In this article I am going to say a few words about the environment. Convenient energy is of fundamental importance to the current economy. The modern world as we know it could not exist without useable sources of energy. It was coal and oil that fueled the industrial revolution.
All that is fine, but there are also problems. Actually, these deposits of oil and coal we now use are preserved "ancient sunlight". As we use these very ancient stored energy sources, they end up in the air in the form of CO2 = carbon dioxide. Which means the atmosphere recieves a higher concentration of that gas.
It is well known that carbon dioxide transmits visible light, while reflecting infrared radiation. This means that when the CO2 level goes up, more infrared radiation is trapped near the Earth's surface.
Our scientists tell us that most life on Earth became extinct many millions of years ago. It seems that this mass extinction was associated with a sharp increase of carbon dioxide in the air. This would have caused the surface of the Earth to become much hotter.
A sharp rise in the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has already happened - correlated with the use of fossil energy. Further, the climate is clearly getting warmer than it used to in a number of areas. Especially, the polar ice caps are melting fast now.
I feel that if we care about future generations we must take action. The question is: what can be done by you and me? One thing we can do is try to minimize the use of things like coal and oil. Instead, we can turn to renewable sources of energy.
The sun is the power behind most energy sources (with a few exceptions). Suppose that energy is collected directly - then we get rid of several problems. How about solar panels for example.
Solar cells used to be of limited interest although they've been produced for a long time - the cost has been an issue. Therefore, they have not been a feasible energy source for general use. This is changing now; solar panels are getting affordable. Why not set up home solar panels on your rooftop and reap the benefit of clean solar energy. Even better: add some do-it-yourself work and save money. Being able to live off the grid - how about that.
Mail this post
