Your Questions About Renewable Energy For Kids

admin answers:

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 Loose knit groups similar to communes might be more prevalent than the outdated “marriage”.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