Statistics show that the United States still derives 90% of its electricity from pollutants such as coal and nuclear power plants. Coal-burning power plants are the country's largest emitter of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere causing global warming. Coal is also responsible for several other health risks such as asthma attack and other lung ailments. It worsens the decade-long environmental problems that we still fail to address nowadays.

The federal government expects the country to cut down on our reliance to coal power by providing at least 20% of our electricity from renewable sources of energy by 2020. Every household should commit their fair share of responsibility on the worsening case of environmental degradation the United States has done to the planet. There has to be a way to tap renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal and biomass to lessen our dependence on coal and nuclear power as well as oil and gas.

A good start would be utilizing the power of the sun. Man has been harnessing this energy since time immemorial.

It's just ironic that this technology has not been tapped earlier. Now that there's a real need to convert the sun's energy to electricity, it is high time that this good technology be put into good use. Solar power can be one of the most cost-effective renewable sources of energy but a little investment on solar panels and generators is needed.

The repercussions, however, are easily determined once homes are powered with solar energy. Solar panels that are created nowadays can easily adapt with the architectural design of modern-day homes and office buildings. Although installation is indeed more expensive than simply buying power from utility companies, the benefits you can derive from it shall be all worth it in no time.

A cheaper alternative to solar power is Wind power. Many people are now starting to install do-it-yourself windmills in their homes to generate enough electricity for their homes, ranches, and farms. Windmills, after all, are age-old artifacts used extensively to grind grain and pump water. Renewable sources of energy can be best obtained if you are in a windy location. This can save you a lot of electricity and the utility company will even pay you back. Denmark, Spain, Portugal and the Great Britain are utilizing wind farm to power large portions of their communities. Modern-day wind turbines have been installed elsewhere in the United States as well.

The earth's core also emits useful renewable energy. The heat it produces can be greater than 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This heat finds its way closer to the earth's surface making it easy for us to harness its steam, thus, what we now call geothermal energy. Some of the country's electricity is powered by geothermal plants. But we can also use the energy from the underground directly by installing geothermal heat pumps to generate home heating and cooling provisions for your family.

The days of pollution emission and skyrocketing oil prices are here and now. We made this situation for ourselves and it is only us who can reverse it. By harnessing the power that our ancestors first known of, the question of a sustainable future should not be a far fetched notion.

Robert Gilli is a top authority in using solar energy and living off the grid.

Robert Gilli
June 24 2009

To learn more about building your own "Residential Solar Power System" check out his website at: http://makesolarpower.biz/ and learn more about how to make solar power and the advantages of using Solar Energy because "Making the world a better place just makes sense."

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Robert_Gilli

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