Obtaining a Sustainable Environment || By @onyiluvdan

Introduction

I am very happy to once again be a part of this contest. The previous contest was very educating and impactful but the center of this contest "Renewable Energy" is worth exploring and is a hope for many countries like Nigeria. This contest seeks to emphasize a change that will benefit even generations to come if properly maintained.

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is a kind of energy that originates from sources that are steadily replenished. The sources of renewable energy include geothermal energy, solar energy, hydroelectric power, and wind energy.

Often renewable sources are connected with clean energy as well as green energy, however, there are few slite variations between these three categories of energy. Where the renewable sources refer to those that can be recycled, green energy is that energy whose source is national, and clean are those energies that don't discharge pollutants such as carbon dioxide. While cross-over often exists between these categories of energy, not all kinds of renewable energy are completely green or clean. For instance, most hydroelectric sources may cause harm to natural habitats and result in deforestation.

The Development of Renewable Energy

Though renewable energy is frequently perceived as a remedy for our future needs of power, for centuries man has been capturing, controlling, or putting to use nature's natural power. Windmills, as well as water wheels, were employed in powering granaries, while the sun served for the creation of firelight and heat.

Up-to-date improvements in capture and storage, in addition to the worldwide drive towards Net Zero, have generated a proliferation of the production of renewable and green energy. These improvements go from small-scale productions like the installation of solar panels in a residence, to large-scale facilities such as offshore wind farms.

Types of Renewable Energy

Solar Power

There is a huge possibility for the sun to provide us with our need for power, with consideration of the reality that enough energy to fulfill the need for power by the planet for a whole year reaches the earth in just an hour. Nevertheless, the challenge has constantly been how to improve and utilize this enormous potential.

Wind Power

The wind functions much like obsolete windmills did, by making use of the power of the wind to whirl a blade. Where milestones are caused to grind together by the motion of these to make flour, today's turbine energizes the generator which generates electricity.

Hydroelectric Power

This functions the same way as wind power in that it is employed to whirl a generator's turbine blades to generate electricity. Hydropower makes use of speedily moving water in rivers or from waterfalls to whirl the turbine blades and is generally used in most countries. Currently, it is however the biggest source of renewable energy in the United States, though the gap is being fastly closed by wind energy.

Biomass Energy

This energy makes use of organic materials produced by animals and plants which comprises crops, waste wood, and trees. This biomass is burnt to generate heat which energizes a steam business and produces electricity. Although biomass may be renewable supposing that it is sustainably sourced, many instances are there where it is neither clean nor green energy.

Geothermal

Geothermal energy makes use of heat captured in the Earth's core which is formulated by the gradual decay of small pieces of radioactive matter in rocks in the middle of the planet. With the use of drilling wells, highly heated water can be brought to the surface that can as hydrothermal resources to swivel turbines and generate electricity. When the steam and hot water are pumped back into the earth, this kind of renewable resource is made greener hence reducing emissions.

Tidal Power

Tidal power provides a renewable power supply alternative because the tide is governed by the steady gravitational pull of the moon. The power which can be generated by the tide may not be steady, however, it is reliable, which makes this somewhat new resource an impressive alternative for many.

Environmental Benefits of Renewable Energy

Having explained the various types of renewable energy let's consider their environmental benefits.

No Emission is Generated

Producing electricity from fossil fuels generates lots of emissions of greenhouse gas. This comprises not only carbon dioxide but also methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases.

With renewable energy, the environmental benefits are explicit: renewable source-generated electricity like solar panels and wind turbines do not generate any emissions or pollution.

Lowers Your Carbon Footprint

We all know how our actions affect the environment, it's beyond straws and sea turtles. Though we might not be aware of it, our environment is affected by virtually every choice we make, ranging from the clothes we purchase and the food we eat to the electricity that energizes the family film night.

All these daily decisions compose our carbon footprint, a metric employed in calculating our environmental impact. Making use of renewable sources in our homes mitigates our carbon footprint by counterbalancing or substituting the necessity for fossil fuel emission with a zero-emission energy source such as wind and solar.

Consequently, reconsidering our home's source of energy is a significant way of reducing our carbon footprint.

Reduction of Harmful Air Pollutants

Fossil duels react with oxygen to create nitrogen oxide or NOx, anytime they are burned to generate electricity and this is a hazardous greenhouse gas. They not only create pollution and acid rain, but the gas also reacts chemically to generate ground-level ozone which is a toxic air pollutant. Stratospheric ozone, nonetheless, may inflict an assortment of health issues which include: reduced lung functions, throat irritation, damaged lung function, airway inflammation, coughing.

