Can clean energy save the world?
For once, we will start with the answer: No!
Clean energy is not exactly clean… It is cleaner. Cleaner than oil, cleaner than coal, and, depending on the point of view, cleaner than nuclear.
Most renewable energy sources are considered clean because they do not use any fuel, they burn nothing: No coal, no gas, no oil, no uranium. Solar energy is using the sun's energy, wind energy is using… Well actually also the sun's energy! Brought to us by air streams (Yes, air streams are due to temperature contrasts, and those latter are due to… Sunlight!).
We need to pollute to produce the solar panels, as well as produce the wind turbines, and the hydroelectric dams… So does that mean that going renewable and "clean" is wrong? No, of course not: Those energy sources are producing electricity in a much, much cleaner way than coal or oil based thermal power plants. But they are not 100% clean, that means that, if we continue growing the energy consumption blindly, we will reach a point where we consume so much renewable electricity, that it will pollute the planet too much.
So… What should we do? Well, it's as simple as the words saving, efficiency, moderation…
Earlier this month was the World Energy Efficiency day: And because at Eedama we promote reasonable and rational use of anergy, because when we talk about renewable, we always say "The main source of energy we have on this planet is the one we don't use", and because we believe in using the planet's resource respectfully and reasonably, we believe in and promote efficiency!
Efficiency means designing a house that will not use energy as if it had no impact. It means using lamps that are efficient, even if they are a bit more expensive, because in the long run both the user and the planet/city will benefit. Efficiency goes beyond the big picture and into the details.
Speaking of the details, here are a few tips to be energy efficient in your home!