sustainable energy

It is a widely held belief that developing ecologically sustainable energy sources is costly to business and hurts the economy.

In actuality, it is a foregone conclusion that if we intend to use energy in the future, we will be using new sources as non-renewable fossil fuels are, or soon will be, at peak production.  Nuclear energy is not a safe option because of the threats to health and security that nuclear plants and bi-products create (nuclear waste has a half-life of 10,000+ years).

Developing new energy technologies creates good, high paying jobs - scientists, engineers, managers, skilled laborers - and over the long run, will save businesses and individuals trillions of dollars.  The insurance and banking industries are pioneering the way as they are realizing the huge losses they will incur if we fail to act on issues like global warming.

It will also stem the illness and disease caused by toxins in our soil, air and water.  To offset costs, some of the subsidies to oil, coal and nuclear companies could go to green energy R&D.

We are not leaders but followers in this arena.  If we don't take action soon, these high-quality jobs will wind up in Europe and Asia at a time when the US could really use some new sources of jobs that pay sustainable wages.

Below are a few of many new emerging technologies that deliver sustainable, non-polluting energy and some of the pioneers who are making a difference.

wind turbines

Wind power is an affordable, efficient and inexhaustible source of electricity. It is pollution-free, and thanks to technological breakthroughs, it's cost competitive with new coal- or gas-fired power plants.

The wind's kinetic energy can be harnessed by a wind turbine.  When wind moves the blades of the fan, they spin a central hub. The spinning hub moves a series of gears connected to a generator, which converts the mechanical energy into electrical energy for distribution.

aerotecture.com

passive solar heating/cooling/lighting

Passive solar buildings are designed with large areas of glass facing south to fully utilize the free energy of the sun.

By placing large areas of glass on the south side of a building, the warmth of the sun passes through the glass and warms the interior of the building. To enhance the solar gain, thermal storage is often added in conjunction with the southern glass exposure. Thermal storage devices can be as simple as dark colored floor tile which helps to store the heat, or as complex as dark colored hollow walls filled with water. As a general rule, the darker the color of a material and the greater (heavier) the density, the better it is at storing heat. For example, a dark tile covered concrete floor is better at storing heat than a white carpeted floor.

eere.energy.gov/RE/solar_passive.html

active solar

Solar power converts the sun's energy into a pollution-free source of heat, lighting and electricity. Thanks to technological leaps in solar panels, the cost for solar power has come down dramatically in the past few decades, and solar is now spreading across the suburban United States and into businesses, industry and power plants. We also rely on solar energy for many of the conveniences of modern life, from highway signs to ATM machines.

solarelectricpower.org

geothermal

Geothermal energy embraces a variety of different technologies aimed at the use of heat from the earth. This resource is so large that it can be regarded for all practical purposes as renewable.

Geothermal energy is able to provide a firm, dependable supply of electric power and heat energy, available to the consumer at any time during the day or the year, regardless of weather and climate.

eere.energy.gov/geothermal

biomass

Biomass energy uses organic matter such as wood or plants -- called biomass -- to create heat, generate electricity and produce fuel for cars that is dramatically cleaner than oil.

Biomass energy is growing rapidly and now accounts for 45 percent of the renewable energy used in the United States. As its use expands, biomass helps America lower toxic pollutants in the air and decreases our reliance on foreign oil.

nrdc.org/biomass.asp