Solar Powering the Sustainable Energy Revolution
Since the Industrial Revolution, fossil fuels have served as the primary energy source to heat homes, run vehicles, and power industry and manufacturing in the United States. In the years to come, our reliance on this finite resource must diminish, and the sooner we switch to renewable sources of energy, the less likely we are to face dire economical and ecological consequences.
Fossil Fuel Addiction: Potential Outcomes by 2050
What is the price of our dependence on fossil fuels? If society continues to rely heavily on fossil fuels without any sort of significant replacement, our planet, economy and climate could be drastically affected in as little as the next 35 years.
Global economic loss of $71 trillion on fossil fuels
257 percent increase in annual heat-related deaths
Sea levels will change along 70 percent of coastlines
Oceans’ fish populations threatened by warming and acidification
More extreme and frequent droughts
Global temperatures rise by more than 35 degrees Fahrenheit—or even a cataclysmic 41 degrees
Agriculture and food production severely compromised
Solar: A Sustainable Energy Source
Fortunately, the expansion of the solar energy industry in recent years offers a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels. As this infographic from The Refrigeration School, “The Solar Demand,” shows, solar is the fastest growing segment of the green energy market in the United States, finding widespread application with the government, industry, and consumers; strengthening the economy by diminishing U.S. reliance on foreign oil and creating jobs; and, of course, reducing our country’s carbon footprint.
A Few Facts About the Solar Expansion
The use of solar energy increased by more than 400 percent from 2010 to 2014.
Thanks to government initiatives, solar projects on public land could power 6 million homes by 2020.
Solar panels are powering everything from the aisles of numerous Walmart stores to many of the offices at Google.
In 2012, the number of solar systems installed in U.S. homes increased nearly 50 percent.
Worldwide, the solar industry created 2.3 million jobs in 2013.
Take a look at the infographic below to learn more about how solar is powering the sustainable energy revolution.
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