Climate Change: The Role of Renewable Energy in Combating it
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing humanity today. The effects of climate change are being felt around the world, with an ever increasing number of weather-related natural disasters, sea level rises, and new threats to the world’s biodiversity and species populations. If we are to have any hope of curtailing our current climate crisis, it will require a multi-pronged approach, and one key part of this is the use of renewable energy sources rather than the continued reliance on non-renewable, fossil fuel-based energy sources. In this article, we discuss the importance of renewables in the fight against climate change, and the potential they hold.
What is Renewable Energy?
Renewable energy is energy derived from resources in the natural environment, such as solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower. This can also include energy derived from biomass and waste, for example. Renewable energy sources provide a much cleaner and more sustainable way of producing energy than traditional, non-renewable methods such as combusting coal and oil, which are damaging to the environment and emit vast amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere - a major contributing factor to climate change. Replacing these sources of energy with renewable alternatives is an important part of the fight against climate change.
Benefits of Renewables
The main advantage of using renewable energy sources is that they do not emit greenhouse gases, unlike the fossil fuels on which our current energy systems are currently dependent. This means that they are much better for the environment, and much better for tackling climate change than their fossil fuel counterparts. Additionally, renewable energy sources are much more cost-efficient than traditional energy sources, meaning that they can help to reduce the cost of energy to consumers.
Renewables are also reliable sources of energy - unlike fossil fuels, which are finite resources, renewable energy sources are constantly replenished, so they are not subject to the same kind of unpredictability and volatility. Additionally, many renewable energy sources are widely dispersed across the world, meaning that they can provide energy to otherwise remote or less wealthy regions. Finally, renewable energy sources can often be tailored to individual contexts, as different sources are appropriate for different local climates and areas.
Barriers to Renewables
Of course, transitioning away from the non-renewable energy sources on which we currently rely is no easy task. One significant barrier is availability of capital to invest in renewable energy sources - often, their upfront costs are higher than their non-renewable counterparts, yet they are more cost-efficient in the long run. Additionally, many countries do not have the existing infrastructure - such as strong electrical grids - which is necessary to ensure the efficient delivery of renewable energy sources. Other barriers include a lack of public awareness and governmental support, as well as the challenge of ensuring that renewable energy sources are affordable and reliable.
Positive Developments
Despite these challenges, there are some encouraging signs that the world is making progress towards a more sustainable energy system. Renewable sources of energy are becoming increasingly cost-efficient and widely available - in some cases, they are now even cheaper and more reliable than fossil fuels. Additionally, governments and businesses across the world are taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and encourage the use of renewables.
For example, many countries have recently committed to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions or switch to renewable energy sources by 2030 or 2050. In the United States, the Biden-Harris administration has promised to double the US’s use of renewables by 2030, while in the European Union, countries have committed to increase the proportion of their total energy provision from renewable sources to 32%.
The Path Forward
The challenges of transitioning to a renewable energy system are real, but the potential rewards are immense. Switching to renewable energy sources will help reduce our contribution to global warming, while providing clean and renewable sources of energy for future generations. With the right policies and investment, it’s possible to make a real difference in the fight against climate change.
The key to this is that we must continue to invest in renewable energy sources and push for greater governmental and public investment in transitioning away from fossil fuels. We must also promote the efficient uptake of renewable energy sources across the world, so that everyone has access to clean and reliable energy sources, regardless of their wealth or location. Only then will we be able to adequately tackle the climate crisis and create a more sustainable future.