The Lack of Will Makes Us Lazy
The Industrial Revolution was the beginning of a new era in human history. Thanks to this, many countries were able to experience economic growth at a rate never seen before. Unfortunately, it has brought an unforeseen consequence that today has been taken for granted. Because of lacking regulation laws during the aftermath of the Industrial Revolution, we now face the worst environmental crisis of all time. As a result, the planet is experiencing an increase in temperatures around the world. However, nothing is all lost, yet.
With renewable energy, among other things, it’s possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, therefore reversing the damage we have done to the planet. For instance, there are wind farms. The wind is a renewable energy that is often overlooked. With new technology, it’s possible to harness the wind and convert it into a power source. The United Kingdom has managed to do this with success. In the southeast coast of England, the government was able to build an off-shore wind farm with over 100 turbines, which harvests the power of the wind.
The Thanet wind farm, as they named it, is capable of producing enough energy to power over 200,000 households in a year. If countries around the world had the will, they could replace non-renewable energy sources with wind farms. This is an excellent idea that could reduce carbon emissions by billions of tons each year. In addition, another renewable source that could help reduce emissions is solar energy. The planet receives more solar energy from the Sun in an hour than it consumes in a year.
If every home owner had the will to install solar panels in the rooftops of their homes, not only would it lower their electric bill, but also, their emission levels would drop drastically. Similarly, China is planning to build something close, but in massive scale. The Chinese government struck a deal with First Solar Inc, an Arizona-based company, to build a solar field the size of Manhattan. If the deal goes through, the gigantic solar field will be able to power approximately 3 million Chinese homes. In the end, solar energy is another excellent renewable source with a lot more potential than we might think.
Moreover, another way that we can reduce greenhouse gases is by encouraging public transportation. As we know, driving our daily commute can become a struggle. Sometimes, we pollute the environment with carbon dioxide without even moving our cars, stuck in traffic jams, wasting energy in the process. On the other hand, people who use mass transit when commuting save by not spending money on increasingly expensive gas, but more importantly, reduce their carbon emissions. Another plus for using mass transit systems is that you basically have an excuse to meet new people seating next to you.
On the contrary, if you rather enjoy commuting alone while driving a car, a hybrid or an electric is a great alternative to regular combustion engine vehicles. Either way, there’s no excuse for anyone to reduce their carbon emissions while commuting to work or school. In the end, the technology to reduce worldwide greenhouse gases is on our fingertips. The only thing that’s stopping us from doing the right thing and reducing emissions is will in our part. It’s human nature to act after the disaster strikes. Let’s not wait after coastal cities start flooding and act now so we can secure a better future for our descendants.
