The power of clean energy

- We live on the Goldilocks planet. We are just the right distance from the sun, with just the right atmosphere, to have conditions that allow for life on Earth. And this life is possible because of the energy we get from our star, the sun. In fact, the sun provides enough energy in 90 minutes to power worldwide energy consumption for an entire year. That is pretty incredible. And increasingly, workplaces, communities, and homes have started harnessing the sun's energy to power our energy needs. We're using solar energy for lots of different reasons. And one reason is to reduce our dependence on resources that takes millions of years to create, namely, nonrenewable resources, like fossil fuels. When we burn fossil fuels, like coal, oil, or natural gas, to power our lives, greenhouse gases enter our air and they create a thick blanket that traps heat and changes our climate. For example, we might use natural gas for heating and cooling our homes and workplaces. And our utility company might burn coal to generate the electricity we use to turn on our lights. As we continue to experience the negative consequences from a changing climate, people all over the world are finding ways to embrace clean alternatives to nonrenewable fossil fuels. Never before have we had so many environmentally-friendly ways to power our lives. And there's a great first step to get us started on our clean energy journey, electrify everything. We can replace technologies that still rely on burning nonrenewable resources, like gasoline vehicles, gas stovetops, and natural gas heating and cooling, with alternatives that run on electricity, like electric vehicles, induction ranges, and heat pumps. We can then source that electricity with renewable resources, like solar, wind, and geothermal energy. Our homes, schools, workplaces, and transportation systems represent enormous opportunities to reduce climate change greenhouse gas emissions by using energy more efficiently and shifting to safe, renewable energy sources. Do you know where your company's energy comes from? Maybe you have on-site renewable energy in the form of solar panels. But for many of us, that might not be a realistic option. But don't despair, there are options that most every workplace and home can tap into. The first step is finding out whether your utility provider offers renewable energy. If so, great, consider asking for it. You can choose to support the early stages of the renewable transition in your community, keeping jobs and money in your town, while protecting the environment. If your utility provider doesn't yet offer renewable energy, ask them why not. They might be waiting to meet a certain quota before signing a deal with a solar or wind farm and you could catalyze that move. You might also consider reaching out to other companies to buy renewable energy in bulk. Virtual power purchase agreements might be a good fit for you. The Rocky Mountain Institute has helpful resources if you'd like to learn more. If you're not already, take these steps to get to a place where you can power your life using clean renewable energy, improving your life, the lives of those around you, and the health of the environment on this Goldilocks planet.