Climate Crisis and Clean Energy
Clean energy = clean air
Green energy = natural resources
Renewable energy = recyclable sources
Climate Crisis ???
As everyone knows, climate crisis is one of the major environmental challenges in the world. It happens due to various reasons. Burning of fossil fuel is one of major reasons which emit greenhouse gases (GHG -CO2, CH4) when they burned.
Those gases can affect various public health issues and global warming. It leads to the climate crisis. So, utilization of clean energy is a solution for mitigate the global warming.
Clean Energy (CE)
It is energy,
• which is renewable
• comes from zero emission sources
• don’t pollute the atmosphere when utilized and
• save energy
sources do not affect for climate change. Reforestation can reduce the damage already done to the climate to reduce the global warming.
Is CE Really Clean?
All renewable energy sources are not clean. Ex; burning wood from sustainably managed forests can be renewable. But it is not clean since these releases CO2 into the atmosphere.
Clean the carbon cost of production and storage requires being zero. That’s why sources like solar power and wind energy are truly clean and renewable.
Importance
CE provide ample of important aspects related to environment. Such as,
• Preserve world’s natural resources
• Mitigate the risk of environmental impacts (fuel spills, natural gas leaks related problems)
Benefits
CE provides environmental and economic benefits,
• Mitigating of air pollution
• Reduce the dependence on imported fuels
• Cost saving (due to no need of extract, transport fuels – oil, coal)
• Can replenish naturally
• Provide industrial benefits (creating jobs)
Utilization of CE
Depending on source of energy, CE can be utilized for various applications.
Water power-is a clean resource which has amazing applications.
• Hydroelectric power plants – use flow of water from lakes, rivers or lake with the purpose of generating electricity.
• Municipal pipes which have lots of water used to generate energy which use as domestic and other requirements.
Solar energy
Solar energy can be utilized for,
• Heating
• Generating electricity
• Lightening buildings
• Cooling
• Heating water directly.
Solar panels
• Collect energy from sun which can be turned into electricity.
• Often utilized for small electric tasks (charging batteries)
• Many people used solar energy as their small garden lanterns
Further, this same CE technology can be scaled up to larger panels which used to provide power for homes, buildings and installations of multiple solar panels.
Ex; community based solar panel array to power entire towns.
Wind power
Attaching a wind mill to a generator turns the turning of the windmill blades into power. This type of energy have been utilized,
• To grind grain
• Pump water
• For other mechanical tasks
Now it is utilized to produce electricity too. Onshore and offshore wind farms are becoming commvon. Wind power can be utilized on a much smaller scale to produce electricity and as a source of power for recharg ing mobile phones.
Geothermal, biomass and tidal power also have different benefits and applications.
Future of CE
It seems the Future of CE is bright. As the world population growing, demand is increasing for energy and renewable sources. The answer is utilization of CE to provide sustainable energy solutions, protecting the planet from climate change.
Usage of CE is not happening on a national level. Cities and states create policies to increase renewable energy utilization.
Due to fossil fuels being a finite resource, it makes sense that the future will renewable. Therefore, it is expected that renewable sources will continue, driving down the cost. Experts saying that clean renewable energy can replace fossil fuels by 2050.
Sustainability = the ability of natural resources to exist and develop without deteriorating for the future.
Reducing Global Warming
When it comes to fossil fuel, fossil fuels have been using for over 150 years by human.
When their use increase, the emitting of GHGs also increase which are produced when these fuels are burned.
These GHGs trap heat in the atmosphere causing the temperature of the Earth to rise. This global warming is one consequence of climate change which has seen,
a rise in extreme weather events,
shifting wildlife habitats and populations,
rising sea levels
Renewable energy sources do not emit GHGs.
As a result of this, they do not affect for the global warming. So, these renewable
How to Get Clean Energy?
CE can be gained from different sources.
Sunlight - most abundant and freely available energy resource on the planet. The amount of solar energy reaches the Earth in one hour is sufficient to meet the total energy requirements for the planet for an entire year.
It is limited by the time of day, seasons of the year and geographical location. It is used both large and domestic level.
Wind power – It is another source of clean energy which is not every property is suitable for a wind turbine.
Hydro power - is more reliable than wind or solar power. It allows easy storage of the energy that is generated.
Therefore, it can be used in line with demand. Municipal hydro power is also efficient.
Tidal power - is a large scale type of hydro power. A constant supply of energy is not gained. But it is highly predictable and reliable.
Biomass - To produce electricity it utilizes solid fuels which created from palnat materials. Though this needs the burning of organic materials, this is not wood. It is cleaner and energy efficient. Using agricultural, industrial and domestic waste is economically and environmental useful.
Summary
• One of global environmental challenge is climate change.
• Utilization of CE. can mitigate the climate crisis.
• CE will be the future for the power needs of humanity.
• Fossil fuels will substitute by CE.
• Driving towards clean, green and renewable energy lead to reducing cost.
• Largest reserves of hydro power have already been utilized by Sri Lanka.
• CE is not just good for the environment it is a forward step for industries also.
References
• https://www.twi-global.com/technical.../faqs/clean-energy...
• https://www.nrdc.org/about/climate-clean-energy
• https://earthjustice.org/climate-and-energy
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