Wind- The wind can be harnessed to produce energy. Windmills were used in Holland a long time ago to generate electricity. Germany and other countries have begun to harness the energy of the wind using windmills to replace fossil fuels. Technology has greatly influenced the profitability of wind-generated energy. New motors that are computer enhanced, wings that are longer than wings on a jumbo jet, materials that are more lightweight and durable have all influenced the cost of using the wind as a fossil fuel alternative. Worldwide wind use has risen 28% in the past five years.
Bio-fuels- These are fuels mixed with things grown right in the garden. Beet root, corn, sugar, cotton oil are just a few. What happens is diesel fuel is mixed with diesel oil and then pumped into the gas tank of a diesel car. There are cars on the market today a person can buy that especially run on bio-fuels. New cars are being produced by the major car companies to use less gasoline. A side note to bio-fuels is an argument stating if the world is producing bio-fuels than the world food production could also change. There are some scientists that believe if farmers are involved in renewable energy sources, they will not be producing food. Therefore, hunger could become more of an issue than it is currently. There are many small farmers in the United States who need this extra income because their farms are not producing due to an overage of the food supply. Bio-fuels are a good alternative for these types of farms and it would not effect food consumption. Some estimates have put the bio-fuel industry as a 5 billion plus industry in the future.
Hydropower- This is using the water supply or the momentum in rivers and oceans to create clean energy alternatives. Think of how water moved Mills in the nineteenth century. Water is moved through a wheel and it is pumped into turbines that conduct electricity. It is necessary to have a dam in place which environmentalists argue divert the natural path of fish, but in some places this is a very good alternative and a clean source of electricity. There is also water power fueled by the waves or currents in the ocean. This does not disturb wildlife and with new technology and materials available today it is becoming more feasible as an economic solution.
Ocean currents can be used as a natural energy source.
Geo-Physical- This type of energy uses the pressure of underground forces in the Earth to create energy. These under ground pressures are: geysers, hot springs, and steam vents in the Earth's surface. The heat from hot water or steam is what powers electrical turbines. These turbines fuel the electrical generators. Iceland is one country that takes advantage of this natural phenomenon to power electricity. So what if your country does not have a hot spring geyser or steam vents nearby? Well, the temperature of the Earth about 2 meters below never changes. All that is needed to use this form of energy is a geothermal heat pump, insulated piping and electricity to run the pump. This can heat and cool a home or business by using a refrigerant that circulates through the piping in the soil, the soil temperature changes this to liquid, this runs through the pump, converts to gas and then to the heating outlet. It reverses the cycle for air conditioning. The hot air in the home is vented to the pipes and carried back to the soil. Another form of energy just being explored now is magnetic energy. It also takes its inspiration from Earth's magnetic core. Magnets create an electrical force field by pushing a way from two points. It is that pushing that creates energy. Such a thing could be car with powerful magnets on it that used the magnetic forces of the earth to create energy and push it forward.
Solar- This is another form of energy that has been around for a long time. When a person hears about global warming solutions this is usually one of the first solutions. Solar energy comes from the power of harnessing the radiation from the sun. It is collected in panels, stored and then used when necessary. If you had a place in your yard which was open and usually sunny, if you put solar panels there, and attached them to your house, you could have free electricity. Solar panels are also put on top of people's houses. The energy is stored and transferred to electric conduits. The only problem is the solar panels cost more than other heating elements initially as we saw from Mrs. Donahoe's home in our Local Solutions .
These solutions were grouped under the solutions involving the global economy, because all of these solutions take money and willingness in the global community to commit to such changes. Industrial countries bear the burden of the expense for switching over to renewable sources because they create the most CO2 emissions. Case in point: the Top Eight leaders in CO2 emissions: United States, China, Russia, India, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, and Canada.
The US is the number one leader in fossil fuel consumption. The United States uses ¼ of the world's oil. The United States was also one of the countries that pulled out of the Kyoto Conference. The Kyoto Conference has 165 countries signed on to cut down on their carbon emissions. The Kyoto Conference is important because the participating countries realized global warming must be tackled not as individuals but as group. Countries that participated countries also realized it takes leaders in the industrial world to make the first moves, which sets a precedent for developing nations. One of the most difficult parts of the economic solutions is: major corporations worldwide do not have a good incentives to change because they want more money, and "going green" is not a solution that brings immediate economic gain. On the other side of the coin the United Nations, in 2001, estimated the cost for disasters due to climate change could top 304.2 billion dollars in the next 50 years. The other problem is with "going green" is developing nations want have to immediately what the industrial nations have right now. This includes the luxury of powered electricity run on fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are the easiest most readily available energy sources on the market. Changing to renewable sources would change the financial income and stock markets all over the world.
On a side note, Nuclear Energy is not considered by many scientists to be the safest way to cut down on fossil fuels. Here is a brief explanation of why this is so:
Nuclear- Nuclear energy is the one form we have heard the most about, mainly because of the dangers of extreme radiation, which could cause a meltdown! Energy is produced by fusing atoms. This creates blasts of energy which can be sent to peoples houses for a more renewable energy. Countries which use or depend on nuclear energy have trouble disposing of nuclear waste. Nuclear waste contaminates the water and ground if not disposed of properly. It is also not economically as feasible as other alternatives due to the nature of the waste products. Plus as we read about in the Ukraine, there is always a chance of a nuclear melt down.
So if the economics of going green are difficult, what can be done? A forum such as the Kyoto Conference that has supported the United Nations mandates is a good starting place. All countries are represented in the United Nations. It is way to speak out and speak up on this issue. Also on a global level everyone can be involved in a virtual march to save the planet. The more people trying to save our planet, the stronger our attempt will be to halt human induced global warming. This tells the leaders of countries that people care about what happens to our planet. The nice thing about joining a global march is even kids can participate.
The United Nations is also involved in setting worldwide guidelines. Their new program is to reforest land that has been destroyed by mining and logging. They have a goal of planting one billion trees world wide to off set deforestation.
This is why it is important to let your politicians know, no matter where on our planet you live, this is an important issue. Our politicians have to understand gatherings like the conference in Kyoto are important. For developing nations this could be really difficult. As we saw in Vietnam, Pakistan, and the Ukraine, there are too many other problems associated with pollution and poverty. This is why the world looks to industrial nations to change the course of fossil fuel consumption. In the United States California has lead the way in reducing green house emissions Senator Boxer even has her own website with a poll on global warming.
Encourage your parents to vote, find your politicians websites, let them hear your voice. Write letters as a class project, raise money for the United Nations forest program. There is a lot kids can do globally.
By environmental we mean measures everyone can do on an individual level that can help save energy. Some of these are very familiar but worth mentioning again. Turn off lights, our parents say this a thousand times a day, their motive might be different but it will save energy. Turn down your heat/air conditioning in winter/summer. Recycle bottle, cans, and paper goods. Consider composting, this is saving all your bio degradable in a pile. Composting even includes leaves from outside in order to create good soil. Although this is kind of difficult if you live in a city, this is why recycling is very important to the cause of global warming prevention. Walk if there is good public transportation. Encourage your older family members to invest in green goods. This means products produced on recycled paper. Read labels on products, this is a good way to find out how the product effects the environment. By invest we mean buy products from companies committed to saving the environment. This does take a little research but we know you can do it! Also if your parents or older relatives invest in the stock market ask them to check out stocks that support green companies. More than anything though, become an advocate, let everyone know how you feel and what they can do to help save our planet.