Renewable Energy
01. Solar
Solar energy takes sunlight and converts it into energy through solar panels. Solar energy has the benefit of being permanent after being implemented. It automatically collects sunlight and converts it into energy usable by our homes. Although it is expensive to implement initially, it is a great source of energy.
02. Hydro (water)
Hydropower uses the forces of water streams to create electricity. The usage of hydropower in the Us has decreased over time, but it is still used throughout the world. This source usually requires large amounts of water, so it may not be practical for some regions, but some can utilize dams and large bodies of water for large amounts of renewable electricity.
03. Wind
Wind energy is similar to hydropower in the sense that it uses the movement of something to generate electricity. It can be useful in regions where strong wind is consistently strong. Like hydropower, the usage has not increased much, due to its limited accessibility.
04. Total World Usage
The total world usage of renewable energy has been gradually increasing. This is due to efforts put in place to minimize fossil fuel usage and increase renewable usage. Solar energy has seen the most growth, likely due to its consistency; solar energy can be collected virtually everywhere. Implementing renewable energy into our lives gradually will help ease the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy and will help the planet.
Understand How Bad CO2 Really Is
As sources of energy, fossil fuels have 2 fundamental issues. The first is that it is finite: it is created over thousands of years and can not be created or reused. The second, and more importantly, it emits Carbon Dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, meaning when it is released into the atmosphere, it gradually warms up the atmosphere and the earth. This leads to global warming, climate change, and many other issues. A rise in global temperature, even if slight, can have a massive impact on natural ecosystems. Emitting Carbon Dioxide at this pace is not good for the earth.
CO2 Emissions
Global Emissions
Global emissions of Carbon dioxide have been increasing for the past century. As the population of the world grew, so did the demand for food and therefore energy. Combined with the rise of widespread usage of electronic devices such as smartphones, the Carbon dioxide emissions have reached a point where it is causing serious damage to the planet.
Emissions per capita
The emissions per capita have been generally decreasing, unlike the total emissions of CO2. This is due to the increase in population associated with the increase in carbon dioxide emissions, combined with the implementation of renewable energy around the world.
