- Global warming is partly caused by CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels for electricity and other energy forms.
- Global warming causes climate change and has a lot more damaging effects to human beings than the initial impression, such as typhoons and hurricanes.
- Luckily, residents can help with the solution by going solar.
- Should the majority of the residential sector switch to solar power, the positive impact on the environment would be huge and would solve more than a third of the problem.
It is no secret that solar power is the silver bullet which will cure our damaging dependence on fossil fuels. It has even become a lot cheaper and more available than the traditional coal electricity over the past few years. This is all thanks to the progress and the drive of solar companies, businesses, and populations to switch to solar energy.
However, residential people actually can contribute a lot more than they think. Since it has been proven that the most avid users of electricity in an urban environment are actually businesses and industries combined, the weight switching to solar power cradles heavily on them. Residential users, however, play their own key roles in helping save the environment, particularly against the effects of global warming.
Global warming and its effects
Before we get to how much residential solar power actually helps to alleviate the damage done by fossil fuels and global warming, we must first determine its effects on the residential population. This not only applies to Americans but also to the populations of the world as a whole.
Global warming causes an abnormal environmental phenomenon called climate change in which the distribution of the global climate changes over long periods of time. This can have a lot of bad effects on the environment outside of urban cities, such as:
- Oceans and other bodies of water are becoming warmer;
- Glaciers in frigid and cold areas are melting fast;
- Species which live in cold areas are migrating or slowly becoming endangered;
- The Arctic and polar ice caps are decreasing in size and area;
- Changing sea levels;
- Changes in the CO2 levels of ice cores used for carbon dating;
- Clouds and precipitation level and frequency;
- Effect on vegetation and flora in ecosystems
Now, as for the effects on modern and urban life, there are also corresponding ones. You see, climate change can be responsible for a lot of stronger storms and hurricanes which frequently originate in the Pacific, Caribbean, and Atlantic areas. These storms then snowball into mainlands and archipelagos such as the U.S. or the islands in the Caribbean.
Now, we all know how much damage storms and hurricanes not only to our homes and our lives but also to our insurance. The bad effects of global warming on human life can range from hotter or colder weather extremes to the more destructive forces of nature. Rest assured, global warming and climate change can bring about more risks for human beings.
Going solar is a big help
The thing about energy consumption is that, when you split the consumption of industrial and commercial sectors, then the largest energy consumption comes from residential sectors of the society. To make matters worse, a lot of countries are still relying on traditional fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas for electricity. Burning such resources for electricity produces byproducts of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in excess as well as water pollution, therefore contributing to climate change.
Here is a graphic breakdown of energy consumption by the EPA:
Now, imagine if the majority of the residential population switched to using solar power electricity instead of fossil fuels. This prospect means a huge reduction in CO2 emissions of power plants and utilities which provide electricity. Simply put, the less we rely on fossil fuels, the less CO2 pollution there would be, meaning, fewer proponents of global warming.
However, we must all remember that contributing to saving the environment by reducing carbon emissions was never a one-man effort. As such, just one family or household using solar power does not amount to much, a whole community or population would be the more efficient and an ideal goal. Meanwhile, commercial sectors are also employing solar panels en masse, meaning they are also being part of the solution. Even the biggest companies and business chains are switching to solar right now.
One solar panel at a time
Overall, switching to solar panels as a primary source of electricity is already a big help to the environment. In fact, should all the residential sectors in cities switch to solar energy, a third of the global warming problem contribution from urban environments will already have been solved? Actually, it is more than just a third, 35 percent of the cause of the problem is nothing to scoff at.
So now that we know all this, why are there still people who are undecided in going solar for their homes or businesses? Awareness is also key, we need to realize that we are part of something bigger and that we should not just consider ourselves as a community or a population, but rather, an ecosystem in our own respects which still has roots in the environment.
Then there is also the fact that solar power is still quite expensive for some people. However, this could change in the near future with production technologies becoming more and more available and advanced. After all, solar power has virtually no environmental drawbacks, investing in them means we have a lot to gain and a lot less to lose in the long run. Here at Ecosolar by SunPower, we believe in helping both the people and the environment in equal measure. That is why we offer some of the best deals you can have for solar panels, feel free to contact us or subscribe to our website for deals, news, or updates in the solar industry along with some helpful tips. As always, we are here to help you, and in turn, help the environment as well.
