It is without a doubt that renewable energy or ‘clean energy’ is the way forward. The way the world is running at the moment is primarily on fossil fuels. As well as the negative effect this has on our environment, the problem with fossil fuels is that they are bound to run out. The way we live will change forever once we run out of our fossil fuels like oil, coal and petrol. This is the problem and renewable energy is the answer.

The Greenhouse Effect

When we burn fossil fuels, they release a lot of carbon dioxide into the air. When carbon dioxide is released, it essentially stays in our atmosphere, collecting heat and sunlight, resulting in the warming up of our planet. This is the greenhouse effect, As a result, the worldwide temperature rises year after year, bit by bit. That’s why it is called global warming.

The greenhouse effect not only results in the temperature rising, but it also leads to heatwaves, droughts, floods and more powerful natural disasters. The ice caps at the top and bottom of our globe are also affected by global warming. While the planet warms up, the ice caps are cooling and beginning to melt, which is not good for the people living in the north or south of the globe. One day, the ice caps melting could harm the whole globe. With renewable energy solutions, we can see global warming slow down and allow for the temperature to maintain, rather than increase.

Reducing Carbon Emissions

Decarbonisation is the way forward. Decarbonisation means reducing our carbon emissions by burning fewer fossil fuels. The way we burn fewer fossil fuels is by relying on our renewable energy sources. The decarbonisation of our planet can be carried out in many ways, whether it’s changing the way we travel in cars or changing how we light and heat our homes. There are several renewable energy sources that we can use as a substitute for our fossil fuels, such as solar energy, wind energy, hydro energy and tidal energy.

Sustainability

All of these renewable energy sources are sustainable. We can harness these power sources from the world around us. There has been a steady increase in wind turbines, electric cars and solar panels worldwide, but more has to be done towards harnessing clean, renewable energy sources.

Once we harness these sources, they constantly give us a steady and bountiful supply. The sun, the sea, the wind and the rain are all things that never run out and will always be there. These sustainable resources are present and are not going anywhere. Fossil fuels will run out eventually and it’s destroying our environment in the process. We need to depend on renewable sources of power, rather than fossil fuels that are depleting rapidly.

Our Ecosystem

Not to forget the negative impact that our fossil fuel consumption has on our environment and wildlife. As mentioned before, when we burn fossil fuels, they release a lot of carbon dioxide into the air. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. Greenhouses gases trap the heat in our atmosphere and as a result, warm our planet to temperatures never seen before. The average global temperature increases the more we use greenhouse gasses. Not only does this affect us as humans, but this has devastating effects on the wildlife around us.

Families and species of animals are becoming more and more extinct the more we emit these greenhouse gasses. Deforestation also contributes to this as deforestation results in the removal of trees. The removal of trees means that there are fewer trees to consume the carbon emissions that we are emitting. It is the wildlife and environment that protects us. As a result, we need to cut down on our fossil fuel usage and turn to clean energy sources.

Global warming can be delayed and virtually halted altogether, depending on our dependency on renewable energy, rather than fossil fuels. We face a big problem on our planet and the solution to this problem is renewable energy.

Gore Street Capital Limited is an entity authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, to act as the Alternative Investment Fund Manager (“AIFM”) to the Gore Street Energy Storage Fund PLC.