 Ways of harnessing the sun have been around since the Roman’s installed glass in their doors to try to harness the power of the sun by concentrating the light and heating their homes. Becquerel, a french scientist, was the first to observe photovoltaic-sunlight generating electricity process in 1890’s (Braley). Humans use energy, mainly as electricity, to power the technology that has made our lives easier. The use of  oil, coal, and natural gas which are known as fossil fuels are the main source for the energy on Earth. The expenditure of fossil fuels in such great quantities are creating harmful gases that are trapped in the atmosphere and wreaking havoc on the climate by causing global warming.  In order to slow the process of global warming, renewable energy sources need to be used to reduce or even replace the use of fossil fuels. Renewable energy sources, like solar and wind power, will cut the carbon emissions and can make the earth a healthier place to live. Solar and wind power are unlimited resources of energy that are not being taken advantage of. The energy that is harnessed from wind is an indirect form of solar energy because the sun heats up air and that moves from areas of high pressure to low pressure causing wind currents (Afzaal).  A significant amount of the world's energy problems could be solved if more renewable sources were used. New technology is constantly being invented to further the efficiency of these  renewable sources. Solar panels are able to store and capture more of the sun's energy, while wind turbines are becoming more cost effective and available to lower economic countries.

Fossil fuels presently provide 85% of the energy in the United States and worldwide. These fuels are finite and not replaceable. The calculated amount of what is remaining for a source is characterized by a Reserve-to-Production ratio. These ratios are always changing when new sources are found. Currently here is how estimates look in years remaining; oil-46, natural gas-58 and coal -118. These numbers are predictions of how many years we have left of these resources if we continue to use them at the rate we are. The facts are imminent, we are going to run out of resources. Renewable energy is infinite and environmentally friendly. It also gives more stability to the grid by having small power distributors to contribute to the grid in the event of a blackout. Another advantage is that most renewable energy sources don’t require water for cooling like fossil fueled power plants do. This change would significantly reduce the demand for water in energy production. The disadvantages are that they are expensive, not easy to store, and are dependent upon nature. To compare the costs by dollars per KW-hr they are as follows Coal $.09-$.15, Natural Gas $.07-$.14, Wind $.07-.20, Solar PV $.125 and Solar Thermal $.24 (Renewable Energy Sources).  Money is important in big business.  It is easy to see where even a couple of cents can make a difference in where and how people will invest.  Most people will go for the cheaper option of how to pay for electricity but with the health of the planet at stake people will have to sacrifice money for longevity(Renewable Energy Sources). 

Solar power is the direct use of the sun's heat and light. The sun is constantly giving the earth light and heat energy, it is the source of all life on Earth without it no organism could survive. Humans typically get energy from the sun by eating plants that use photosynthesis to convert the light energy into glucose. Humans have learned how to take this light energy and convert it to electrical energy instead. The first solar panels make were made out of silicon in 1941 because when it is exposed to sunlight it creates an electrical charge from the photon particles. The most common form of using the sun's energy as electrical power is street lighting. This is common in many cities around the world and along many highways that are leading into these cities. With newer technology being created, the newer solar panels are being created with conductive inks that can be printed onto materials without expensive equipment (Solar Energy Basics). This is being implemented into many forms of transportation. One example of this is putting solar panels on the roof of a train making it cheaper to run, in return making ticket prices lower. Most solar panels are equipped with a small battery that allows it to store some energy during the day and use the stored energy at night. Along with the creation of electrical energy from the sun humans have also used the heat to have hot water in their homes. The other way humans can use the sun’s energy is by using the heat of the sun.  The heat of the sun can be used to heat water for homes and businesses. The water is pumped into pipes that are surrounded with mirrors that concentrate the sun’s heat on the pipe heating the water that then can be used. That is a direct form of heating the water another way can be using solar panels to create electrical energy that will then heat water indirectly similar to an electric stove (Solar Energy Basics).

Even with the variety of way that solar panels are being used, more needs to be done in order to make a change to reduce the use fossil fuels. People claim that solar panels take up space that can be used for other things such as new building or forests. However people do not think about the space that cannot be used by anything else but solar panels. The roof of most buildings are not used for anything except protection from the elements. If solar panels were to be placed on the roofs of all buildings it would cut the need for a fossil fuel source providing energy for cities and towns since they would be becoming more self sufficient. Imagine how many buildings are in the world and then imagine putting solar panels on all of them, the solar energy production would be able to compete with the large fossil fuel power plants. A bunch of little energy contributions can add up to become the world's number one energy source. Electric cars are also becoming more popular but their is still a long way to go. In order to compete with gas powered cars they need to be able to go further using the conductive ink, the roof of the car could be coated in it and making it able to be charged while it is driving. These implementations will hopefully come in the future if we want to still live on Earth.

