Introduction
Nowadays, we experience a variety of abnormal climates due to global warming. In summer, the temperature constantly rises higher than expected every year, and in winter, the temperature goes down steadily. Large portions of the glaciers in the Arctic and the Antarctic have melted and disappeared. Because of it, the sea level is rising, and some countries are susceptible to sustaining damage, such as land loss. Aside from that, there are many disasters caused by climate change, like intense drought, storms, and hurricanes. There are many ways to stop these kinds of phenomena. How is renewable energy the best way to prevent climate change? These days, renewable energy is famous, so we can see what renewable energy is working in many places. Therefore, we can look at renewable energy as one of the effective ways.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is clean energy that comes from natural and renewable resources: sunlight, wind, rain, waves, etc. As climate change has become an issue, renewable energy has become a more important power source while many people try to reduce fossil-fuel-generated energy. Now, renewable energy is being used in many areas, like electricity generation and transportation. Most renewable energy is sustainable energy, except for unsustainable biomass. This energy grows and turns cheaper with many studies.
2-1) Types of Renewable Energy Sources
Solar Energy
Humans have been using solar energy for a long time for agriculture and warmth. One of the most abundant renewable energy sources is solar energy. Today, many families and have solar panels installed at their homes to use solar energy for heat and electric power. Photovoltaic (PV) cells are made from silicon and other materials. These kinds of materials convert sunlight directly into electricity. These solar energy systems generate electricity for families or companies to use. Many solar cells have been installed on rooftops in many houses and businesses. Solar energy systems do not cause environmental problems because they do not emit air pollutants and greenhouse gases.
Wind Energy
Wind energy is expected to take a large part of renewable energy. Wind turbines use airflow to run. Today, turbines as tall as high buildings stand at attention around the world. Turbine blades spin through wind energy, and these turning blades spin electric generators and produce electricity. The generators can be built somewhere with strong winds and high-speed winds. Also, they can be placed in offshore and high-attitude sites. The wind energy system also does not pollute the air and cause problems.
Hydroelectric power
Hydroelectric power is one of the largest renewable energy sources in the world. Hydroelectric power entirely depends on water. Normally, they need water that moves fast in a large river or that rapidly descends from a high point. This transforms the power of the water into electricity by turning turbine blades. Hydroelectric power produces a considerable amount of energy. However, hydropower plants can cause some environmental problems that change the environment, pollute water quality, and damage the natural habitats of animals, such as fish.
Geothermal Energy
High-temperature geothermal energy is generated from the earth. Typically, thermal energy relies on the temperature of matter. The temperature of the earth’s core is as hot as the sun’s surface. Hot underground water is lifted to the ground as a source by drilling deep into the crust. Then it generates electricity by pumping a turbine. Geothermal plants cause very low emissions even though they emit gases, like carbon dioxide and few other gases. However, they emit much fewer gases than fossil fuels plants do.
2-2) Future Potential for Climate
When plants create electricity by consuming fossil fuels, they emit a lot of nitrogen oxide or NOx, a greenhouse gas. Generating electricity from renewable energy sources produces few greenhouse gas emissions and reduces air pollution. Renewable energy sources are better than fossil fuels for the environment. In addition, using renewable energy sources in a home can reduce carbon footprint.
Renewable energy use has many advantages not only for the environment but also for national economies. It creates economic development by offering jobs, like manufacturing, installation, and engineering jobs. As the installation prices of renewable energy systems drop, the prices of generated electricity also drop. Governments should create and implement policies that reduce the cost of installing renewable energy systems. Therefore, many people can install solar panels at a low price. This is why they create more jobs as well as keep the prices of electricity low.
2-3) Challenges Working Renewable Energy
Even though renewable energy is well known for being very important for the future, the reason why renewable energy is not that widely popular at the moment is its cost. Operating solar and wind energy is cheaper because their fuels are free, and maintenance costs less. The installation comprises the majority of the cost. In case, installing a solar energy system on a large scale costs a lot of money. Furthermore, saving an adequate amount of electricity from renewable energy requires a lot of transmission infrastructure. It also needs a lot of money and sufficient places to build.
Today, renewable energy has been spotlighted by climate change. However, there are still not enough policies, like tax reduction and subsidies, for this industry to encourage more people to switch to renewable energy without a huge financial burden. In recent years, many governments and companies have increased the production of solar panels. Even if this industry has grown, few people are interested in them, and many people do not buy them. That is why the supply is much higher than the demand.
Unorthodox or Unusual Energy Sources (At Home)
Many people believe that renewable energy sources are hydroelectric energy, wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, and bioenergy. However, there are some other strange renewable energy sources. First of all, using jellyfish to produce electricity sounds weird. However, jellyfish could become the next renewable energy source. Interestingly, jellyfish have a green fluorescent protein (GFP), which gives jellyfish their glow. This matter reacts with ultraviolet rays and excites electrons. Producing solar panels with silicon is very energy-intensive. If jellyfish GFP could be utilized instead of silicon, it could consume less energy.
Besides, cows can also be used as a renewable energy source. It is a fact that cows produce a large amount of methane. A dairy cow produces about 110 kg of methane per year. The gas that cows emit can be collected and used for energy.
In addition, in nightclubs, they seek a new way to maintain customers, and they discover a way to change the image of a club, which is the power of dance. When people press objects, like their feet on the floor, piezoelectricity can be produced. This kinetic energy is transferred through springs and power batteries. Therefore, it can be used to power the nightclub itself.
Conclusion
Today, many dangerous factors in our lives are caused by climate change, such as hurricanes, heatwaves, and sea-level rise. So, many scientists and researchers are looking for efficient ways to protect the environment. There are many ways to prevent global warming. One of the most popular ways is the use of renewable energy. Many types of renewable energy exist. The most popular renewable sources are solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal energy. They have strong potential power for the future environment. Creating plenty of electricity using renewable energy can reduce the usage of fossil fuels. Thus, we can decrease elements that cause serious environmental problems. However, it poses some challenges because they are not popular. So, there are still challenges related to cost, infrastructure, and policies. The government and companies are trying to use a lot of renewable energy sources to use electricity. Besides, many unusual renewable energy sources are used for generating electricity. For instance, jellyfish can help generate electricity by using a part of their bodies. The green fluorescent protein (GFP), which makes jellyfish glow, can be used for solar panels instead of silicon. There are other strange renewable energy sources, such as cows and dance in nightclubs. Through a lot of research and study, we have found many ways to protect the environment. In the future, technologies and other commodities or devices will be replaced eco-friendly ones.
References
En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Renewable energy – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy> [Accessed 7 August 2021].
NRDC. 2021. Renewable Energy: The Clean Facts. [online] Available at: <https://www.nrdc.org/stories/renewable-energy-clean-facts> [Accessed 7 August 2021].
Brett Smith, B., 2021. The Challenges Renewable Energy Sources Face. [online] AZoM.com. Available at: <https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=18220> [Accessed 7 August 2021]. Chariot Energy.
2021. Top 5 Benefits of Renewable Energy | Chariot Energy. [online] Available at: <https://chariotenergy.com/chariot-university/renewable-energy-benefits/> [Accessed 7 August 2021].
