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riod that saw the most prolific population growth and industrial development (read use of energy) in Earth's his-
tory.
The impact of global warming on the environment is extensive and affects many areas. In the Arctic and
Antarctica, warmer temperatures are causing the ice to melt, which will increase sea level and change the com-
position of the surrounding seawater. Rising sea levels alone can impede processes ranging from settlement,
agriculture and fishing both commercially and recreationally. Air pollution is also a direct result of the use of
fossil fuels, resulting in smog and the degradation of human health and plant growth.
But there's also the great dangers posed to natural ecosystems that result from collecting fossil fuels, par-
ticularly coal and oil. Oil spills have devastated ecosystems and coal mining has stripped lands of their vitality.
This is the primary reason there is enormous pressure on the current Bush Administration to discontinue its
pursuit to tap the vast oil reserves in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The oil, coal and natural gas companies know these are serious problems. But until our renewable energy
sources become more viable as major energy providers, the only alternative for our global population is for
these companies to continue tapping into the fossil fuel reserves to meet our energy needs. And, you can pretty
much count on these companies being there providing energy from renewable sources when the fossil fuels are
depleted. Many oil companies, for example, are involved in the development of more reliable renewable energy
technologies. For example, British Petroleum Company, today known as BP, has become one of the world's
leading providers of solar energy through its BP Solar division, a business that they are planning on eclipsing
their oil production business in the near future.
Just how limited are our fossil fuel reserves? Some estimates say our fossil fuel reserves will be depleted
within 50 years, while others say it will be 100 – 120 years. The fact is that neither one of these projections is
very appealing for a global community that is so heavily dependent on fossil fuels to meet basic human needs.
Nobody really knows when the last drop of oil, lump of coal or cubic foot of natural gas will be collected
from the Earth. All of it will depend on how well we mange our energy demands along with how well we can
develop and use renewable energy sources.
And here is one very important factor: population growth. As the popu-
lation grows upwards towards nine billion people over the next 50 years, the world's energy demands will
increase proportionately. Not only will it be important for renewable energy to keep up with the increasing
population growth, but it must outpace not only these demands but begin replacing fossil fuel energy produc-
tion if we are to meet future energy needs.
By the year 2020, world energy consumption is projected to increase by 50 %, or an additional 207 quadril-
lion BTUs. If the global consumption of renewable energy sources remains constant, the world's available fossil
fuel reserves will be consumed in 104 years or early in the 22nd century. Clearly, renewable energy resources
will play an increasingly vital role in the power generation mix over the next century.
Sun, wind and water are perfect energy sources...depending on where you are. They are non-polluting, re-
newable and efficient. They are simple: all you need is sunlight, running water and/or wind. Not only do the
uses of renewable energy sources help reduce global carbon dioxide emissions, but they also add some much-
needed flexibility to the energy resource mix by decreasing our dependence on limited reserves of fossil fuels.
Essentially, these renewable energy sources create their own energy. The object is to capture and harness
their mechanical power and convert it to electricity in the most effective and productive manner possible. There
is more than enough renewable energy sources to supply all of the world's energy needs forever; however, the
challenge is to develop the capability to effectively and economically capture, store and use the energy when
needed.
Take solar energy for example. The ultimate source of energy is the sun. Its energy is found in all things,
including fossil fuels. Plants depend on the sun to make food, animals eat the plants, and both ended up becom-
ing the key ingredients for fossil fuels. Without the sun, nothing on this planet would exist.
The sun also provides enough energy that can be stored for use long after the sunsets and even during ex-
tended cloudy periods. But making it available is much easier said than done. It would be cost prohibitive to
make solar energy mainstream for major world consumption in the near future. The technology is pretty much
ready for many business and consumer applications, but it would be way too expensive to replace the current
energy infrastructure used for fossil fuel energy. Still, according to the European Photovoltaic Industry Associa-
tion, solar power could provide energy for more than one billion people by 2020 and 26 % percent of global
energy needs by 2040.
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