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why renwable energy?why renwable energy? What's driving the explosion in renewable energy investment, research and adoption? The simple answer is we have to find an alternative to our reliance on fossil fuels. Why? Partly because they're running out and they form such a corner stone of global energy provision, and thus stability - both political and economic - that were we to suddenly find ourselves without it it'd be anarchy (quite literally in all probability). The other, more pressing reason is that we're killing the planet, and this in turn will kill most stuff that currently lives on it, the human race being just one, rather destructive, element of that community. We're essentially bad tenants intent on destroying the block we live in with everyone still inside, ourselves included. Taking a less hysterical stance, there may be debate on the extent to which global climate change is being accelerated by us, but what there is agreement on is that we are having an affect. The most direct climatic symtpom of our burning fossil fuels is the accelerating greenhouse effect, together with the global warming that's producing. The greenhouse effect is of course, a natural phenominum. It's the natural process by which the atmosphere traps some of the sun's energy, warming the planet enough to support life, ourselves included. When we burn fossil fuels they release extra carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, increasing the greenhouse effect well beyond its natural, balanced levels. Mass deforestation around the world is worsening the problem at an alarming rate, removing lots of the earth's natural ability to process this carbon dioxide - trees are basically big carbon dioxide -> fresh air convertors. As such, they're a vital element in the natural balance of global climate. Climate change is making the earth warmer. Surface temperatures have increased by an estimated 1.4°F (0.8°C) between 1900 and 2005. The past decade was the hottest of the past 150 years and perhaps the past millennium. The hottest 22 years on record have occurred since 1980, and 2005 was the hottest on record. While some may cock a flippant snoop saying 'Great - nice weather at last', that's not what we can expect. Warming is just the beginning. Then we get melting of the polar ice caps, increasing sea levels and land loss, increasing climate volatility, interruption of the gulf stream by saline-content reduction followed, most probably, by the onset of ice age. Thus, global warming is not the reason to grab some tanning-cream that it might first seem to be. While the Kyoto Protocol could have been a good, global start at avoiding this less-than-ideal scenario, it proved to be a bit of a damp squib, not least by the biggest polluter at the time - the USA - chosing not to ratify it as it could harm domestic industry. Further, developing nations were excluded and they're now where much of the future threat comes from - China's appetite for energy and resources is voracious as their tiger economy explodes into life. They're just one example among many. However, it's not all totally doom and gloom. Research into understanding and harnessing renewable energy has never been as frenetic as it is just now, and the pace of study and development is only set to increase massively in the coming years. The UK is arguably leading the way in research while the USA has more of a start on turning those findings into marketable commodities. Renewables are being looked at from the smallest domestic applications to industrial-strength, state-backed projects. This site, then, is devoted to answering some of the questions that surround renewables - what they are, how they work, how to use them, where to find out more and so on. It's about saving the planet really, and you don't need an 'S' on your chest to do it. It'd probably help though... Renewables in the NewsIndia: Doubling Renewable Energy Capacity Would Have Negligible Impact on ... - CleanTechnica Senate Inaction Cedes US Energy Race to China: Eric Pooley - Bloomberg Climate change plan calls for 10 per cent renewable energy by 2015 - domain-B New Renewable Energy Power Set to Surpass Fossil Fuels - Domestic Fuel Letters: Climate change - OregonLive.com (blog) Skip The Climate Bill, Go For The Renewable Energy - Aquarian Weekly |
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