As the world reels under the impact of global warming, the necessity for alternative sources of energy seems even more urgent. With the cost (financial as well as environmental) of using traditional fossil fuels increasing day by day, mankind’s survival depends on exploiting alternative, renewable sources of energy. Here, we take a look at some of these sources, and the pros and cons of each.

1. Solar Energy

Pros: Present everywhere. Limitless, clean, renewable and sutainable.

Cons: Current technology to exploit solar power is very expensive. Requires large land area to be fully utilized. Not useful on rainy or cloudy days, or in areas that do not get adequate sunlight.

2. Wind Energy

Pros: Present everywhere, limitless, and renewable. Wind power is a very clean source of energy.

Cons: Like solar power, requires a very large land area to be of actual use. Wind strength not the same everywhere; can only be exploited where the wind speed is high enough. Wind mills are an eyesore and destroy the landscape.

3. Nuclear Energy

Pros: Clean, sustainable, renewable. Can be tapped anywhere.

Cons: Expensive. The radioactive waste produced by nuclear power plants is very dangerous and almost impossible to dispose off. Still, one of the most promising energy sources in wide use today.

4. Hydroelectric Energy

Pros: Clean, virtually limitless, sustainable.

Cons: Expensive. Can be tapped only at large waterfalls. Requires huge physical infrastructure. Diffifulty in transporting produced power.

5. Geothermal Energy

Pros: Clean, virtually limitless.

Cons: Can be tapped only in regions where it is available (which are few and far in between), limiting its effectiveness. Difficult to tap. Not very sustainable or practical.

It has often been said that the human mind only uses about 10% of its ability. In fact, Einstein made some interesting comments about this, and although they are pretty funny when you stop to consider it, he may actually one day be proven correct, not by percentages, but in theory. Still, I have a question as to, not the ability of the human mind, but the resources it needs to function at its highest levels.

That is to say that the human mind requires a lot of nutrients, energy, and focus to work beyond its 10% level. If of course, this hypothetical 10% is the actual figure. You see, without a good amount of rest and relaxation, proper food supply, and brain exercises, the human brain does not have the stamina or ability to work at higher levels for very long because it takes too much energy.

And if it worked at the highest levels, it would rapidly deplete all the nutrients, and then it would need to sleep. But what if the human mind could use 100% of its ability, for a long period of time, it would be rather excellent. If it is true that there is 90% of the brain which is not being used, but is accessible, then perhaps the human mind could rearrange molecules, “will” events to occur, and even assimilate objects.

Perhaps, it could think beyond time, through multiple dimensions, and do quantum physics calculations as fast as the computers that humans are now designing. But, even if we can’t get the human mind to do this, knowing that it may be possible or even the ability to imagine what I just said, means that we can create devices which interface with the human brain that can.

Therefore, I’d like you to consider the periodic table of elements, where each box would be filled with the elements they depict. Think of it if you will, as an assortment of jars with various sizes of nuts and bolts inside in your garage. The parts you need to make anything.

Now then, consider if you will a CAD CAM software program where you have just designed something new. Something that doesn’t exist, but you want it to exist. Then imagine hooking up the CAD CAM program to a device that had access to the periodic table of elements and it would take from each of those little jars the exact amount it needs of each element to assimilate the object.

This will be the future. Mark my words.

They can be seen on any street and in any neighborhood. The un-mowed lawns, boarded up windows and vacant driveways of foreclosed and bank owned property. There are many ideas on how to turn these neglected remnants of corporate greed and misguided trust back into marketable homes.

We should strive to make these homes into more than just a marketable home. We need to start the process of transforming the way we power our homes. The renewable energy technology is available to make these foreclosed homes models for our communities.

There should be incentives given to banks who sell these properties at a discount to contractors or prospective home buyers. The new owners would contractually agree to remodel their home to a set of standards such as the HERS rating system. The work should include installing a renewable energy system, (i.e. Solar, geothermal or wind). The outer shell must be completely sealed, also known as closing the envelope of a home. The windows, doors and all the appliances should have high energy star ratings.

The banks would receive government incentives to sell at a discount. They could possibly receive future tax credits as an example. The new home owner would receive the incentives already in place for installing energy efficient products. This includes a very nice size return for installing renewable energy. There are many incentives available from the utility companies as well as from Federal, State and local governments

We could also go a step further and require all work to comply with the LEEDS for homes guidelines. This requires the contractor, when working on the home, to install products that are the least toxic to our planet. They pollute less and we are able to them recycle later. This is commonly known as green building.

