Renewable Energy enviromental and economic benefits

Human activities necessitate the use of some kind of electricity. The force that facilitates the execution of a task by the movement or alteration of substances derives from a variety of sources. A supply of energy produces a certain amount of power in a given unit of volume, which is also known as the energy value (Azar, Lindgren, and Andersson 962). The biggest obstacle in using the quantities of energy in a given supply is the time-consuming extraction process. The amount of work done is equal to the amount of energy expended. As the countries develop both economically and industrially, more energy will be required to meet these demands (Azar, Lindgren, and Andersson 969). Finally, the bias that exists in the location of resources is overcome by the transfer aspect of physical work. Huge amounts of energy are consumed in the efforts of overcoming space to transport resources from one location to where they are needed.

The global energy consumption is on the rise, particularly from the developed nations. This phenomenon can be explained by the higher rates of industrialization in addition to the global growth of the population in almost all countries of the world (Edenhofer et al. 23). The Energy Information Administration (EIA), a United States organisation, has given an indication that there is a stable consumption of energy among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries when compared to other countries excluded from the block. Between the year 2010 and 2040, the EIA estimates that a growth of 0.5% per year in the use of energy will be realized for countries within the OECD (IEA 1).

The current civilization is largely based on the use of fossil fuels as the source of energy. However, due to the unprecedented growth in population, changes in climate and depletion of the resources, the most utilized source of energy, oil has began to exhaust. Scientists in the globe are in agreement with this fact and this explains the attempts to look into alternative sources of energy to avoid the collapse of economies and industrial gains that have been made (Edenhofer et al. 25). With the increasing demand for energy, it is paramount that leaders of the countries of the world start thinking of renewable and clean sources.

The benefits of using renewable sources of energy impact both the governments and the entire humanity. Beside the fact that renewable sources do not contaminate the environment, they cannot be exhausted (Nelson and Starcher 12). Renewable sources afford humanity a health environment which is critical in the well-being and health of the occupants of earth (Parker, Cindy and Shapiro 48). A 2009 study by the Union of Concerned Scientists revealed that a utilization of 25% of renewable energy would reduce the volume of carbon dioxide emitted from the power plants to the atmosphere by a whopping 277 metric tons per year (UCS, 1). Carbon dioxide is one of the gases that are responsible for the global warming and its reduction in the atmosphere will help save the world from calamities. Such disasters like floods, famine, drought, and tsunamis have a direct link to global warming and climate change. Renewable sources of energy will always be available for use by different generations and it is our responsibility to lay the foundation for its use to ensure we leave a better world to the future generations.

The International Panel on Climate Change contends that developing, operating, maintaining, decommissioning, and dismantling of clean energy sources have insignificant life-cycle discharges that enhance global warming (UCS, 1). Pollution is one major cause of mortalities and morbidities in the world. Indeed, the latest reports indicate that the deaths resulting from pollution related complications like breathing problems, cancer, myocardial infarctions and damage to the neurological system have surpassed any other causes of deaths (Steger et al. 97). The use of clean energy is the first and most important step that should be adopted to ensure that pollution is combated. Besides, the use of renewable sources of energy is crucial in reducing the health care costs arising from health complications (Parker, Cindy and Shapiro 39). A healthy workforce further helps in reducing the lost work days and thus improving the economy.

The alternative sources of power includes residues from plants, heat from the earth, fast-moving water, sun and strong winds that can be used to replenish the supply of power for the various domestic and commercial use. According to Edenhofer et al. (23), these sources of power have the potential to provide all energy requirements of the globe. However, it must be noted that the use of recyclable energy is more labour intensive as opposed to the non-renewable sources that are more intensive on the mechanical and financial resources (Nelson and Starcher 45). The labour intensive sources infers to more jobs being created to cure the pandemic joblessness that face our globe. With jobs, many of the social, political and economic ills that are caused by unemployment will be solved. Some social challenges facing countries that relate to the difficulties of obtaining a job include suicides, alcohol, and substance abuse and street crimes (Steger et al. 102).

