Sustainable energy

Courtesy : www.conserve-energy-future.com/

Sustainable energy is a form of energy that meets our today’s demand of energy without putting them in danger of getting expired or depleted and can be used over and over again. Sustainable energy should be widely encouraged as it does not cause any harm to the environment and is available widely free of cost. All renewable energy sources like solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower and ocean energy are sustainable as they are stable and available in plenty.

Sun will continue to provide sunlight till we all are here on earth, heat caused by the sun will continue to produce winds, the earth will continue to produce heat from inside and will not cool down anytime soon, movement of earth, sun and moon will not stop, and this will keep on producing tides.

The process of evaporation will cause water to evaporate that will fall down in the form of rain or ice which will go through rivers or streams and merge in the oceans and can be used to produce energy through hydropower. This clearly states that all these renewable energy sources are sustainable and will continue to provide energy to the coming generations.

There are many forms of sustainable energy sources that can be incorporated by countries to stop the use of fossil fuels. Sustainable energy does not include any sources that are derived from fossil fuels or waste products. This energy is replenishable and helps us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and causes no damage to the environment. If we are going to use fossil fuels at a steady rate, they will expire soon and cause adverse effects on our planet.

Fossil fuels are not considered as sustainable energy sources because they are limited, cause immense pollution by releasing harmful gases and are not available everywhere on earth. Fossil fuels normally include coal, oil and natural gas. Steps must be taken to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels as pose dangerous to the environment. Most of the counties have already started taking steps to make use of alternative energy sources.

As of today, around 20% of the world’s energy needs come from renewable energy sources. Hydropower is the most common form of alternative energy used around the world.

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Need For Sustainable Energy

During ancient times, wood, timber and waste products were the only major energy sources. In short, biomass was the only way to get energy. When more technology was developed, fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas were discovered. Fossil fuels proved a boon to mankind as they were widely available and could be harnessed easily.

When these fossil fuels were started using extensively by all the countries across the globe, they led to the degradation of the environment. Coal and oil are two of the major sources that produce a large amount of carbon dioxide in the air. This led to an increase in global warming.

Also, few countries have held on these valuable products, which led to the rise in the prices of these fuels. Now, with rising prices, increasing air pollution and the risk of getting expired soon forced scientists to look out for some alternative or renewable energy sources.

See also The Importance of Green Homes for Sustainable Energy

The need of the hour was to look for resources that are available widely, cause no pollution and are replenishable. Sustainable Energy, at that time, came into the picture as it could meet our today’s increasing demand for energy and also provide us with an option to make use of them in the future also. Let’s see the benefits-

1. Fight Against Climate Change

Renewables emit little or do not emit greenhouse gases in energy generation processes, making them the cleanest, most viable solution to prevent environmental degradation. Globally increases in fossil fuel-based road transport, industrial activity, and power generation contribute to elevated levels of air pollution. Renewable energy emits no or low air pollutants. That’s better for our health.

2. Inexhaustible Source of Energy

Renewable energy is energy derived from natural resources that replenish themselves over a period of time without depleting the Earth’s resources. These resources also have the benefit of being abundant, available in some capacity nearly everywhere, and they cause little, if any, environmental damage.

Energy from the sun, wind, and thermal energy stored in the Earth’s crust are examples.This makes them an essential element in a sustainable energy system that allows development today without risking that of future generations.

3. Reduces Energy Dependence on Fossil Fuels

Evolving energy markets and geopolitical uncertainty have moved energy security and energy infrastructure resilience to the forefront of many national energy strategies.

The indigenous nature of clean sources gives local economies an advantage and brings meaning to the term “energy independence”. Dependence on fossil fuel imports results in subordination to the economic and political short-term goals of the supplier country, which can compromise the security of energy supply.

Everywhere in the world, there is a renewable resource whether that is the wind, sun, water or organic material available for producing energy sustainably.

4. Increasingly Competitive

Renewables are now the most cost-competitive source of power in many parts of the world, and renewable power accounted for more than half of all capacity additions in the global power sector since the last decade. Actions on these fronts are well underway, as highlighted by the announcements featured.

The main renewable technologies, such as wind and solar photovoltaic, are drastically reducing their costs and are fully competitive with conventional sources in a growing number of locations. Economies of scale and innovation are already resulting in renewable energies becoming the most sustainable solution environmentally but also economically in terms of low costs for keeping energy prices at affordable levels.

5. A Favorable Political Horizon

Decisions adopted at COP21are in favor of renewable energies.  The international community has understood its obligation to firm up the transition towards a low-carbon economy in order to guarantee a sustainable future for the planet. The international consensus in favor of the “de-carbonization” of the economy constitutes a very favorable framework for the promotion of clean energy technologies.