There would be many benefits to implementing this program. The resale value of the surrounding community would increase. It would add many needed jobs for the contractors and sub contractors they hire. The efficiency of the homes along with the renewable energy systems would reduce our dependency on foreign oil. This program would be better than just buying bad loans. There is a return for taxpayers footing the bill.

Our government can help turn these eyesore properties into community showcases of energy saving technology. This will help create a new wave of home remolding using renewable energy in our country. There are certainly many obstacles that would need to be ironed out for this program to work. President Obama has showed an interest in building green in his recent programs. This would be one more step in the way to a new green era in our history. All these things will certainly help create a healthier planet.

If you have been looking into residential wind power systems recently, it means that you are either a person with high environment awareness or someone who has felt the loss of control over your own life.

You will understand why we should look for alternative energy and how to get self-control back when you come to the end of this article.

The environment is becoming more and more polluted due to the consumption of fossil fuels and coals.

The Antarctica is becoming smaller every day and has reached its highest temperature in the past 2000 years. This figure is astounding, right?

The planet needs us to turn to alternative energy that is natural. A small step will lead to huge blessings for our children for generations to come.

The energy suppliers are monopolies which change the price they charge for utilities at will.

The ever increasing utilities bills are exerting pressure on our personal finance. We can do nothing about it if we do not turn to alternative energy for help.

When the big companies are happy, they can cut off the supply anytime they want.

I still remember how I felt during the blackout that took place in our community the other day. With residential wind power generators, I could have enjoyed the lights and TV programs as usually.

It is not good to lose control over our own life. But with a residential wind power generation system, which can be done simply with the proper guidance, we can take the control back into our hands.

I recently came across an article talking about flexible solar panels and the cells that power them, and I was blown away by some of the new technology coming out on the market. In the current push towards green, renewable technology, solar energy is making huge strides toward greater personal application of its technology. The new photovoltaic solar panels rolling out of the factories are supposed to be both ultra thin and ultra light, able to be rolled up like a beach towel and carried away. This is a huge benefit over the traditional silicon solar panels, those heavy, rigid panels you see on the rooftops of many homes. These new flexible sheets are completely different, made to be portable and used for personal application, like charging everyday electronics without having to plug into the grid. They’re a huge plus for sustainable, green energy enthusiasts.

But there are added benefits. Amorphous, meaning shapeless, silicon thin-film solar cells can be manufactured at a cheaper rate than conventional crystalline cells primarily because they use less material than the traditional cells. Newer cells are only 1 micrometer thick. Older crystalline solar cells generally came in 150-to-200-micrometer-thick slices. Not only that, but solar cells are becoming more and more efficient everyday. The electric charge and voltage generated by the newest systems are many times more powerful than the old. The most modern cells, called triple junction cells are being mad with three different materials–amorphous silicon, amorphous silicon germanium, and nanocrystalline silicon. This gives maximum energy absorption because each of these materials is tuned to capture the energy in different parts of the solar spectrum. That kind of technology is brand new. More than that, it’s also coming on the scene right at the time when solar panels are becoming lighter, more portable, and even affordable for personal use. Because of those three factors, I personally think that this technology will be the next huge thing in the green energy push. The only thing I can think of that could top it would be some kind of fold-up, portable wind energy device, which I can’t imagine coming out anytime in the near future. But that would be quite the site to see:)

With this newest advancement in flexible solar panels, I expect solar energy to hit a new peak. With the green movement now in full swing and people more and more wanting to minimize their effect on the environment, I have a feeling that the new designs and technologies are going to revolutionize our thinking. It isn’t really that solar power is efficient. It’s the fact that people are wanting to take the welfare of the environment into their own hands. Knowing that you can buy a backpack for instance, that will generate enough electricity to charge your Ipod and your cell phone, is something that’s never been heard of before. In my opinion, the future is going to be motivated by sustainability and self-sufficiency. These are just a handful of the most current advancements. Everyday, we’re coming out with newer, smaller, more cost effective versions! Modern science and research are rallying around solar power, coming out with new and awesome technology everyday.

But that’s not all. There’s just something that’s almost exciting about generating your own power. It’s like growing food in your own garden. Even powering your own lighting can be exhilarating. I remember the first time I used a hand cranked flashlight. There was just something almost magical knowing that hand powered energy was making enough of a charge to power the battery. I mean, when could a person ever go to a little grassy park and break out a laptop while lying in a field. It’s true that with the latest advancements in lithium ion batteries, laptops can hold up to 8 hours of a charge, but most batteries have a limited shelf life and begin to lose efficiency very quickly. I’m not sure what the future is going to bring. But I’m very excited about the newest wave of flexible solar panels just hitting the market. I think we’re going to start seeing a lot more of this kind of technology being applied for everyday use.