Can Renewable Energy REALLY Replace Fossil Fuels?

“Today, we can see with our own eyes what global warming is doing. In that context it becomes truly irresponsible, if not immoral, for us not to do something.”

–Joe Lieberman

Global warming is the increase in Earth’s average surface temperature due to rising levels of greenhouse gases. If left unchecked, it can have devastating consequences:  sea levels rising, extreme weather conditions, loss of biodiversity and end of life on planet earth as we know it.

Emissions from fossil fuels are the dominant cause of it. When we burn fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum, they release massive amounts of CO2, which is a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. CO2 traps heat in the atmosphere which results in global warming.

·       The burning of coal is the single largest source of global temperature rise, it is responsible for 0.3°C of the 1°C temperature rise since 1880.

·       Oil releases a third of the world’s carbon emissions.

One of the ways to mitigate the issue of global warming would be to simply stop using fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy.

So it begs the question:

Can renewable energy really replace fossil fuels?

There are many challenges, of course. Some of them are:

·       High costs: The cost of installing a large scale solar power system is around $2,000 per kilowatt, whereas, for a new gas-fire plant, it is $1,000 per kilowatt. 

·       Lack of infrastructure: The existing infrastructure cannot handle large amounts of renewable energy.

·       Lack of resources: While renewable energy can be constantly renewed and is never-ending, it is not evenly distributed all over the world or at all times of the day. Solar energy is only produced during day time and weather conditions may affect the generation of solar energy. Wind energy is not reliable and is also dependent on weather conditions which can change rapidly. Some parts of the world also experience more wind than others.

·       Lack of power storage: since we cannot get most renewable energy at demand, we need a place to store the excess energy generated. The costs for power storage are high which also hampers the production of renewable energy.

But, even with all these challenges, we have to switch to renewable energy. It may be a difficult process but it is necessary, because how long will we use fossil fuels for? till our planet is uninhabitable? till the sun scorches our skin? till noxious fumes fill our lungs? till we have poisoned the air we breathe, the water we drink, the ground we stand on?

We can overcome these challenges. We must. We have no other planet and it is our responsibility to ensure a better future for ourselves and those who will come after us. We may not be in a position to revolutionize the world with a flick of the wrist but we don’t need to be in that position to meaningfully contribute. There are ways in which all of us can help. Even if the contribution is small, it matters. Some of the ways to help are:

·       Raise awareness: Have conversations about these issues, educate yourself and others around you.

·       Conserve energy: Don’t waste energy, turn off light bulbs, turn off the fans, etc.

·       Use renewable energy wherever you can: Rooftop solar panels, solar water heaters, etc.

·       Support organisations that support this cause: Donate to these organisations, join these organisations, etc. Do whatever you can afford to do, just do something.

The heart of the matter is that there is no other choice. You may say that switching to renewable energy isn’t feasible. But what else can we do? We can’t continue using fossil fuels, we can’t bring about our own destruction. But what we can do is try to make a change, try to undo the damage we have done, and hope for a better future.

Took the earth a million years,

just for bones to turn in what we call

the "black gold".

And all we took is a second to rip it out—

called it fuel, called it development.

But now the destruction's done, no going back.

Now the air sits heavy taking its control

and we fools think we "are the one" in control.

~Ananya Pande

Regards,

Pritha Paul,

Editorial and Research,

Maza Maharashtra Mission