The Industrial Revolution was when humans first started to make many factories that spewed pollutants into the world at large in large quantities. Also, the factories that were built then would keep multiplying till they reached the immense numbers that they are present in today. In hindsight, this is the moment when the gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect began to be produced by humans in huge quantities, and this is when human induced climate change began. It was a time of not caring about consequences of one's actions - most factory owners only cared about profits and didn't even care about the working conditions of their workers. This was the attitude that led to climate change, and this refusal to care about the Earth must be overcome for a viable solution to climate change to be found. After all, the solution will have to be expensive to eradicate the decades of damage that have been done and it will benefit all beings on Earth. For this change to take place there must be a change in our emotions and the objects that we value.
Considering the amount at stake, staying still and refusing to take action is obviously not an option. If one is not part of a solution, one is certainly a part of the problem. Fortunately, simply looking around in the supermarket introduces the eye to many "green" and "environment friendly" products; it is clear that a majority of the population would like to take action to improve the condition of the world. Anyone who comes up with a viable alternative to the energy problem and finds a way of producing energy with minimal waste and maximum efficiency and output would be in an ideal position to reap benefits.
However, it is extremely unlikely that someone will work on developing better technologies for harnessing the power of renewable resources without being given initiative or the promise of future wealth. A capitalist society demands that individuals be able to trade their intelligence and initiative for money, so those developing renewable energy sources must be given money for them to continue their work. Human intelligence is developed enough to be able to find a solution to this problem, it just needs the initiative to do so. In the future, when a renewable source is found, it will undoubtedly be embraced by everyone because of its cleanness as an energy source. Then, all who invested in the original venture will be paid back manifold for their daring and courage.
Renewable energy has many advantages over old energy sources that will make it the choice of generations to come. It is renewable, which means it is infinity for most practical purposes. The endlessness of such an infinite resource, whether it be the sun or the wind or waves, means that one could use such a resource without worrying about what would happen if it ran out, as one has to do almost daily with old and coal. Another advantage of renewable resources is that they are easier to find than traditional energy sources. The sun and the wind can be found anywhere, and the amount of material required to transport energy from a solar panel or a wind farm to a city is less than the material used in the kilometers of pipelines and the ships used to carry oil around the world. These factors make renewable energy cheap for consumers and makes the consumers prefer these sources of energy. Apart from the practical considerations, the fact that people will be leaving behind a beautiful, non-polluted Earth for future generations by using renewable resources will make them more likely to do so.
Humans have recently become aware that they have a bigger impact on Earth than they had previously known they could. This attitude makes them look for renewable energy resources that will leave behind a planet that is just as full of life as it is today. Any renewable energy source would be a big step towards the goal of a better world, which is why it is so important to invest in them. We must preserve the majesty of Earth, it is the only home we have.
Niharika Singh
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