The invention of the steam engine in 1759 contributed much to the Industrial Revolution, which marks a new page in human history. With mass applications of fuels like coal, petroleum and nuclear power, human beings are granted not only a comfortable life but also considerable wealth. Unfortunately, it is undeniable that these convenient energies bring pollutions along with blessings.

Environmental degradation is affecting lives

According to a studies, temperature and the concentration of CO2 has been rising at an unprecedented speed in the past 100 years and now people are starting to pay for the overuse of resources: rising temperature melts glaciers and levels up the sea, which are threatening the lives of coastal inhabitants: coral reefs, mangroves and mountain ecologies are maliciously affected; floods, draughts, rainstorms, typhoons and heat waves in extreme scale and frequency are also striking people around the world.

In face of this environmental crisis, we need to ask if there are any solutions to these dilemmas. Perhaps, green energies can lead to a way out of all these environmental troubles.

What is green energy?

Green energy means energies that can be incorporated into natural cycles and cause no pollution. Generally speaking, power generated from sunlight, wind, water, tides and biomass can be called green or renewable energies. Solar power, which grows the fastest among all renewable energies, is generated from the sunlight absorbed by solar panels.

Many companies are very interested in this kind of energy and some countries even provide subsidies to encourage corporate and individual installations of solar power generating systems. Holland just developed the world’s first solar bike path – a very creative application of solar power. All of this supports the growth of renewable energies. According to estimation, the market for solar energy is expected to expand and possibly become the primary energy source by 2050. The wind power market will also witness the fastest growth in industrial application in the next 6 years.

Energy from plants

In addition to natural elements, scientists are also working on extracting fuels from plants. With advanced technologies like hydrolyzation and fermentation, proteins in corn and sugarcane can be transformed into bio-alcohol. Oil in soybeans or vegetable seeds can also be turned into biodiesel. Nevertheless, this kind of energy is controversial because most of the abovementioned plants are major crops in many countries. As a result, scientists are now trying to use parts like corn stalks and corn cobs. Agricultural wastes, wood, compost, animal excrements or other energy plants like algae and silver grass also make a good source of biodiesel.

To conclude, green energies are valuable because they are renewable and can last forever. Moreover, they do not cause serious pollutions like nuclear energy or fossil fuels do. The concept of the responsible use of sustainable resources deserves more attention from all of us.