As of today, climate change continues to be a worldwide problem that will lead to a series of catastrophes on our planet. Our industrialization and reliance on fossil fuels such as natural gas, oil, and coal is making it worse as fossil fuels release lots of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when we consume it to make electricity, fuel for vehicles, and oil to make various types of products. One of the main sources of CO2 emissions are power plants. They’re used to generate power by heating radioactive metals like uranium or plutonium in water causing it to boil and make stream to turn a turbine. Not only do power plants make radioactive waste, but the coal used for heating the radioactive metals release CO2 just as cars do when they burn gas. Many have thought of alternative renewable energy options like wind power, hydroelectric power or biofuel. These are good, but there’s one that’s even better. The power that comes from the Sun, also known as solar power.
According to NASA, the Sun produces 44 quadrillion watts of power and 342 watts reach the surface of Earth. That’s more than enough to power all the tech on the planet! Wind power doesn’t work when there’s no wind and hydroelectric power is only limited geographically to rivers and streams. But solar power can be used anywhere. Solar power produces no emissions and it collects the sun rays with solar panels to generate electricity for our consumption. Not only is it efficient but you save a lot of money too. As stated by an article called How Much Do Solar Panels Save The Average Homeowner, “given solar panels usually last for 25 to 30 years before losing efficiency, you would still have 17 to 22 years of savings on energy costs. With an estimate of $1,500 each year in savings, you could easily save $25,500 to $33,000 on electricity during the life of your system.” This shows the efficiency of solar power as solar panels last long and in that time can save you thousands on your electric bills.
What exactly are solar panels? They’re special devices that look like screens that when installed on a flat surface can collect sunlight using solar cells which convert it into electricity. The Sun’s rays contain particles called photons which the cells use it to extract power. That power can be used to power homes, commercial buildings and industrial facilities. Solar panels can even power the charging ports for electric cars resulting in even less CO2 emissions.
Right now, we’re still using power plants to produce the electricity we need, but at the cost of releasing greenhouse gases into the air. This is making global warming worse when the presence of greenhouse gases like CO2 in the air traps solar radiation thus heating up the planet. It may not sound like a big deal, but you better believe it is. It’s altering ecosystems and our weather. Forests are becoming desserts. The melting of our poles are another example of consequences. And more powerful storms are forming in the summer. Right now, we still have time to turn things around before the effects of climate change become irreversible. Switching to solar power can put us on the right path to stop climate change.
Although most people like the benefits of saving money and conserving the planet from solar energy, there are some who don’t appreciate it. Mostly because they think it’s expensive to install, they look ugly on their roofs or don’t trust the new technology as stated by an article from The Green Age. It’s only natural that people have different opinions about going solar, but even so they need to see that solar power can save the Earth from the irreversible effects of climate change. They need to think not of themselves, but the future generations that will come after them. If our generation fails to turn climate change around now, we fail the people of the next generation. They will be disappointed at us for not doing something sooner, and going solar is that opportunity to create a bright sustainable future. Our Sun is producing an insane amount of energy, and not taking advantage of it seems like a waste. So that’s why everyone should consider switching to solar power.
Nuclear fusion is another form of solar power. It is the process of fusing atoms to create a small Sun to produce an endless supply of power with no emissions. Unfortunately, it’s still in development. So, for now, we should stick to solar panels to power our way of living.
Work Cited:
https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/135642main_balance_trifold21.pdf
https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/solar/how-much-solar-panels-save/
https://www.thegreenage.co.uk/hate-solar-panels/
Image:
https://www.prysmiangroup.com/en/insight/innovation/solar-energy-how-does-it-work-is-it-renewable
