One of the most crucial things you can do to lessen your influence on the environment is to use clean, renewable energy. More than all of our driving and flying put together, electricity production is our main source of greenhouse gases. Clean energy also lessens damaging smog, toxic buildup in our air and water, and the effects of coal mining and gas extraction. The usage of fossil fuels and their extraction cause air and water pollution, which disproportionately harms underprivileged local communities close to those facilities. This is a worldwide problem as well as a local environmental justice issue. However, rebuilding our fossil fuel infrastructure will take time and require strong, ongoing support from both state and federal laws requiring the development of renewable energy sources & consumer and business demand for clean energy.
A sustainable energy future can only be achieved by minimizing our contribution to climate change and increasing energy efficiency.
Savings from even small adjustments can pile up. You may start conserving energy right away by implementing these steps:
- Use energy-efficient lighting in your house and place of business, such as compact fluorescent (CFL) or LED light bulbs.
- When not in use, unplug the chargers for your laptop and mobile device.
- When replacing your current appliances, use Energy Star-certified models and use the energy-saving features on them.
- The filters in your air conditioner and furnace should be changed.
One of the main sources of industrial air pollution is the production of electricity. Coal, nuclear, and other non-renewable power facilities produce the majority of the electricity we use. Our ecology suffers greatly as a result of the production of energy from these resources, which pollutes our air, land, and water. With fewer negative effects on the environment, power can be generated using renewable energy sources. Renewable energy sources can be used to generate electricity without releasing carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the main contributor to climatic change.
Natural resources that regenerate themselves over time without depleting Earth’s resources are the source of renewable energy. These resources also have the advantages of being plentiful, accessible almost everywhere, and causing little to no environmental harm. Examples include thermal energy held in the Earth’s crust as well as solar, wind, and geothermal energy. In contrast, fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas are not renewable since their supply is limited; after they have been mined, they will no longer be usable as an affordable source of energy. Natural processes provide these fuels, but because they take too long to complete, they cannot replace them as quickly as humans consume them. As a result, these sources will deplete more quickly.
Clean energy is produced by production processes that do not emit any pollutants, particularly greenhouse gases like CO2 that contribute to global warming. In order to improve environmental protection and ease the crisis caused by non-renewable resources like gas and oil, clean energy, which is currently in full growth, is essential.
The Economy Benefits from Renewables and Security of Energy
Reliable power supplies and fuel diversity from renewable energy increase energy security, decrease the chance of fuel leaks, and lessen the need for imported fuels. Our nation’s natural resources are preserved with the help of renewable energy.
Economic Progress
Since the renewable energy sector employs more people than the fossil fuel sector does, more jobs are generally created. Due to rising household earnings, the industry also has a favorable knock-on effect on unrelated firms and the renewable energy supply chain.
Ecological Justice
Local increases in pollution, particulate matter, and hazardous gases have a disproportionately negative impact on communities that are close to fossil fuel sources. Additionally, there is frequently more pollution from diesel vehicles operating close to neighboring residential neighborhoods that service these plants. The requirement for diesel transportation in underserved places is not increased by clean energy plants.
Price Constancy
Because they don’t require transportation or incur fuel expenditures, renewable energy sources like wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal have more stable prices. In fact, several electric companies take this into account when determining the retail price of electricity, exempting consumers who purchase renewable energy from some fuel-related fees.
Advantages of Clean Energy
There are many different sorts of renewable energy, but what do they all share?
- They are environmentally favorable because no clean energy emits any greenhouse gases or other air pollutants.
- They are limitless because we get them from naturally replenishing resources that are either endless or regenerate quickly.
- They are risk-free since they don’t include additional dangers like nuclear energy and are easy to disassemble, so there are no problems with waste management once the facility has served its purpose.
- They encourage energy independence because they make use of globally distributed natural resources, allowing nations and regions to build their own technology instead of relying on electricity supplied elsewhere.
2021 was a strong year for the energy transition because almost 257 GW of renewables were installed worldwide which increased the energy stock by 9.1%. Solar PV alone accounts for more than half of new renewable energy installations with a record 133 GW, followed by 93 GW of wind power overall, 21 of which are offshore wind installations.
The primary source of air pollution is the manufacturing of electricity. The creation of energy from resources, which contaminates our air, water, and land, has a negative impact on our ecology. There are numerous advantages of renewable energy for society, industry, and the environment and that is why we should shift to using more renewable energy.