This essay will hopefully teach you about the effects of energy consumption on the environment. Also this isn’t as much of a quirky invention as previous articles but it is something that could be implemented in the future. As we should know by now, energy production plays a big factor in why the earth is warming up. Every aspect of fossil fuel production plays a negative effect on the environment. Fossil fuels have to be mined out of the earth. In order to get the fuel we have to provide fuel to the machines that are mining the fuel. Whether its coal or oil, we have to power these machines or tools. The usage of these energy sources, produce carbon dioxide that float up to the atmosphere and creates a blanket that covers the earth and makes it nearly impossible for heat to escape the earth. So the more carbon we produce, the more heat that stays wrapped up in the earth. Some of the negative repercussions that occur from global warming is that icecaps will melt and that would lead to water levels rising.
What are some ways that we can combat this problem? We are now, more than ever, seeing the usage of solar panels. Solar energy is a clean source of energy production. It gains energy from the powerful rays of the sun. The sun produces light that can be sensed as heat. Heat is a form of energy and this energy can be harnessed by the solar panels and stored into some form of a battery or directly used to power a building of sort. Solar panels can be dependent to each house hold that it powers. What this means is that I would charge the house without needing to have the power run through giant power plants that in itself, produce large amounts of carbon. This isn’t only a climate change benefit but also a financial benefit. Not needing giant power plants to provide all the energy to a resident’s house would decrease the pricing that needed to keep a house powered. Now one of the only problems is sun accessibility. What if the panels are placed in areas were the sun’s heat energy cannot effect or charge the panels. If a house isn’t that tall and there is constant rain or snow or any other event, that would interrupt the connection of the sun and the solar panels. This is where the quirky global warming solution comes in.
https://www.edie.net/news/6/-Walkie-Talkie–skyscraper-achieves-top-sustainability-rating/
What if it became structural code that every building above a specific height has to have some implementation of solar panels nearing the peak of the structure? I feel that this would be perfect in today’s city structures. Many buildings are being built upward. Some are even being built up and past the clouds. With buildings so tall, bad weather would play less of a factor. Also most of today’s skyscrapers are designed with primarily glass all around the buildings. Since the buildings are primarily built this way, then one of two things could be done to install the panels. The panels could be installed on the outside of the building which would blend in with some glass panels or they can be installed on the inside of the building, behind the window which not change the outwardly look of the building. A thing to keep in mind is that the panels wouldn’t cover the entire window, meaning people on the inside can still see the outside. This implementation would become the new wave of energy production in cities which would cut back on some of the production of other energy sources.
