So what does the future hold? I was always taught to take my future into my own hands and craft it the way I want.
That is what I am trying to do day-to-day as I write about sustainable practices.
I am trying to spread the word that we need to make a change if we want to see ourselves and the generations to come to grow up in a healthy and beautiful environment.
Do you want to know a secret? Want to know what the future holds for us if we step up and take control for the better? I’ll fill you in.
The secret is renewable energy! That is what the future holds if we advocate for it! Also, I’m kidding about it being a secret.
You already know renewable energy is the future. There is information all over the internet about it, so look into it. Learn. Teach.
Spread the word because the planet will thank you if you do by continuing to produce its beauty for all of us.
Why is renewable energy so vital for the future?
Governments, businesses, and individuals worldwide are beginning to realize the importance of implementing renewable energy practices into their daily lives.
People finally see the need for renewable energy if they want to reduce the effects of global warming in the future.
The world is still primarily reliant on fossil fuels, even though it is proven they are the leading cause of global warming.
Global warming is causing environmental and health problems for the world, many of which can not be reversed.
We must find ways to mitigate the detrimental impacts of global warming by introducing new ways to create energy.
This is why renewable energy is incredibly important because it can replace fossil fuels.
According to the National Renewable Energy Lab, “Renewable electricity generation from technologies that are commercially available today, in combination with a more flexible electric system, is more than adequate to supply 80% of total U.S. electricity generation in 2050.”
Let us get down to the specifics, though. Before anyone tries to bring up the fact that renewable energy sources still can harm the planet, I want to address it.
Yes, renewable energy machinery can negatively impact the environment, but these negative impacts are much less detrimental than fossil fuel usage.
There is really no comparison between the two when it comes to their harmful effects on the environment.
So, what exactly are the key benefits of using renewable energy sources for the future of people and the planet? Here are five benefits of a renewable future:
- Renewable energy is cost-efficient. This means we can keep energy prices at affordable prices, benefiting all. Much of the global strife happening can be attributed to fluctuating energy costs and access to resources such as oil. Renewable energy can be produced locally if local governments fund and build the infrastructure needed. This saves money on supply chain costs and prevents countries all around the world from being affected by geopolitical crises causing price spikes.
- Renewable energy emits very low or even zero air pollutants, unlike its competition. According to World Health Organization studies, the presence of particles and air pollutants in urban skies from using fossil fuels is responsible for millions of premature deaths. Not only is it literally killing people, but it also costs millions to prevent and clean.
- Renewable energy emits low or even zero greenhouse gas emissions. Renewable energy’s competition, fossil fuels, emit an incredible amount of greenhouse gases.
Greenhouse gases are the prime factor in global warming.
Greenhouse gases trap heat and hold it in our atmosphere, thus causing our atmosphere to heat up faster than natural. Most renewable energy sources do not produce greenhouse gases even when considering their complete life cycle.
- Renewable energy makes the energy system more independent from outside sources. Renewable energy creates a more resilient energy system that is less prone to cause power outages. It prevents external sources from hacking into our power grids for evil purposes. Renewable energy is less prone to being disrupted by the weather-related impacts of climate change, too.
- Renewable energy creates more jobs. By developing and implementing renewable energy machinery and sources, jobs are created throughout a local community. Job creation is always a plus when considering the health of a community. Not only that but renewable energy investments are usually spent within the continent of origin.
Many renewable energy investments are even often spent within the same town! This means that the money spent to implement renewable energy and keep it thriving is invested back into the community that it is being built within.
The money citizens are paying for their energy bills basically stays home and creates more jobs to fuel the economy. It is a circular economy benefiting local citizens.
Will renewable energy meet future demands?
A United Nations report stated in 2019 that the renewable energy sector was “looking all grown up.”
The report said this because the renewable industry that once relied heavily on government subsidies and government mandates was now standing on its own.
No longer are the solar and wind industry only being supported by advocates of the green cause, but now businesses and governments are noticing how renewable energy will shape the future, too.
Solar, wind, and hydropower sources generate about a quarter of the world’s electricity.
The renewable energy industry is growing exponentially, but it will not save the world on its own.
The generation of electricity and power only makes up about a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions.
So we are only cutting out about a quarter of a quarter of greenhouse gases worldwide.
It is believed we can reach 100% renewable energy generation of power in the future, but we have to consider the other variables that emit greenhouse gases:
- Manufacturing
- Agriculture
- Transportation
- Heating
- Cooling
Solar and wind power were driven into popularity more and more as technological advances made their batteries and machinery cheaper and cheaper.
More research needs to be put into these sectors for technological advances to be brought forth.
As we choose to build more renewable energy plants and machines, we must also focus on the previous industries and innovations to make them greener, too, to create a more sustainable future.
How will renewable energy be used in the future?
There are ideas of different renewable energy sources that could be used in the future.
Research is being conducted on all of these ideas as I type, and maybe someday soon, we will see some of these come to light!
- Human Power – Think about it; we are constantly moving around, so what if we could harness that movement into energy for our homes and businesses? Technologies are being created to collect energy from our movement and use it to charge small devices such as phones. All humans would have to do to collect the energy would be to wear a device such as a knee brace for collection.
- Space-Based Solar Power – About 60% of incoming solar energy does not even make it through the Earth’s atmosphere, so what if we could create a technology to send out into space to collect that extra solar energy for our use? Researchers are developing technology such as a fleet of satellites containing large reflectors to direct solar radiation into solar panels. The solar panels would then convert the radiation into microwaves that shoot down to power receiving stations here on Earth to be used for energy!
- Embeddable Solar Power – This technology turns any window or sheet of glass into a photovoltaic solar cell. The light emitted through the glass would then be transferred to the edge of the window, and thin strips of photovoltaic solar cells would convert it into energy. This is all while the sunlight still shines through the window like normal.
- Flying Wind Farms – People complain about wind turbines being ugly and taking up space, so a new idea came out introducing a flying wind farm. On this farm, wind turbines would fly as high as skyscrapers. This not only is more aesthetically appealing, but wind is stronger up higher too, so these turbines would capture almost double the energy!
These are just a few of the novel ideas scientists are dedicated their time to.
The future looks like it will contain new innovations that are sustainably focused and used for the good of the environment and its inhabitants.
Conclusion
We are at the forefront of making renewable energy the primary source of energy creation.
There is a positive movement of promoting renewable energy globally, but it is still a small part of the entire energy sector.
There needs to be more advocacy and more governments backing the switch to renewable energy.
The reliability and resilience that renewable energy promotes through its independent use are vital to the economy of future generations.
As the renewable energy sector becomes more competitive as more governments, businesses, and people worldwide vie for it, new technologies will be introduced, and more research will take place to bring down prices.
As this happens, renewable energy will become even more popular and dominate the world market.
I see a future where new developments in the renewable sector are happening every day and implemented into our daily lives.
This future is crucial if we want to keep our world green and healthy, so we must advocate and push governments to accept the inevitable that renewable energy is the future.
