Climate change. We all know that it is happening, despite the constant redundancy of the people denying it. Some of the indicators are that the average temperatures have risen in most states with an increase of warming over the past thirty years. Eight of the top 10 warmest years have been recorded and happened since 1998. Another indicator is related to the increasing heat and its effects on the water. Ocean and sea surface temperatures have also risen in the last years.
Of course, these are only two indicators from a wide range of them. The rate at which the sea ice is melting is the fastest it has been in the last 1500 years and in 2016, even more, coral died in the Great Barrier Reef. Also, the fact that we are overusing fossil fuels is the number one contributor to climate change and it has been confirmed by the evidence collected. Hence, reducing fossil fuels is the best way to stop climate change.
Renewable Energy, the best tool to fight climate change
What can we do in order to reduce the Greenhouse Effect? Well, the answer is pretty simple, go green. By changing the way you use electricity, you can help with the energy conservation initiative. Energy efficiency will lead to fewer amounts of electricity produced, hence there will be less carbon dioxide that is emitted into the atmosphere. A recent study suggests that 139 countries could switch to 100% renewable energy. That would produce a major cut in the source of greenhouse gases, which definitely makes it one of the best things that we could do. Governments all over our world have chosen to support and sustain renewable energies as the best answer to electricity generation and supply.
In 2015, the European Environment Agency reported that the CO2 emission was reduced by 10 percent in Europe. And, they only considered wind and solar energy plants in Europe. According to clean-energy-ideas.com, the International Renewable Energy Agency, or simply IRENA, reported that if we could focus only on the United States, the renewable sources in the country like the wind, hydropower, solar, and marine energy generated almost 600GWh in 2014, that replaced a total of 20% natural gas, 50% coal sources, and 30% on oil. Hence, they avoided releasing 484 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. Although fossil fuel is growing because the energy consumption is growing as well, renewable energy has been gaining in popularity as well. However, it will need to grow even faster, so that we can stop using fossil fuels in power plants in order to shut down the existing ones. Looking at the growth of emissions next to the growth of renewable energy and claiming that the use of renewable energy cannot solve the problem is just another form of ignoring the fact that renewables can help us with fighting climate change.
Conclusion
Our planet is our only home and we are the ones that need to help Earth in the fight against climate change. Choose to add a renewable energy source and to go green and you will help save our planet from the devastating effects of global warming.
