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.
With more money being invested in research and development, these technologies are being refined and geared towards replacing our reliance on fossil fuels. The development of wind farms has proven to be the most cost effective way to produce green and renewable energy so far. Their ease of manufacturing and installation and low maintenance make it a popular alternative that is being developed. Right now, only three percent of global power needs are supplied by wind farms, but that number is expected to skyrocket in the next couple of years.
Wind farms produce almost no emissions, they are easy to maintain, and they generate tons of power without burning fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas. They can be easily tied into existing electrical grids, and as long as there is wind, there will be power. The best part of wind power is that is very cheap to install and set up.
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.
Coal and natural gas are both huge sources of energy, but they are in limited supply. An alternative to natural gas is methane, which is found in landfills as well as in pockets under the oceans all over the world. Clean burning and efficient, methane is showing great promise, but the technology is not available yet to harvest this resource.
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. researching the latest environmental developments is her main pastime . You can visit her site at environment
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