The recent drastic effects of climate change have many people feeling like there is no hope. There are people who feel that no matter what we do, the effects of climate change that humans have set into motion are completely irreversible.
Combined with economic problems like rising fuel costs and housing shortages, some people feel like we have no control over the future health of the planet or our livelihoods.
There are a lot of benefits to using sustainable energy, though, and they are becoming increasingly apparent. As global warming issues become very real and increasing fuel costs plague individuals, corporations, and governments, sustainable energy sources look more and more like a better solution.
Sustainable Energy Means Less Global Warming
Before we discuss sustainable energy use in mitigating the effects of climate change, it is helpful to understand the difference between that and global warming.
Climate Change
Climate change is a broader definition that encompasses many different facets of weather over a long period of time. These changes include precipitation, temperatures, and wind patterns.
Rising sea levels, melting glaciers, increasing polar ice melt, and changes in flowers’ and plants’ bloom times are all part of climate change.
Global Warming
Climate change encompasses global warming, but global warming is just one aspect of climate change.
Global warming is caused by burning fossil fuels and by greenhouse gas emissions going into our planet’s atmosphere.
Many of the climate changes we are experiencing are caused by global warming.
Sustainable Energies Slow Global Warming
Sustainable energies like solar, wind, hydropower, and biomass fuels do not contribute to global warming the same way that burning fossil fuels do.
Most of our emissions in the United States come from burning fossil fuels, and 29% of that is by using fossil fuels to create electricity.
On the other hand, only 2% of our electricity is developed from solar power, which has zero emissions.
Sustainable Energy Prices Are Declining
When we talk about declining energy prices, everyone knows for sure that we aren’t talking about fossil fuels. As fuel at the pump reaches record high prices in 2022, solar and wind power prices are declining rapidly.
Investment firms estimate that the cost of electricity from renewables has fallen dramatically since 2009. Wind power has fallen by up to 58% and solar power has fallen by about 78% during that time.
Key government agencies expect those prices to keep falling even more, which will continue to create even more growth in the renewable energy market.
The Economic Outlook of Sustainable Energies
Critics of human-caused climate change, particularly those who have economic ties to the fossil fuel industry, are crying out that jobs are being lost to a green agenda.
This belief overlooks the fact that the sustainable energy industry is expected to continue to rise exponentially for the next several years. In the last decade, for instance, solar has seen a 33% annual growth rate.
Sustainable Energies Offer Health Benefits
There are cities, states, and corporations that are leading the country in renewable energy usage and they have been bringing in some promising data.
As this data comes in from renewable energy leaders, what people are seeing is that not only are these organizations paying less for energy, but they are seeing a significant decline in health problems in their communities.
Burning fossil fuels is tied to many health issues, such as respiratory problems like asthma and cardiovascular problems like heart attacks.
Generating electricity from sustainable energy sources reduces the need for burning fossil fuels and thereby reduces the associated health risks.
As scientists continue to study global climate issues and develop a comprehensive definition of climate change, we have more to look forward to than many think.
Health and economic factors are powerful motivators that will move individuals and organizations towards sustainable forms of energy and away from fossil fuels.
Individual Homeowners Are Moving Towards Renewables
One of the fastest-growing sectors in the sustainable energy sector is the residential solar market, which just experienced its 5th record-breaking year of growth in 2021.
Homeowners added a massive number of new solar panels to homes, about 30% more than they did in 2020, according to solar industry data.
This is due in great part to federal policies like the Solar Investment Tax Credit.
Just like city policies and state policies have created green cities and states who are now enjoying the low costs of electricity and improved health of citizens, federal policies like this will continue to drive the entire country to meet global goals that have been set to combat climate change.
A Brighter Future with Sustainable Energies
Sustainable energy that comes from renewable sources like the sun and the wind can help us mitigate the effects of climate change.
As the data comes in from local government and corporate leaders about the use of sustainable energies, the message is clear. We need to continue to move to renewable energies, and we need to do it now.