The empowerment of the people of nations removes the control from a few countries and multinational corporations that yield so much influence as a result of controlling the energy sector. These are the countries and organizations with the financial abilities and technological capacity to exploit fossil fuels (Smith and Taylor 15). The use of renewable energy therefore, given that it occurs naturally and in all parts of the world, will bring stability to many parts of the world. For instance, some countries in Africa and the Middle East that are endowed with oil have perennial conflicts resulting from this resource. Countries like Nigeria, Iraq, and Libya will benefit in affording stability and decent lives to their citizens. It is evident that powerful countries like the U.S. have huge energy interests when taking action against some countries in the Middle East. The interference in the region is meant to safeguard her interest at the expense of democracy and internal rule. Long lasting peace can be achieved if countries were to be self-governed and resources distributed equitably among the citizens (Smith and Taylor 22).

While these benefits are easy to identify, it is critical to recognize the argument of the opponents of the use of renewable energy. Some have argued that it takes a lot more time and costs to generate sufficient amounts of energy compared to those produced by the traditional methods. To meet the demand for energy, the construction of more facilities may be required or the demand for energy required be reduced (Nelson and Starcher 32). As a result, some have argued that the best solution to challenges of energy is to balance the different sources of power. While this may be a valid point, it is crucial that the costs relating to renewable energy are put into context. Setting up more facilities would mean more job opportunities and improved livelihoods. While the initial costs may be high, the redundancy of operational costs and raw materials make renewable energy economical in the long run. For instance, solar panels may be slightly expensive because of the materials used to manufacture them. However, it is not expected that the prices will remain high, especially given the shortages experienced from other sources of energy (Hans 29). Indeed, it is upon responsible governments that seek to minimize carbon emissions to subsidize installation costs to encourage more citizens to adopt the use of renewable energy.

Renewable sources of energy have the potential to become the next frontier in keeping our planet health for the current and future generations. It cannot be wished away that our current sources of energy are not only becoming scarce but are also significantly contributing to the global health and economical challenges (Hans 16). As it has been mentioned above, there is a direct relationship between global warming and climate change to the emissions from power plants that use fossil fuels. Besides, the diseases and complications that result from pollution have long term effects on the economy. Climate change and global warming are factors that have contributed to such disasters like tsunamis, flooding, famine, and droughts. All of these are risk factors for a poor quality of lives and death. On the other, hand, renewable sources of energy have the potential to ensure a clean and health environment, creation of many jobs and reduction of natural disasters. Besides, the reducing deposits of fossil fuels should make leaders to start investing in renewable energy sources to continue the industrial and economic developments that have been achieved. On the whole, we cannot run away from the benefits of renewable energy on the single premise that it is expensive. The use of renewable energy will cure the world from many of its challenges and the early the shifts are done the better.

Works Cited

Azar, Christian, Kristian Lindgren, and Björn A. Andersson. “Global Energy Scenarios Meeting Stringent CO 2 Constraints – Cost-Effective Fuel Choices in the Transportation Sector.” Energy Policy, vol.31, no.10, 2003, pp.961-976.

Edenhofer, Ottmar, Ramon Pichs‐Madruga, Youba Sokona, Kristin Seyboth. Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation: Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, 2011.

Hans, Richard. Alternative Energy. Chicago. HillCrest Publishers Ltd., 2012.

IEA, “Energy Technology Initiatives 2013.” Paris: International Energy Agency, 2013, https://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/EnergyTechnologyInitiatives2013.pdf. Accessed 23 Oct. 2017.

Nelson, Vaughn C., and Kenneth L. Starcher. Introduction to Renewable Energy. CRC press, 2015.

Omi, Koji. “Alternative Energy for Transportation.” Issues in Science and Technology, vol.25, no..4, 2009, pp.31-34.

Parker, Cindy L., and Steven M. Shapiro. Climate Chaos: Your Health at Risk: What You Can Do to Protect Yourself and Your Family. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008.

Smith, Zachary Alden, and Katrina D. Taylor. Renewable and alternative energy resources: a reference handbook. ABC-CLIO, 2008.

Steger, Ulrich, et al. Sustainable development and innovation in the energy sector. Springer Science & Business Media, 2005.

UCS, “Benefits Of Renewable Energy Use”. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2016, http://www.ucsusa.org/clean-energy/renewable-energy/public-benefits-of-renewable-power#.We9ryVtSyUk Accessed 23 Oct. 2017.