Wind turbines are an indirect way of using the sun’s energy to generate electricity. When the sun’s rays hit the atmosphere it heats up the air causing it to rise. When there is a difference in air pressure due to the difference in temperature the air will move from an area of high pressure to low pressure causing wind. Since early recorded history, people have harnessed the energy of the wind. Wind energy propelled boats along the Nile River as early as 5000 B.C. By 200 B.C., simple windmills in China were pumping water, while vertical-axis windmills with woven reed sails were grinding grain in Persia and the Middle East (History of Wind Energy). Today wind is still used to turn large turbines but instead of grinding wheat to make flour it is creating electricity. At first electrical wind turbines were made to charge smaller electronic devices or small homes but as technology has progressed they have been able to produce power on a citywide scale to reduce the need of other energy sources fossil fuels being the biggest provider. Small wind turbines are still practical for an individual residence use who wants to lower their energy bill. Small villages could also use small turbines because they do consume much energy. The cost of these are going down making them more affordable for private use and for developing countries. 

The blades play a big role in the cost and the overall effectiveness of the system (Prabakar). The weight of the material and the aerodynamics of the blade itself. Wood is a good material to use for developing countries because it can be cheap to create however wood will decay fast if left in the elements, so there have been coatings made that can protect the wood without compromising the cost of the blade. This will only work for small turbines because long pieces of wood without defects are very hard to come by but for a small village or town in third world countries do need much electricity. For more expensive and commercial use turbines they are made out of metals and carbon fibers. This gives the turbines the strength it needs to withstand the elements while carbon fiber is very light and easy to move by the wind. 

However an issue that comes with using the wind to create electricity is that there is not always a breeze. This makes the positioning of wind turbines very important to the overall output of electricity (Prabakar). Usually they are placed in very open areas such as the Great Plains in the United States. This allows no interference from buildings to stop the wind from turning the turbines. They are also typically built very tall because that is where the hot air rises and then sinks back down creating strong gusts of wind. The coast is also another popular place for wind turbines to be built. This is because the specific heat of water, which is the energy needed to raise the temperature of an object by one degree celsius is very high for water and low for sand or other coastal materials. Due to this the air above the land is warmer than the air above the water making the warmer air go out to sea because of the pressure difference. This is why there is usually a steady breeze when at the beach which is being taken advantage of to create electricity. 

In order for wind turbines to have a large effect on the use of fossil fuels big wind farms need to be created. Many places along the coasts do not have beaches, these places can be used to place large wind turbines to create energy for the surrounding areas. Also since these wind turbines have to be built so tall their area on the ground is not incredibly large. This would allow farmers to give up a small piece of their land in order to help produce energy for their home and even the local community. These ideas can be applied to regions around the world that need power but rely on fossil fuels to meet their demands.

At a time when the United States President Donald Trump is planning to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency and funding  significantly reduced for its programs, China plans to invest $360 Billion dollars in its renewable energy sources of solar and wind power by the year 2020. With this investment China plans to add thirteen million jobs. China has always been the largest emitter of greenhouse gases and most recently have been releasing about double what the United States does. Most of China’s largest cities are along the coast and many are threatened by rising sea level.  The sea level is rising due global warming and the melting of the polar ice caps. According to local Greenpeace representatives in China they have already installed one wind turbine of every hour of every day in 2015. Greenpeace is projecting they may even reach their renewable source energy goals by 2018. The investment that China is making in renewable energy sources should make the overall cost of doing business in the sector become less expensive.  However, China is not without the similar struggles that the United States has in the fight against the advocates for the coal industries (Forsythe). 

Although the world has relied on coal fueled power for hundreds of years, it is time for a change.  Yes, people will lose jobs and local towns will need to find other sources of income.  That is what countries should put their efforts into in addition to moving to renewable energy sources is retraining displaced workers. If we don’t make conscious efforts to reduce the greenhouse gases then there will be serious consequences of global warming.

 According to the United States Department of Energy National Renewable Laboratory, a Renewable Electricity Future Study was conducted.  According to the study, the United States could produce 80% of its energy with the technology that they have today. With the right changes to the current power grid the future of renewable energy at those levels could be implement by the year 2050.  Wind and solar power can provide about half of the renewable energy power today with the remaining being 30% being made up with other renewable sources. In order to achieve a pathway for renewable energy in the United States a Clean Energy Policy is needed.  The United States will also need to spend money updating its infrastructure for the power grid to accept more renewable sources and less fossil fuels. The survey goes as far to predict that emission would be reduced by 80% in the environment and the use of water reduced by 50% (Caldas).

The climate changes that scientists predicted are already being seen.  The loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise and longer heatwaves are just to name a few.  The amount and to what degree these consequences continue to degrade our atmosphere depend on how much greenhouse gases continue to be produced by humans. Scientists are predicting that the temperature will rise 2.5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century if there are no steps taken to change the way fossil fuels are being expended. There are very few advantages and plenty of disadvantages to not changing anything. For example, an advantage is the growing season will be longer.  There will be frost-free seasons. Disadvantages include increased precipitation, except in the Southwest, which will be overcome by heatwaves and drought. Hurricanes and severe weather will worsen due to the rise in temperature. Sea level will rise 1-4 feet by 2100 causing coastal flooding and devastation of some species of sea life and the Arctic will likely become ice-free.  All of these changes then create a domino effect and lead to things such as insect infestation, infrastructure issues, air and water quality degradation, erosion, drought, wildfire, tree disease, agriculture issues to name a few (NASA).

If humans do not change how we are creating of energy there are some scary consequences to come but by using more solar and wind energy producing systems we can slow the negative effects we have created by using fossil fuels. This will not happen overnight but if we want our grandkids to be able to enjoy nature we need to start the change now. 
