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Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable (naturally replenished). In 2008, about 19% of global final energy consumption came from renewables, with 13% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.2% from hydroelectricity.[1] New renewables (small hydro, modern biomass, wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels) accounted for another 2.7% and are growing very rapidly.[1] The share of renewables in electricity generation is around 18%, with 15% of global electricity coming from hydroelectricity and 3% from new renewables.[1][2]

Wind power is growing at the rate of 30% annually, with a worldwide installed capacity of 158 gigawatts (GW) in 2009,[3][4] and is widely used in Europe, Asia, and the United States.[5] At the end of 2009, cumulative global photovoltaic (PV) installations surpassed 21 GW[6][7][8] and PV power stations are popular in Germany and Spain.[9] Solar thermal power stations operate in the USA and Spain, and the largest of these is the 354 megawatt (MW) SEGS power plant in the Mojave Desert.[10] The world’s largest geothermal power installation is The Geysers in California, with a rated capacity of 750 MW. Brazil has one of the largest renewable energy programs in the world, involving production of ethanol fuel from sugar cane, and ethanol now provides 18% of the country’s automotive fuel.[11] Ethanol fuel is also widely available in the USA.

While many renewable energy projects are large-scale, renewable technologies are also suited to rural and remote areas, where energy is often crucial in human development.[12] Globally, an estimated 3 million households get power from small solar PV systems. Micro-hydro systems configured into village-scale or county-scale mini-grids serve many areas.[13] More than 30 million rural households get lighting and cooking from biogas made in household-scale digesters. Biomass cookstoves are used by 160 million households.[13]

Climate change concerns, coupled with high oil prices, peak oil, and increasing government support, are driving increasing renewable energy legislation, incentives and commercialization.[14] New government spending, regulation and policies helped the industry weather the global financial crisis better than many other sectors.[15]

admin answers:

Reduce
The amount of energy you consume and start using renewable energy sources, such as wind power and solar power. Sign up for Green Energy with your local power provider. If they don’t have it, then tell them to get it.
Reuse
By using products made with recycled materials. Make or buy a compost bin to use your organic waste as fertilizer for your trees, shrubs, and garden.
Recycle
All materials to your best ability in your local area.
There is a green movement in the country, it could be a case of too little too late, but at the least we are moving towards a nation that has a conscious about destroying the environment. The green movement has caught on with many groups and has become fashionable in some industries. The home building or home improvement industry is no exception. Many construction companies, home improvement centers and building products advertise some level of commitment towards “green” or environmentally friendly construction. Are these companies actually fulfilling their promises? That is a discussion for another day What we want to focus on is how a wood kitchen cabinet can help you become environmentally friendly. Everyone should want to reduce their “carbon footprint”. This carbon footprint is roughly defined as the amount of CO2 that you, as a living person, put into the environment each day. It can be everyday activities like driving a car, running an air conditioner, or building a house. Almost everything you do has a connection to the environment, be it direct or incidental. Taking products and using them is basically us being consumers and from this consumption we are taking from nature. This then creates pressure on the environment. So again, if I am building a house or renovating my kitchen, how do wood kitchen cabinets help lower my carbon footprint? The first thing is to define a “wood kitchen cabinet”. Unless you’re living in the nineteenth century, you’re probably not going to see a solid wood cabinet. It is not economical and it just does not make sense in the building industry.

What you are getting in wood kitchen cabinets is one of two things. Solid wood faced cabinets with paneled wood sides (these are the good cabinets) or the lesser quality cabinet that is a wood front and a particle board side (places like Home Depot and Lowe’s sell these inferior cabinets). Now that you have a definition of what really is a wood kitchen cabinet, you can then ask where I find these solid wood cabinets with paneled sides. The very best, easiest, and least expensive method to buying these cabinets is actually online. Yes, the internet cabinet websites easily beat any retail prices. (Mostly because of less over head). Finally, how am I saving the environment, if I am buying wood kitchen cabinets? The trick to saving money and the environment is the RTA kitchen cabinet. It is not a brand name, but rather a style of cabinet. RTA stands for “ready to assemble”. These cabinets are about thirty to forty percent less than an assembled cabinet and they are actually helping to cut down carbon emissions and save lumber. These all wood RTA kitchen cabinets use the entire tree, thus cutting waste. Furthermore, these cabinets save space on shipping. They are unassembled so they take up to fifty percent less space. This “space savings” contributes to less shipping; this produces less carbon dioxide. You may say that does not seem like much, but when you add up the number of shipments, this becomes a huge amount of carbon dioxide that is kept out of the atmosphere. So in the end, every little bit helps. Yes buying wood kitchen cabinets, especially RTA kitchen cabinets will help the environment. Now all we have to do is get everyone to do their own small part.

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I’m thinking beyond the transition, to the future in a utopian “green” world. Social units would be different, because we wouldn’t have a bunch of kids to raise. Loose knit groups similar to communes might be more prevalent than the outdated “marriage”. Private transportation would be electric powered from solar arrays. Manufacturing would be centered on the recycling and retrofitting instead of manufacturing by using non- renewable resources. Centralized electric generation and power distribution systems will be a thing of the past, as we utilize solar and improved electric storage systems. Perhaps capacitors instead of chemical batteries. Technology would require skilled engineers and technicians to keep every thing working, We’d have nearly full employment as the seasonal rises and dips leveled out. Food might be grown hydroponically, in small underground areas, utilizing waste water, and waste products. Again reducing the seasonal nature of growing. I could go on until it sounded like an Isaac Asimov novel.

admin answers:

Hey Christy, good question. We are big renewable energy people up here. Our home generates most of its own electricity from the wind and sun. It is heated primarly by wood and solar gain, and our hot water is about 50% solar. My short answer to your question is, “maybe.”

Like a lot of people where you live, you find yourself in a position of choosing where your energy comes from more daunting than you thought it would be. I like the idea of all our power coming from a renewable source, but I don’t think it is worth doing it at the expense of other areas of our lifestyle. Should kids spend all their time after school doing homework and reading, thereby making them smarter, or should they engage in sports the remainder of the day at the expense of school work to make them stronger? The correct answer is balance. They should spend some time outside each day if possible, and engage in some sports, while leaving adequate time for school work as well. The same is true for electricity. When a power company produces power with a wind turbine, that’s good. It is added to the power grid, and the coal or oil plant down the road can throttle back and save fuel, producing less pollution. But we can’t replace the coal plants entirely, or a calm day will certainly come along and we’d be in trouble. We have an option here where you can stipulate how much of your utility power comes from renewable sources, and we pay a small fee for each 10% we ask for. What little electricity we buy from the power company now has to be 50% based on renewable sources. This way we don’t have to pay the maximum amount for 100% renewable sources, but the power company has sufficient incentive to invest in renewable sources, it’s a win win for all of us.

You should look at the options and decide what is best for you. Which companies have the best track record or reputation, what are your neighbors doing and why, and so on. Here are a few sources if you’re interested in doing more research. Good luck Christy, take care, Rudydoo