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Making Solar Technology Viable Power Source

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Nicolas Le Gorrec ENVS 279 Karina Johnston November 23, 2015 Making Solar Technology a Viable Power Source If the current rate of consumption continues for oil, the planets entire oil supply is predicted to run out within the next 14 years. 21 years after that, our entire natural gas supply will run out. The reason is because the non-renewable resources we rely on are being used much faster then they can naturally be produced. As Peter Harper proposed, the problem of contemporary society can be stated succinctly: “We need to get (probably) 11 billion people through the transition complex to ‘Sustainia’, the sustainable state, before irreversible damage is done” (HARPER). The limited availability of non-renewable resources combined with the resulting pollution of obtaining and using non-renewable resources has sparked a movement towards renewable resources. These renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and hydropower, offer “green” alternatives to fossil fuels. The sun is our most powerful source of energy and can be used for a variety of processes. Even though solar technology only accounts for about 1% of the world’s energy consumption, solar technology has the potential to become a major contributor to the world’s energy consumption. Solar energy’s future importance can be found by the long-term threat of global climate change. Carbon dioxide emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels account for the largest amount of greenhouse gases that are causing our

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