Hello again and thank you for coming back for part four of how to Start Off the New Year Greener.  Last week in Start Off the New Year Greener part 3 we talked about solar energy.    Today we will be giving some info about sustainability and renewable resources.

Today we want to share some basic information on Sustainability.

1. Sustainability and Why It Matters for the Future

2. Importance & Advantages of Renewable Energy

3. Top 7 Types of Renewable Energy

1. Sustainability and Why It Matters for the Future

Let us first define what sustainability means. It means conserving natural resources and using them in the most responsible way so that people today and future generations can continue to live productive lives.

So often, when someone sees the word “sustainability” they think it limits them in some way when in fact living a sustainable life personally and in business increases resources creating a more abundant world of possibilities.

When it comes to acting in a sustainable manner every little thing helps. What you do personally combines with what others are doing and every little thing adds up to create endless possibilities for everyone. Living in a sustainable way is good for business, the government, and the people because it saves money and helps cause less strife in the world. With more sustainable resources there is less reason to fight over limited resources like fossil fuels.

1. It’s Just Good Business

Most businesses today try to create more sustainable situations by building greener buildings, encouraging their employees to save resources, traveling less and using technology to help save on all resources. Since most people do care about the environment, businesses that also show they care by their practices, typically get higher marks and do better than businesses that don’t.

2. It’s Efficient

Imagine the use of low-flow shower heads and low-water and grey-water toilets. These do not change your showering or bathroom experience in any way that you notice. However, their efficiency does make a huge difference in how much clean water you’re using just as using solar is more efficient. And due to the fact, there is zero clean-up if a mistake happens as is often the case with fossil fuel energy development and use.

We are sure you have seen that “joke” that is not really a joke. What happens when you get a solar energy spill? You get a bright sunny day. Not so with fossil fuels.

3. It Saves Money

While there are a lot of political factors at play that artificially cause sustainable energy prices to be high the truth is sustainable energy is much cheaper than fossil fuel mainly because it’s renewable, unlike fossil fuels. The renewable factor automatically saves money since once you use oil from fossil fuels it’s gone. But, when you use electricity created from the sun or other renewable sources, there is more there tomorrow. Until the sun goes out or the wind stops blowing, you will get more energy. There is as always upkeep needed to maintain the systems but this is true with anything solar panels, wind turbines, or your car. Even to keep your pets healthy you must have upkeep and maintenance.

4. Improves people’s lives

When it comes to wars, fossil fuels often come to mind as a top reason for war in developed countries. In undeveloped countries, while they may not go to war over oil they may be left at a disadvantage due to a lack of energy to cook, boil water, and have sanitary conditions.

According to The World Bank, the solution to poverty is clean energy, not coal. By installing wind turbines, and solar panels, or using other forms of renewable energy in even the most poverty-stricken areas and third-world countries the population can be lifted from dependence on fossil fuels. This then makes them less dependent on other countries to be able to become income-producing.

Sustainability matters more than you may think for the future of not just third-world countries but the entire world. Reducing CO2 is good for the environment, but renewable resources also enable people to become more self-sufficient by individuals providing for themselves.

2. Importance & Advantages of Renewable Energy

Fossil fuels are not renewable and are going to run out at some time, they’re in short supply. The harmful effects on the environment are mammoth. Using dangerous methods such as fracking to extract the last remnants of fossil fuels to use for energy is causing untold damage to our environment. Therefore, turning to renewable energy sources is not only an environmental imperative it’s a practical one too.

Advantages of Renewable Energy

1. Renewable: Sun, Wind, Ocean, and Earth power via hydrogen energy are all renewable forms of energy. They literally will not ever run out. Not only that, developing them doesn’t pollute the environment like other forms of energy does.

2. Stable: Many people have fallen for the myth that sustainable and renewable energies are not stable. But they are. It doesn’t matter whether it’s sun, wind, solar, or hydrogen energy. Today’s technology is better in keeping it going even during low wind, low sun, and other issues without any breaks in the power supply.

3. Less Maintenance: Because the energy created is less harmful to the environment there is little to no maintenance. Equipment needs to be cared for, but there is no need for disaster plans or clean up.