Ground-level ozone is generated by the combination of sunlight, head, volatile and organic compounds — particularly man-made chemicals utilized and manufactured in the production of paints, refrigerants, and pharmaceuticals.

Renewable energy sources don't discharge nitrous oxides when generating electricity. Therefore, it isn't just that renewable energy does not discharge greenhouse gas gases, besides it also mitigates our carbon footprint and assists compensate the requirement for fossil fuel power which may add to excess air pollution in cities or developed areas.

Renewable Energy Uses Less Water

Nearly every energy sources require lots of water at some point to function. Traditional electricity like coal, nuclear energy, or natural gas, is produced by heating water and generating steam to whirl turbines. For the generation of natural gas and coal electricity, both need around 60,000 gallons of water per Megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity.

Voltovaltaic and wind-solar inherently do not require water to produce electricity. Occasionally, solar panels require cleaning and washing, however, that is just roughly 20 gallons per MWh of electricity produced.

In addition, while hydropower relies on water, electricity is created via the falling of water from a dam, river, or stream, in contrast to the production of steam via burning materials.

Renewable Energy and Money

Profit refers to when our income surpasses our expenses, and an unprofitable business won't exist for long. Businesses constantly look forward to saving money, ad the lesser the cost of operation, the extra money they can probably make. At a primary level, the aim of running a business is spending as little as possible while earning as much as possible.

The following are the various ways renewable energy saves money:

Reduction of Energy Bills

The most noticeable way accepting energy can save money for a business is by mitigating energy bills. There are numerous various categories of renewable energy a business may obtain and each function to reduce monthly bills. Wind turbines, solar panels, and other techniques create renewable energy a business may utilize to supplement, or even substitute, their traditional sources of energy. A business may invest a little amount into renewable energy and have a fraction of its need for energy taken care of. A business could also entirely eradicate its monthly energy bill by investing in renewable energy.

Energy Price Protection

The prices of energy can change without notification and price change can be substantial. A business may employ renewable energy for the supply of their own power rather than to be at the mercy of market energy price. Even though our business may possibly not be 100% energy self-sufficient, to have a fraction of our energy derived from renewable sources reduces the punch of a hike in energy price.

Green Incentives

The installation of renewable energy isn't accompanied by an upfront cost, however, there are means of cutting down those costs. There is a span of incentives from the state, local, or federal government in grants or tax rebate forms. Renewable energy may be a super way for our business to save money. Subsequent to an upfront cost, that is becoming less substantial and may be further reduced by government incentives, renewable energy solutions could assist businesses to save money. Renewable energy can mitigate or eradicate our monthly power with the possibility of selling excess power back to the grid. In addition, not being totally dependent on the grid similarly keeps our business from hikes in price and power outages.

Can Renewable Energy Create Job Opportunities

In Abu Dhabi/Geneva, according to the eighth edition of Renewable Energy and Jobs: Annual Review 2021, the worldwide employment by renewable energy attained 12 million in 2021, from 11.5 million as of 2019.

Reports assert that COVID-19 resulted in delays and disruption of supply chains, alongside influences on jobs varying by country as well as end-use, and among sections of the value chain. While wind and solar jobs went on leading global growth of employment in sectors of renewable energy, accounting for a sum of 4 million and 1.25 million jobs respectively.

In 2020, China decreed a 39% share of renewable energy jobs worldwide, with Brazil, the US, India, and members of the EU. Numerous other countries are as well generating jobs in renewables. Among these countries are Malaysia and Viet Nam (major solar PV exporters), Columbia and Indonesia (with huge agricultural supply chains for biofuels), and Russia Federation and Mexico (where wind power is increasing). Solar jobs are broadening in African countries like South Africa, Togo, and Nigeria.

The possibility of renewable energies to create a good job is explicit evidence that we don't have to decide between environmental sustainability on one side, and employment creation on the other side. The duo can work hand in hand.

Therefore, the answer to the question of renewable energy providing jobs is yes.

Renewable Energy and Global Warming

There isn't a path to protecting the climate without drastically changing the way we create and utilize electricity, approximately 40% of carbon dioxide pollution originates from power plants burning fossil fuels. Renewable energy reduces carbon pollution as well as has a great impact on our environment, also having its moment in the sun. Thus, it helps in the reduction of global warming.

As written by:
@onyiluvdan

Cc:
@xkool24