The importance of renewable energy today

The world is facing two challenges today; climate change challenge and the challenge to reverse recession.

In 2007, a not for profit organisation, UK8020 CIC, launched a global initiative; Climate Change Challenge to inspire individuals or groups to invent an affordable domestic renewable energy generator. The founder, Robert Lee, believes that the focus on renewable energy generators will help create a new industry with millions of new jobs.

The evidence of climate change is apparent. Erratic weather patterns causing severe snow storms, heat waves and hurricanes are happening more frequently. Our dependence on fossil fuels for energy is slowly depleting the earth's natural resources. Increased carbon emissions into the atmosphere are one of the main contributing factors to global warming. The rising costs of electricity also mean that many people are living in fuel poverty.

The growth of renewable energy industries is moving at a slow speed. The costs of installing a solar system or a wind turbine for our home are not yet within reach of many people. Furthermore with the downturn of the world's economy, one wonders if we can afford to look after the planet. This may not necessarily be the case. It could be our saving grace towards reversing recession and helping tackle climate change at the same time.

In Prime Minister Gordon Brown's speech to the US congress recently, he said "it is only by investing in environmental technology that we can end the dictatorship of oil, and it is only by tackling climate change that we create the millions of new green jobs we need".

Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources like wind, solar energy from the sun and heat from within the earth. Such energy will not run out and can be used to continually generate electricity unlike the burning of fossil fuels that emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. These 'clean' energies do not release substances that are harmful to the environment. Renewable energy technologies include solar power, wind power, hydroelectricity, geothermal and biomass.

As "invention is the mother of necessity", this urgency will push the development of renewable energy generators at a faster speed. Alongside local government's renewable energy policies and incentives they will help make such renewable energy products affordable to the masses.

As more people turn to renewable energy generating products, it will encourage growth in this new industry thereby creating new jobs. It is a win-win situation for the world's economy and the planet too.

Visit Climate Change Challenge for more information and give your support to this initiative.