Why is Renewable Energy Important to Our Future?

We now know with certainty that human activity has made our earth get hotter by 1.5 degrees since the industrial revolution. A combination of burning fossil fuels with mass deforestation, over fishing and ocean acidification, we have managed to trigger global warming.

Choosing to ignore the warnings means a continuation of rising temperatures and the science now clearly states that should we allow that increase to go beyond 2 degrees, we will see mass polar ice sheets melting, which we cannot undo.

In this instance, we can expect over 70% of the Earths coastlines to disappear under an additional 0.2m of sea water, meaning beaches will erode and coasts will flood. Our land mass will become smaller. Meanw…
How Does Global Warming Happen?

One of main perpetrators of global warming is excessive levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere. In fact, we know that globally, 30 billion tons of CO2 is pumped into the air, which accounts for 84% of all greenhouse gases.

Many climate change deniers will argue that carbon is actually an essential part of the Earths eco system, needed to retain its heat. It is also a fundamental part of photosynthesis and growth of healthy plants. And that’s true. But for a sustainable balance, the amount of carbon in our atmosphere should not exceed 12 billion tons.

The fact that we have removed at least a third of all forests, thus removing the natural capacity to absorb carbon, has accelerated the problem.

CO2 levels are measured by the particles per million (ppm) in the air. Over the past 800,000 years, the highest level prior to now was 300ppm. As of October 2020, the CO2 levels were at 415ppm.

These carbon particles have become trapped between earth’s surface and ozone layer and begun to warm the planet. This warming has already kick started a chain of events, beginning with the melting of glaciers and the expansion of the ocean, which means rising sea levels. This affects our weather cycles and systems, meaning more extreme weather events from floods and heatwaves to hurricanes.Why is Renewable Energy Important?

We have already done irreversible damage but we can still maintain and mitigate any further impact. To do that we must stop any further temperature increases and reduce our emissions and stop deforestation.

One key way that individuals can help is to look at the way we’re obtaining and using energy.

UK homes generate approximately 6 tons of CO2 per year, most of which comes from the way we heat our houses. Much of that heat is lost through poor insulation thanks to many of our properties being older, using traditional building methods and single glaze windows.

To be energy efficient means to use proper insulation, install double glazing and use smart heating devices to help you manage and reduce your energy consumption and ultimately your carbon footprint.

Making sure your energy supplier is sourcing renewable energy is a great start towards being more environmentally friendly.