Affordable and Clean Energy By: Carlos castillo and will mckenna
GOAL: By 2030, we want to have universal access to affordable, renewable, and modern energy sources.
This is our main focus because if the goal is met, we can prevent the greatest disaster so far in human history, saving millions of lives while improving billions more to come.
Today's world depends heavily on fossil fuels and results in very high CO2 emissions. Part of our goal is to provide renewable and modern energy sources in order to tackle this obstacle.
Since 1990, global emissions of CO2 have increased by more than 46%.
America produces 25% of the world's CO2 emissions with only 4% of the world's population.
Another obstacle is that clean and renewable energy is not yet accessible universally due to lack of funds.
Globally 1.2 billion people are without access to electricity. More than 95% of these people are either in sub-Saharan African or developing Asia, and around 80% are in rural areas.
Clean and modern energy sources are important for a country's development and for the well-being of anyone.
There are many states being persuaded to try and meet renewable electricity standards. These goals being set are a part of a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) that requires utility companies to get a certain percentage of their electricity from renewable sources such as solar panels, wind turbines, hydroelectricity, and more. "Nearly two-thirds of states have established them- with many meeting or exceeding their goals ahead of schedule."
Nationwide, the U.S. generates only 3.6 percent of its electricity from wind and solar power, much less than many other countries, including Denmark (30%), Spain (19%), and Germany (15%).
Universally there needs to be an expansion of renewable energy, and a quick transition away from dirty, coal-fired power plants that burn fossil fuels. This can be done by using existing and new technologies, investing in improvements to our electricity system, and making policies that moves the world toward a clean energy future.
Taking Small Step Can Make a Big Difference
Ways You Can Help: People at Nazareth can help bring attention to installing solar panels on the roofs of the buildings to power lights and other small necessities. We can also donate money and make fundraisers to help research form of clean, renewable energy for the developing world.
Let's pledge to vote for legislation that increases the use of clean, renewable energy sources and hope to influence other democratic countries to do the same.
Works Cited
"Energy Poverty." Internationl Enegy Agency. OECD/ IEA, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.
Gore, Al. "Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy | The Global Goals" Global Goals. N.p., n.d. Wed. 28 Apr. 2016.
Ramping Up Renewables: Energy You Can Count On (2013)." Union of Concerned Scientists. N.p., Apr. 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
"Smart Energy Solutions: Increase Renewable Energy." Union of Concerned Scientists. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.
WorldBank. "Clean Energy Saving and Brightening Lives In Mali." YouTube. YouTube, 09 Dec. 2010. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
Created with images by tookapic - "light bulb lighting hanging" • Unsplash - "hands baby child" • matthew solle - "CO2" • allispossible.org.uk - "Climate Change 'co2' ideas" • jemasmith - "Pollution" • USFWS Headquarters - "Wind turbines" • snre - "Dana Building tour of solar panels"