Sources of Renewable energy

Amogh Gokhale


We all know that there are two main types of resources: Renewable and non renewable. Renewable resources include wind energy, hydropower, and solar energy. Non renewable include coal, lumber, and petroleum. However, we use non renewable resources much more than renewable. This is especially shocking when we see that we are just decades from using all these resources up. According to BBC, at our current rate of consumption, we will run out of all fossil fuels around the year 2050.


Now, more than ever, placing a greater emphasis on renewable resources is necessary for our planet to stay clean from pollution from burning of fossil fuels. For a good example of a country that has already switched to green energy, lets look at Denmark. Denmark has put a large emphasis on its use of resources such as wind and hydropower. In fact, Denmark was able to meet almost 140% of its yearly energy consumption with wind power alone! This allowed them to share this power with neighboring countries, such as Germany. 

Speaking fo Germany, their trash and waste conversion program is so efficient, they actually had to import trash from other countries. By efficiently recycling, converting trash into energy, and greater citizen awareness, many European countries are becoming very environmentally friendly, and opening up a new form of power for our planet.

Seeing this use of green energy, is a 100% green planet possible? Could we implement this system back here, in the US? What is an efficient way of moving from fossil fuels to green energy? Could there be any setback from implementing 100% green energy? What can be done to raise awareness about the pollution caused by fossil fuels?