4. Less Waste: There is either no waste or less harmful waste from renewable and sustainable energy sources. No need to find places to store pollutants. And less risk of mistakes that can take lives and damage the environment further.

5. Economical: Since it’s renewable, stable, almost maintenance free and there is no dangerous waste involved renewable and sustainable energy is much more economical. In fact, with the right equipment, many people can have access to energy that is free after setting up.

6. Safe: It’s been mentioned in many of the points that due to less pollution and less dangerous waste storage needs sustainable and renewable energy is much safer to use. You’re not going to have to clean up a solar spill like you might an oil spill. Again, you just get another bright sunny day.

7. Socially Responsible: With some of the newer technology available people who couldn’t afford energy before may be able to afford it now with some assistance getting a system set up. Not only can countries become energy independent but so can individuals with sustainable and renewable forms of energy.

The importance and advantage of renewable energy to the world cannot be overstated. It’s better in just about every way and can be used by the average person. As technologies improve and government support increases, more and more people will have access to renewable energy.

8. Abundant: There are many forms of renewable energy to choose from. There is energy to be captured from the sun, wind, oceans, and earth that is easy to capture as well as never-ending and plentiful.

3. Top 7 Types of Renewable Energy

There are many different types of renewable and sustainable energy solutions. They come from the air, underground, oceans, and the environment. Here are several types of renewable energy available today.

1. Bioenergy: This type of energy is basically made from waste, although some crops are grown specifically for it. Energy is created from biomass either by burning or through the rotting process. As gases are released they create biomethane. Due to the processes used for most bioenergy creation, even though you burn either the materials or the gasses directly they don’t put as much pollution into the environment as you may imagine.

2. Geothermal: Very simply this is heat captured from the earth. It’s been used for many years in several parts of the world such as Iceland for heating and cooking. Contained beneath the earth’s crust geothermal energy is a very viable form of energy. You can see examples of geothermal energy nature all over the world with the US being the world’s largest source of this energy, especially in California. Anywhere you have volcanoes and natural hot springs or geysers you have geothermal energy.

3. Hydroelectric: One of the oldest forms of power on the planet, this type of sustainable energy is created from flowing water. When the water flows it creates energy that can be captured and turned into electricity. Usually, a hydroelectric power plant works by damming a river to store water in a reservoir. When they release the water it flows, causing the turbine to spin which causes a generator to produce electricity. Think old fashioned water wheel you see at old mills but much bigger and stronger.

4. Hydrogen: While it may sound scary this type of energy is made from non-polluting sources of sustainable and renewable energy. It is used to heat habitats, as fuel for vehicles and aircraft, and to produce electricity that can be used for many needs. You can produce hydrogen without fossil fuels by using electrolysis to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. There is some other technical stuff but as long as safety precautions are used and things are handled properly, this is a safe energy source.

5. Ocean: Energy can be created from tidal streams, waves, and even by variations in salinity to create osmotic power. Since over 70 percent of the earth is made of water this type of energy is not only free but unlimited. Creating this type of energy has little impact on the environment due to new technologies being developed that is safer and more efficient.

6. Solar: As we have already talked about in detail, this type of energy is created by the sun and it produces zero emissions. Solar energy can be used anywhere including remote areas. You might think you need a lot of sunshine to produce solar energy but the leading country in solar power is Germany where sunlight is not as plentiful as in other places that do not use solar as much. Such as the USA which is fifth in solar use in the world.

7. Wind: Produced by using turbines that spin with the wind to generate electricity. The energy produced is stored in batteries which then can produce compressed air to keep producing energy even when there is no wind. This makes it a very reliable source of renewable energy.

There is a lot of motivation today to use different types of renewable energy. Some of it is financial due to government incentives. Some of it is simply wanting to create a more sustainable world by choosing more environmentally friendly energy choices. Whatever your motivation, consider all of your options. Anyone of these alternative energy sources can help you become more self-sufficient and more environmentally friendly.

We hope Start Off the New Year Green: part 4 has been both informative and inspiring to you. Please consider some of these energy resources to use in your own life. As always, we want to help you become more self-sufficient and live your best life.

Next week we will share Start Off the New Year Green: part 5, the last in this series.

Thank you for visiting and please come again for another edition of Out Standing in the Field.