If I ask you to plan your future, can you make a list that you and your children will benefit from? Planning for your future can be an easy task, you have to take care of the financial stability, funds for your children’s studies, a house to live, and some funds for fun. I bet the thought of having breathable air for your future never came to mind. Did it?
Your future planning might not have the thought of environmental conditions, but your future generations will have to. As we all know, the global condition of the environment is deteriorating day-by-day due to various reasons like greenhouse gas emissions, the increase of carbon dioxide in the air, and many other causes.
You can observe the loss through various arising conditions like ozone depletion, melting of ice caps, etc. Global warming is a major issue in this period of time. There are many people out there who think that global warming is a hoax, a condition created by scientists to make a fool of people. But, we all see how the seasons are getting affected and how many countries are facing harsh climate due to all this.
The Problem of Global Warming
Now, the question arises, how is this condition increasing day by day? The answer is simple. There are still many who use those resources for fuels that cause pollution. The two main resources that cause pollution that people still use are coal and petroleum. These two fuels are the highest emitters of CFCs.
Here are some of the energy resources that are used as fuel in today’s date –
- Coal
- Petroleum
- Diesel
- Natural Gas
- Biomass Energy
- Hydropower
- Solar Energy
- Wind Energy
- Tidal Energy
While many of them are not harmful to us, like solar energy, there still are the energy resources used by many that harm our living condition.
Identifying the Best Energy Source
If you ask me about the better type of energy resources that we can use, then I have to say that those resources which are readily available and will not be easily exhausted, are the kind of sources of sustainable energy that we must use. Here is a list which includes all the characteristics that an energy resource must have to be the best energy source:
- It should be renewable. A renewable energy resource is the one which can be replenished with time. You can consider such resources as sustainable.
- It should be inexhaustible. The resources which could be easily depleted are not the best resources, as one day the supply will end but demand will not
- The amount of heat produced should be higher than the amount of pollution created, not the opposite. The fuels are used to produce heat, with which our machines can work, but if the fuel makes pollution instead of heat, then we should discard the use of that fuel. The fossil fuels fall under the category of fuels which produce a great amount of pollution.
If you had read the content above carefully, you must have understood how the use of fuels/ energy resources affects the environment. The pollution created by these fuels results in increasing global warming.
Effects of Global Warming
Why do we say that global warming is bad for us? Is it because the temperature of certain countries is increasing and some countries are facing harsh climatic conditions? Well, this may be true, but the effects don’t just end here. Global warming has various effects that may harm us:
- With the increase in carbon gases in the air, the overall temperature has increased. The increasing temperature is the result of heat getting trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere, which by the way, previously used to get bounced back because of the ozone layer. The increased temperature has a high impact on the ice caps, seasons of almost all countries, and depletion of the ozone layer.
- The direct sun rays, or UV rays, causes several skin diseases, which in most cases is non-curable.
- Many countries are facing difficulties due to the rise in temperature. They are facing harsh climates which they never experienced in the history of mankind.
- Sea level has increased tremendously, which is the result of melting ice caps
Now, you see how much the use of toxic fossil fuels harm us? This is the reason why We must start using more sources of sustainable energy. Now, what are the sources of sustainable energy? They are the type of resources we can use without harming the future of our Earth. They are non-exhaustible and can be used for a long time, thus making sure that our coming generations could also take advantage of them.
Need of the Hour
But why sustainable resources? The reasons are simple. As I stated before, the fossil fuels harm our environment by emitting toxic gases. But sustainable resources do not do that. They are the cleaner fuels that do not release toxic gases. This is the main reason for which they are preferred over any other fuel.
Here are some of the sustainable energy resources that are being used all over the world:
- Solar Energy
- Hydropower
- Biomass Energy
- Geothermal Energy
- Tidal Energy
- Wind Energy
So, to sum up, here are the reasons for which sustainable resources are preferred over traditional fossil fuels.
- They are available in abundant amount, so you don’t have to worry about them getting depleted
- They are a cleaner form of energy, they don’t produce any toxic gases after use
- They produce a high amount of energy without causing pollution
- They are sustainable for a reason, they are reliable, useful, and don’t cause problems for us
- They are freely available in nature, so with the right tools, you can use them for your needs without spending much.
Even if they are freely available in nature, some might debate that they are expensive in a way, as the tools that are used to harness them are expensive. Yes, it is true, but the energy sources, like solar energy, will never get depleted, you can use the tools you bought once for a lifetime (with a minimal amount in maintenance). And above all, they will help us protect our future. So, it is a win-win deal.
Salman is a prolific environmental writer, and has authored more than 500 articles in reputed journals, magazines and websites. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management, sustainability and conservation all over the world.
Salman can be reached on salman@cleantechloops.com
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