Comments

Anonymous said…
Here in America reduce, reuse, and recycle has been something kids have been learning ever since they were introduced into this world, but most don’t seem to follow this saying. Conveniency has put itself above conserving our resources. Living in the moment is what the current generation is doing and it’s wrecking havoc on the environment and our resources are being depleted. Some of this generation lacks consideration for our future generation’s need for these resources because it’s a given truth that we will eventually die and it’s looking as if our generation can slide past the times where resources will be scarce and greedily use them up. Renewable energy is necessary if we’re going to try and preserve non-renewable sources. There’s a ton of ways as Amogh mentioned above, but they’re are used by less people. If everyone got on board with giving up some “conveniency” for a better Earth our resources would not completely deplete.
February 1, 2019 at 10:28 AM
Anonymous said…
I think the possibility of a 100% green planet is quite a stretch, to be honest. It would be too hard to get every country in the UN, or in the world, on board with this. Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran have large exports of fossil fuels, as it is their primary industry, It would hurt the worldwide economy and cause a global recession if this happened, I think the way to go about this is to have indecent nations advertise to their own people to recycle and convert to clean energy. Also, governments should put forth lots of money to build solar power farms and wind energy farms. In the U.S., governments could offer tax rebates for people who start using sources of renewable energy, similar to how they gave people who purchased an electric car a $7,500 tax rebate. Effective advertising campaigns and funding for environmental programs could help spread the word and convert countries to a more clean lifestyle. This would definitely stretch the years for which we’ll continue to have fossil fuels, but not cancel the possibility of their depletion.
February 3, 2019 at 4:34 AM
Anonymous said…
In my opinion, a 100% green planet is clearly very possible. But to live up to current power outputs required, we would not be able to meet those requirements. Plus, currently it is much more cheaper to burn fossil fuels rather than go green. Hybrid and electric cars tend to cost more than regular cars, and electricity bills tend to be higher or more environmentally friendly places, like California, compared to places which burn fossil fuels, like Texas. We have a much greater population than Denmark and Germany, so implementing the systems mentioned would be much harder, but with policy changes, those systems could potentially be implemented. Some setbacks from utilizing green energy would be more spaced would be used up. Wind generators take up a sizable portion of land for a smaller amount of energy output compared to a factory with high energy output. But, as you mentioned, we cannot continue burning fossil fuels just for higher energy output and because it is cheaper.
February 3, 2019 at 8:45 AM
Anonymous said…
I think a lot of people make an argument against using renewable energy because its “more expensive”. Though that may be the case, it is much better than fossil fuels in the long run. As Americans, we tend to look for quantity over quality. More energy, less money = fossil fuels. However, the more common that renewable sources such as wind and solar energies become, the less expensive they will be. Just like everything else, it follows the rules of supply and demand. Non-renewable resources will gradually get more expensive as well because there is a finite amount.
February 3, 2019 at 4:22 PM
Anonymous said…
I think a green planet might be possible to obtain in a couple of years. At the rate we are going at, however, this may no bone the case. Everything that is good for the planet is more expensive, and this is one of the reasons why this planet is failing. We need to start making more products that are actually convenient for the consumer and the planet. Thus, these products should become less expensive if we want to make this planet 100% green.
February 4, 2019 at 6:33 AM
Anonymous said…
A green planet is attainable, but it would take a lot of reforms and a lot of energy being placed in creating new, sustainable, cheap, and efficient practices for energy. People will use what benefits them the most, so convenience is key. Converting waste into energy takes care of two problems, so solutions like this should inspire us to do the same. More restrictions must be put on non renewable resources and carbon emission if we expect any change to occur. Sheer profit must be second in importance behind environmentally sustainable practices and sources of energy.
February 4, 2019 at 7:24 AM
Anonymous said…
If we start soon, and everybody decides to band together, we would be able to achieve the goal of a 100% green planet. But, with the fact that we would need 7 billion people to all agree on something that is costly and requires more work, which some people might not be able to put in. I think if we just stop manufacturing non renewable resources like they never existed, we would be able to “force” change onto people, and the hopefully they will realize that the change is better not only for the, but also for the environment.
February 4, 2019 at 7:39 AM
Anonymous said…
There’s always an end goal of reaching a 100% green planet, however it might not be possible. Some renewable resources take more time to recreate than tear down, in which we could easily make it a non renewable resource. Many countries, like the US and China, may not completely agree on going green because it is more costly than some non renewable resources. I feel we need to improve our energy sources, however that will take time, convincing, and money.
February 4, 2019 at 8:11 AM
Anonymous said…
The reality of the United States becoming 100% green is impossible at the moment. The business and wealth obtained from the business of fossil fuels is far too profitable and beneficial for the economy for the government to lead the country astray from it. Additionally, there is the great debate amongst the different parties regarding the mere existence of climate change. As of now, due to the Republicans holding the White House and House, it is unlikely for there to be much movement toward this way of life. I always knew that Europe was more advanced than us regarding their awareness of the enviornment; however I never knew that they had reached the extent of turning trash, once a contributor to greenhouse gasses, into a source of safe, renewable, energy. We need to try and replicate the efforts of the Europeans in order to improve the planet.
February 4, 2019 at 5:26 PM
Anonymous said…
