereby the wind turns gigantic fans which in turn drive a turbine which produces electricity. They have a distinct advantage over solar panels in terms of efficiency and cost.. It is obvious that the quest for such systems was not just economic but environmental since that the most affordable source was and will be fossil fuel for decades or centuries to come to come. Although each form of friendly source has its challenges, their environmental benefits far outweigh their problems. And as technology continues to evolve, these problems will hopefully become a thing of the past, and our children will have a solution to its biggest problems.
Despite these concerns, as global awareness about climate change increases, hydroelectricity is being increasingly favored as a means to end the global power crises without having to revert to power sources that can further damage the environment.
Pollution is one of the most primary concerns of the developed world. As countries advance and try to meet their ever increasing demands for power, the environment gets pushed further down the priority list, rather than being the foremost concern of the humankind. Air pollution and water pollution are just two of the many forms of pollution that threaten the existence of all living things on this planet, but they are probably the most significant, demanding our immediate attention.
Air pollution, as the name clearly suggests, refers to the introduction of unwanted and potentially toxic gases and particles into the we all breath and also the open atmosphere. The sources of air pollution are numerous, ranging from factories spewing out smoke to exhaust emission from vehicles.
Water pollution refers to the introduction of contaminants into water bodies which can range from small ponds to seas and oceans. Again, the sources can be several, ranging from factories and industries allowing untreated wastes to be discharged into water bodies, to the dumping of untreated sewage into lakes and oceans.
Our planet and water contamination effect
Adirondacks is a very forested area, in the USA, whose pristine lakes and vibrant beauty once attracted throngs of fishermen and naturalists. However, during the carefree seventies, fishermen reported a drastic loss in their catch and ecologists observed an obvious thinning of the forest canopy. It seemed that the populations of both trees and fish were plunging drastically, to the extent that the once thick canopy became a mere ghost of itself and some of the lakes and ponds became short of fish and bushes.
Other energy solutions
Wind power on the other hand is a much more practical alternative considering efficiency, cost and the amount of power generated. Large wind turbines generate large amounts of power (dependent on wind speeds of course) with little or no impact on the environment. However, they can only be built in certain localities which are windy enough to sustain long term commitment to wind power. However, wind turbines tend to be noisy, and some people consider them unsightly. Their biggest downfall however, is that wind tends to be an unreliable natural resource, hence complete dependence on wind solution is not possible.
In contrast, hydro power is much more reliable. Using the energy contained in falling water to turn turbines, this form of power generation produces large amounts of electricity with none of the pollution that fossil fuels are so unpopular for. However, due to the need for a reservoir, construction is expensive and time consuming, and can hinder farming and economic activities downstream.
Although the classification of nuclear power in green energy is debatable due to the radioactive waste produced, compared to fossil fuels, nuclear power tends to be much cleaner. However with the obvious risks of radiation contamination, nuclear meltdown and foul play, nuclear power has a lot of people questioning its viability as a power source.