Our thirst for oil and other fossil fuels has brought us to the point where we are doing irreversible harm to our planet. We are also quickly realizing that we are running out of these non renewable resources. As the global economy continues to grow, a world fueled by green power is not far off.
As various green technologies continue to be developed, a few of them are already showing promise as serious contenders.
Green power has been around for a very long time, in fact windmills alone go far back in history. Only until recently have these innovative sources of power been taken seriously. Now, as more money is being invested into research, green power sources are being developed that will eventually contribute to how we fuel our need for energy.
One of the most cost effective ways of producing electricity is through the creation of wind farms. Windmills have been sources of power for hundreds of years, but only recently have they been seen as a reliable and stable source of power. Only three percent of the world’s power is supplied by wind turbines, but that number is growing exponentially as people discover how green this power source really is.
Wind technology is easy to manufacturer and install, and once in operation, they are also very easy to maintain. They provide the most effective way of producing energy next to burning coal. As long as the wind is blowing, the turbines will be spinning. They generate nearly as much power as coal, without any of the harmful carbon emissions being released into the atmosphere. Wind technology is the single best candidate to provide a large percentage of our power needs in the future.
On the subject of turbines, another trend emerging is building sea turbines that capture the energy of water currents to generate power. This technology is being used in small scale situations all over the globe, and they are also generating power with no emissions. They are a little more complex than wind turbines, and they require more maintenance due to the corrosive nature of salt water.
Solar power is making a resurgence as a great renewable source of energy, however solar panels are still not cheap enough to be cost effective for general use. But, the great advantage of solar panels is how they only need sun to generate electricity, also with no emissions. There are huge solar farms found in the western United States, among other unpopulated areas in the world, and they are making a significant contribution. As solar technology develops, perhaps this source of power will be more widely used.
Since coal and natural gas are non renewable sources of energy, we cannot count on their availability for the long term power needs we share. Natural gas is a great and clean burning source of energy, but also very dangerous. Methane gas from decomposing matter in landfills burn the same as natural gas, and they are being developed and expanded to help fuel our power supply. Huge underwater pockets of methane have also been discovered all over the planet, and will be in use within the next twenty years or so.
Green power has exploded into the world stage in the recent past, and it will continue to become more and more integrated into our power hungry lives. More research will reveal how these technologies can be adapted to satisfy our ever increasing hunger for power.
Cheryl Kearns is an internet marketer and author. She writes about the environment and green issues . You can visit her site at environment