Renewable energy sources are gaining more and more traction to compete with fossil fuels. Knowing that we could use up all fossil fuels by 2050 means that we desperately need to continue implementing programs that provide clean energy to the states. Certain states have already started with wind, solar, and hydroelectric energy. By 2050, our goal should be to get all states to be working on clean energy sources. 100% green energy would be very difficult to achieve, as it would be very expensive and the efficiency of clean sources don't come close to that of fossil fuels. However, I believe that we can get close and keep trying for higher and higher percentages of clean energy.
February 4, 2019 at 7:27 PM
Anonymous said…
As humans continue to use up the Earth’s resources, I feel as though many people begin to forget how easily these resources are used up. Although many efforts have already been made to bring awareness and provide solutions to these issues, I believe that people should do more than simply be educated about the topic. Basically, I believe that people should educate others and encourage them to action and take part in providing greener solutions. Hopefully, shifting public opinion can create beneficial changes.
February 5, 2019 at 10:26 AM
Anonymous said…
The good example of Denmark and Germany that Amogh presented is something that we must respect and learn. In order to do so, I believe that the US must first be able to educate not only the early generation but also the current generations. In South Korea, they also are very strict with recycling as they even have laws that penalize people who do not recylce properly. One of the things that the government can do is to enforce a law that forces the people to recylce. Although this may seem harsh, I believe utilizing both education and rules would be more effective in allowing the people to take action with recycling. Another way to solve this problem would be to use the renewable resources in our daily lives. Some claim that it is more expensive than the non renewable resources, however in reality, using the renewable resources is actually more cheaper in terms of the future. People could utilize the Eco-friendly cars, solar pannels and more to live their lives.
February 5, 2019 at 10:30 AM
Anonymous said…
I believe we should always strive for a greener planet however, it’s wishful to think we can have a 100% green planet. Maybe in terms of energy consumption, one day we can become 100% renewable, however there will always be pollution. One way to possibly reduce the amount of non-renewable energy we use is by installing solar panels to more of the sourthern states or countries. They don’t necessarily have to replace certain resources initially, but as technology constantly evolves so too will our ability to utilize renewable resources. Thus, what we must do NOW as technology continually progresses is doing what we can at our current best to reduce our consumption of non-renewable resources. This can include biking to school, walking to a friends house, or even just unplugging a phone charger from an outlet when you’re done. These are measures that can easily be taken with profound impacts if we all can just put forth a little bit of effort.
February 5, 2019 at 10:32 AM
Anonymous said…
It would be very smart for countries to begin to shift towards using green energy sources, however a 100% green planet is very unlikely. This is because not every country can afford, or will be willing to sacrifice the use of fossil fuels and other non renewable energy sources. Also, many countries, especially in the middle east, profit off of oil and other fossil fuels. However, Denmark is a great example that a country can make a smooth transition into the use of renewable energy if they choose to. I believe that if a country has adequate resources they should do every thing they can to switch towards using green energy sources.
February 5, 2019 at 4:30 PM
Anonymous said…
I agree that the common renewable resources available are too expensive to be realistic for many consumers. Prices will need to go down before people will start buying them. However, when fossil fuels are gone, people will be forced to switch to renewable sources, and it will likely be more expensive. Making the switch to renewable now will delay the depletion of fossil fuels, and hopefully cut the cost.
February 5, 2019 at 7:06 PM
Anonymous said…
I believe if we use our best effort, we can get close to a 100% green planet. Implementing the systems in Denmark and Germany to other countries would be very effective, especially in the US. Awareness about pollution is very well known taught to us since we were little. However, we were only taught about it. I believe if we did more hands on activity as we were younger, such as learning to recycle properly, it would be more practical. Also, if people were less selfish and greedy with non-renewable resources and din't just throw it away after one time use, I think it would be a great help in saving our resources for the future.
February 5, 2019 at 9:16 PM
Anonymous said…
I agree. Many people refuse to change their sources of energy, like solar panels or wind power, because they do not want to pay more to use these alternative sources. But if we can make the use of these renewable energy sources more affordable and more accessible, more people would be drawn to the idea of using renewable sources. We tend to look at the price but disregard the harmful effects and overall long-term impact fossil fuels have on the earth. In my opinion, a 100% green planet would be a stretch and can not be accomplished because of our rate of fossil fuel consumption today. However, simply stating that we will change our energy sources without actually putting it into practice will not lead to any progress towards becoming a greener planet.
February 6, 2019 at 7:18 AM
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
February 6, 2019 at 10:57 AM
Anonymous said…
I agree in that it is highly unlikely to tell certain countries like Saudi Arabia to stop exporting fossil fuels which accounts for 90% of their total exports. That would make their economy down to an almost failing one. Another example would be here in Texas who’s top exporting material is also petroleum products. Just like what Ms. Rials who we FaceTimed on Monday said, if Texas was to put up a law banning the use of chemicals to do fracking for example, the result would be the same as the previous law put up. In that situation, the oil tycoons all were furious and the law was repealed. So then the likiliehood of certain states who depend on fossil fuels as their main exports to utilize more renewable sources would be very low.
February 6, 2019 at 10:58 AM
Anonymous said…
