Despite efforts of the fossil fuel industry to make it seem as if the only viable energy choices available to people are those that are destructive to the earth and limited in quantity, development of the use of renewable resources continues to grow.
Many people are understandably want to find out about specific examples of renewable resources and learn how to use them. In this article, we will describe the top four renewable resources available today. Read on to learn more. Solar is definitely tops when it comes to renewable natural resources.
Solar energy is available free of charge in great abundance to all life on earth. You can use solar passively without any technological developments by simply opening your curtains on chilly days to let in the warmth of the sun; however, solar technology has become more and more advanced in the past few years.
Now it is entirely possible to power your whole house using the energy from the sun and solar panels. You can also purchase standalone solar powered technology and gadgets to help make your life easier and more affordable. From outdoor lighting to phone chargers, there are all kinds of small solar appliances to be had. Government grants are available to help people add solar technology to everyday life, and many companies offer wonderful deals on solar installation.
A great deal of energy the world over is produced by the power of the wind. Like the sun, the wind is limitless and free. Wind farms have been built in every nation and are having a positive effect on the production of renewable energy. While having your own wind turbine is probably not a viable option, many utility companies offer wind-only plans that allow you to choose to use only electricity generated by the wind. This makes it possible for people who do not have the option of installing solar panels to do their part by using entirely renewable energy. Even if you do have solar panels, you could remain connected to the grid and have an all wind-power plan as a backup.
Hemp oil is a little know and extremely versatile renewable energy resource. Hemp is an industrial plant that is related to the marijuana plant; however, it has very low levels of THC and is not useful for recreational or medicinal consumption. It is useful for a host of other things, though! Hemp oil is better than petroleum for all of the things petrol is now sourced to do. It can fuel vehicles, produce heat, be used to make plastic products and building materials and more.
It is an excellent cosmetic product and would improve all of the cosmetic and personal care products that now contain mineral oil and other petroleum based moisturizers. Hemp fiber can be used to make cloth, rope, paper and a host of other products. Hemp is fast and easy to grow on land that is not arable for other types of crops. It could fulfill wide variety of needs across the board, the world over. Unfortunately, the petroleum lobby has kept commercial growth of hemp illegal in the US since just after WWII; however, this may change in the near future.
Another alternative to petroleum products is alcohol produced from bio-mass. This is produced by fermenting biological material such as wood, grass, corn or garbage into ethanol. Currently, this is not an economically sound alternative in the US because efforts to produce ethanol have been focused almost entirely on use of corn. This is costly, and interferes with food production. In other countries, such as India, bio-mass energy production is very viable and is used to create a great deal of energy. Instead of using food crops to create ethanol that will simply be burned up, they use garbage and sewage as their bio-mass. It works well and solves the problem of disposing of this waste.
Although the petroleum industry would like to convince you otherwise, there are actually many examples of renewable resources to choose from to power the world without destroying it. Currently, solar and wind energy are the most developed and most readily available for the average person. Today it is possible to have just about all of your energy needs met without petroleum products. If you make the proactive choice of walking and cycling for transportation, you can reduce your need for petroleum even more. Voting with your pocketbook by making mindful energy choices in every day life is an excellent way to encourage and support the development of alternative energy sources.