Most people think of themselves as pro-green regarding caring for the planet. It makes you wonder why can’t we use renewable energy alone? The answer is simple. People don’t want change, and changing is costly. People don’t want to risk losing the stability of using oil and non-renewable electricity. Therefore, the government needs to offer incentives for people to use alternative sources of energy and conserve the environment. Due to the increasing prices of fossil fuels, a change to alternative energy is unavoidable. The problem of adoption lies in the culture and not cost. The US is the wealthiest country on earth but only uses solar energy as 8% of the energy use.
Renewable energy is by definition sustainable since it will never run out. The various types of renewable energy include solar energy, wind turbines, hydroelectric generators, and hydrogen fuel.
Another advantage of renewable energy is that it needs less maintenance. After setting up the equipment, the rest of the work is left to nature and not man. This also means that costs will be low. Cost savings are also realized because the resource is free and infinite.
Moreover, renewable energy is environmentally friendly as it doesn’t release harmful greenhouse gases that destroy the ozone layer to cause global warming.
Sources of renewable energy like solar are expensive initially but return on investment is high in the long-term. Another fact about solar energy is that the production of solar panels does not emit greenhouse gases, making it the best renewable energy source.
Currently, renewable energy accounts for 14% of the world’s energy consumption. This is due to its inefficiency compared to fossil fuels. Hence, there’s a need for more efficient renewable energy production to create more energy.
Also, because of its inefficiency, people need to use less energy, and people don’t want the inconvenience of changing their lifestyles even if the environment is on the line.
Although renewable energy is sustainable, it’s not reliable. This is because it’s impossible to control the time and the amounts produced. For instance, solar panels need the sun, wind turbines need the wind, and hydroelectric engines need rain to furnish water bodies. These energy sources are inconsistent and unpredictable.
Additionally, money is the biggest motivator for people when adopting something new. But renewable energy is quite costly because the technology is new.
Hydroelectric plants need big chunks of land for water storage, and the land should be productive for agriculture. Also, hydroelectric plants are not environmentally friendly.
The answer to “Why don’t we use more renewable energy?” lies in cost and resistance to change. That’s why the government and companies need to offer financial incentives and influence a pro-green energy culture. For instance, the government can offer tax breaks to people and institutions that use renewable energy. But when it comes to culture, the change has to be gradual.