Living in a totally green planet seems impossible to me. Companies mske millions upon millions of dollars on fossil fuels and no company is going to give up that success. Also, many countries make money on fossil fuels such as the Middle East. Odds are, they wouldn’t give up that trade either. We rely heavily on fossil fuels too. Many things would have to change and I just don’t see out world being able to fully switch to electric cars for example. Change scares people and I believe a 100% green planet is quite impossible.
February 6, 2019 at 11:10 AM
Anonymous said…
I agree. I remember this lesson being reinforced in us since we were very young. However, it doesn't appear to make that much of a difference. In today's society, people favor what is convenient over what is right, even when they know what is right. People are reluctant to look into the future. It is shocking that we will run out of fossil fuels by 2050, but it doesn't seem like people want to do much to help. They are concerned with what is happening right now and do not care if we will run out in the future. This is the biggest setback to implementing 100% green energy. Like you said, people favor convenience over conservation.
February 6, 2019 at 6:41 PM
Anonymous said…
I think it is very important to use renewable sources of energy. Not only does it help the earth, but the economy in the long run. People often neglect to use clean energy sources because it is cheaper to use fossil fuel, but this will not always be the case. The non renewable part of fossil fuels is very scary when we look at how much we use and the growing amounts of demand for energy. These resources cannot keep up with us and will eventually become scarce and if we do not choose to use renewaBLE resources soon, we are going to find ourselves destroying the environment while also paying ridiculous high prices for energy because it runs on fossil fuels. The best way to do away with this problem is to just bite the bullet and make the change even if it is not the most conbvenient way. The government could offer incentives however to those who use clean energy because money drives everyone.
February 6, 2019 at 7:08 PM
Anonymous said…
I think it is really important to raise awareness about this topic. We have always learned that using renewable energy is good. But we still don’t and I think that even though we have tried to enforce it it hasn’t actually become a priority for people. As human nature goes, I think benefits should be given. Little rewards that encourages people to recycle use renewable items. For example coupons, magnets etc. I don’t think we can make a change overnight. It’s going to take time. It’s high time we start.
February 7, 2019 at 7:42 AM
Anonymous said…
While it may not we plausible to make the Earth one hundred percent green, we definitely have to try to expand the usage of renewable resources throughout the world, because if not as you said, we will run out of fossil fuels by 2050. The governments should provide incentives for companies to use clean energy rather than carbon emissions. In addition to running out of fossil fuels, the usage of fossil fuels in the first place will contribute to the already rising global warming rates. This is also a dire call to action!
February 7, 2019 at 11:48 AM
Anonymous said…
I think that making use of renewable energy sources is important and impacts the environment in a positive way, but to convert to a 100% green planet will take a large number of years. In different countries, and especially in our state of Texas, a lot of people have jobs from non renewable energy sources such as coal or oil. If we completely stop use of this, all of those people working in the oil industry are going to lose their jobs. Recycling should be promoted to the general population in different countries. If everyone recycles, the planet will be much healthier, we should also take a look into wind power or solar power as well.
February 7, 2019 at 2:42 PM
Anonymous said…
I agree. I believe that a green and sustainable planet is very attainable and possible with the correct reforms put in place for more practical energy losses. It would be a good idea to convert waste into energy and it could inspire other solutions for other problem to come up. I also agree with the fact that profit should not be the main priority when our goal is to make the planet more sustainable for the future generations.
February 7, 2019 at 6:45 PM
Anonymous said…
The reason why we haven't switched to renewable energy yet is because of a matter of economy. While it's cheaper to run and maintain a windmill than a power plant, the initial costs of setting up a windmill is higher. It's cheaper in the long run, but no one has the money to build many windmills at once. Additionally, the energy market is already dominated by big oil and coal companies. It's difficult for new firms to enter a market. The solution here is to invest in solar and wind energy companies or to complain to the government to subsidize alternative energy.
February 7, 2019 at 7:21 PM
Anonymous said…
I agree it is much like when we go out to eat we all know we should eat well and get salads and healthy foods, but all those healthy foods are usually very very expensive comparatively to those of unhealthy options where a McDonald’s big Mac can cost not even five bucks getting a nice salad from the salad bar can cost was $10 humans are drawn to what’s cheaper not always what is better. I understand the fact that people seeing you renewable energy on something that’s out of reach, it really does seem like one huge price compared to that of what we use for non-renewable energy, but personally I think the idea of paying one big price and then small price from there. Han is better than paying medium prices for the rest of my life.
February 9, 2019 at 6:02 PM
Anonymous said…
In a perfect world, we could rely only on renewable resources. However, we don’t live in a perfect world, so this idea almost seems far-fetched, especially in America. While it is true that we are slowly inching towards a greener planet, I think greed will stop us from being able to go 100% green due to the profits coming from non-renewable energy. I believe that until we get dangerously close to losing all our non-renewable energy sources, the public will not go anything to solve the problems we're facing. A solution would be the government to follow in Denmark’s footsteps and incentivize going green.
February 12, 2019 at 7:05 PM
Anonymous said…
I don't believe it will be possible to have a 100% green planet. It will take a lot of money and effort to make it happen. Not only the transition to renewable energy methods will be expensive, but also building windmills and destroying the power plants.We could implement the idea of transition but most people of our society isn't thinking about how to save the world rather than just being able to provide power and the necessities. In order to raise awareness we need to be able to change the public's opinions and demonstrate motivation for them to change.
February 13, 2019 at 5:58 PM
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