Solar reliance could increase in wake of Japanese nuclear disaster – Cooler Planet
Greentech Media (blog) Solar reliance could increase in wake of Japanese nuclear disaster Cooler Planet Because of this, the nation may begin to rely on solar energy more heavily.
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Solar reliance could increase in wake of Japanese nuclear disaster – Cooler Planet
Benefits of Green Energy Sources
The world has relied on fossil fuels for a long time. Fossil fuels are used to heat our homes, gas our cars, and provide electricity. We are starting to see the consequences of habitual fossil fuel use. Resources are becoming depleted and slowly our planet is dying.
Many say that green energy sources are too hard generate. Green energy technology is in its infancy. Currently, it may be harder to generate than burning fossil fuels. However, there are many different options for green energy. All we have to do is identify green energy sources that are viable for each US geographic region.
The various green energy sources such as solar, wind, wave, hydropower and geothermal do not produce anything harmful which may have a negative effect on the environment. This is the exact opposite of what you get when you continue to operate a coal or nuclear power plant.
Coal you have to remember releases carbon dioxide into the air. On its own, it may not cause that much damage but there are currently 50,000 coal plants around the world and that number is expected to grow.
Many say nuclear power is a reliable solution. No one disputes that nuclear power does produce a large amount of energy. The dispute is whether or not we are effectively and safely disposing of the spent nuclear rods. We also have to consider nuclear accidents such as Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. These incidents were many years ago. We have gotten better at containment; however, it only takes one accident.
Green energy also requires maintenance. Windmills have mechanical parts that must be maintained. Corn to make ethanol must be grown. Biomass fuels require the trash to be separated and sorted. All of these choices are more attractive than fossil fuels. Green energy utilizes facilities that are cheaper to operate.
The next advantage of using green energy sources is that we will never run out of them. For centuries, the Sun’s rays have reached so has the wind which is blown from the sea. By using it, we decrease our dependence on oil which is a nonrenewable resource.
If you think about it, many of us have taken these green energy sources for granted. If we do the right thing now, future generations will not have to face the mess that we could have handled on our own years before.
Talking will get us no where. News papers talk about what needs to change. People talk about how concerned they are. People even tie themselves to trees. While these actions are noble, they will not build windmills or erect solar panels. It is time we put our money where our mouth is.
Green energy is a viable alternative to fossil fuels. While there are maintenance costs, green energy is renewable. We are past due for action, rather than talk. You have the power in your hands. It is possible to have home made energy. You just have to decide whether you want to commit or continue to spew toxins into the environment.
Are you ready to commit to saving our planet? Find out how you can get homemade energy plans today. Planet change is in your hands. The planet will thank you.
7 Drawbacks To Using Nuclear Power
People may argue that 25% of the world’s energy is produced through nuclear power, but what they do not understand is all the problems it brings:
1 – It costs a lot of money to setup:
Nuclear power plants are definitely not a cheap investment. At around six to twelve billion dollars each – just for installation – taxpayers have subsidized billions of dollars to keep the utilities afloat. This money could have been invested in cleaner renewable energies instead.
2 – Does not aid global warming:
Nuclear is seen as a relatively clean alternative energy. But that is complete nonsense! While the reactor may not emit green-house gases, the rest of the activities certainly do. How do you think the uranium is mined and transported? How do you think the reactor was built? And all the building material transported? That’s right – trucks and machines – all of which emit carbon into the air.
What’s more is these reactors take years to be fully operational – wasting precious time in our fight against global warming. We could have used that time and money more wisely, such as improved research and development in solar and wind power.
3 – What happens to all that radioactive waste?
From mining to milling, processing to enrichment, fuel fabrication to fuel irradiation in reactors, large amounts of harmful, long-lasting radioactive waste is produced. In addition to 20-30 tons of high-level radioactive waste per reactor per year, this includes so-called “low” level radioactive waste.
4 – It is a nuclear bomb just waiting to be detonated:
Nuclear power plants are not as safe as they are said to be. They could easily be attacked and even if an accident happened, there are no realistic evacuation measures in place. Furthermore, thanks to the Price-Anderson Act, a utility company is liable for only $10.8 billion as opposed to the real potential damage of $600 billion! Who will be picking up the rest of the bill? The working-class taxpayers – that’s who!
5 – Low-level radiation causes cancer:
Though authorities deem the levels of radiation emitted to be “safe”, children and other vulnerable individuals are not taken into account when reaching this conclusion. This is very irresponsible, and could lead to more cancer cases as the number of reactors increases.
The way utilities currently “store” nuclear waste is irresponsible. The have made assumptions instead of finding scientifically safe places to dispose of the waste. Just imagine how much worse the problem would get if more reactor were built. Additional waste would soon have to be incinerated or buried in landfills. Who knows how much water, soil and air pollution that would cause!
6 – Nuclear technology sets the stage for atomic weapons:
A country’s national security always feels at threat when extremist countries start harnessing nuclear power. Just think about Israel attacking Syria’s so-called nuclear site back in 2007, and how uneasy America was when Iran was developing its own nuclear program. Nuclear power sets the stage for the production of atomic bombs, so as long the number of reactors increases, the likelihood of terrorists getting their hands on nuclear weapons increases.
7 – There are better power options:
What bothers us most is we already have better, cleaner, safer and cheaper alternatives available and ready to implement. Perhaps with the recent election of our new US government, nuclear energy will be put to rest and renewable energy will be harnessed on a larger scale.
But while we wait, it is possible to start harnessing renewable energy at home. What’s more is, it does not cost very much and is rather simple to implement. Various solar and wind power guides have already become available, which you can see in our reviews section.
Current Energy Sources and the Need For Alternatives
We flick a switch and the lights, television and microwave come on. But did you ever stop to think about where the energy to power these appliances comes from? Since you probably have never given it a thought, you are unaware that today’s energy is being supplied by fossil fuels and coal, two sources of energy responsible for sending huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Scientists are becoming more and more alarmed with the impact these poisons are having on our environment and are beginning to make their growing concern known.
Since people are not aware of how much their everyday consumption of electricity can effect the environment, they don’t think about finding alternatives. But, it is more important than ever to find clean, renewable and sustainable forms of energy. Fact is, that the rate at which we are consuming our current energy resources, they could be depleted before very long. We must also be cognizant of the fact that our current energy sources are harming the environment on a daily basis and make that our most important reason for finding alternative energy sources.
Energy companies today are on the lookout for alternative forms and are experimenting with solar and wind power more and more. In parts of the country where there are lakes and rivers that can be contained, dams are great sources of hydro power. The same is true for wind power which becomes harnessable when there are consistently moderate winds gusting. There are many, many geographic areas that don’t fall into either of these categories and the ones that do may not be able to produce enough of these energies to meet their power needs.
Right now researchers all over the globe are trying to find alternative energy sources. The most common yet controversial form of energy that does not release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is nuclear power, but concerns over the dangers of contamination and melt downs have kept nuclear power from developing on a larger scale. Nuclear power may be a clean form of energy but is not without its share of downfalls, it produces harmful nuclear waste which takes millions of years to break down which can only be stored. This is problematic considering we only have so much land for storage and being contained in this way, the nuclear byproducts could eventually leach into the environment.
Until such time as a discovery is made that can help reduce our current energy problems, what we can all do to lend a helping hand, is to consistently cut back on our energy usage. Studies have shown that if we take the time to turn off the lights we are not using, it would reduce by up to 25%, the total amount of energy being consumed.
