A Path Toward Renewable Energies 

by: Jude Daley

Today we face great challenges in the field of Energy.  From our perilous dependency on oil and the undeniable reality of global warming, we need a determined action toward renewable energy on a governmental, business and community level. Renewable resources currently provide just over 6 percent of our total national energy needs, but that figure could increase rapidly in the years ahead, according to a joint report released today by the Worldwatch Institute and the Center for American Progress, American Energy: The Renewable Path to Energy Security.

It wasn’t always this way, but we don’t have to look very far to find companies committed to sustainability, by the products they offer, through greener business practices or their contribution to organizations dedicated to environmental issues.  There is a changing consciousness, as more of us understand the seriousness of our planet’s environmental health. This increase in awareness, commitment toward action and our dedication toward energy conservation is helping to make a greater impact toward reducing our collective footprint.

The U.S. Department of Energy tracks our national energy consumption in four broad sectors: industrial (33 %), transportation (28 %), residential (21%), and commercial (17 %). The U.S. power industry mostly relies on large, central coal and natural gas power stations to generate the majority of the nation’s electricity needs. Uses of renewable energy such as wind, geothermal, hydro, solar, biomass are beginning to diversify the nation’s energy supply. With hydropower being the nation's largest renewable electricity source and wind power, the fastest growing, alternative energy is playing a greater role in meeting our energy needs. According to WorldWatch Institute, California already gets 31% of its energy from renewables.

What can we do on a community level to contribute toward the strides that are already being made?  Reducing our energy consumption is an invaluable part of the energy equation. Whether we become “Carbon Neutral”, buy our food locally and organic or ride our bikes to work; all of these activities will help make a collective difference. Just simple changes to our daily routine can add up to big differences, but many of us don’t know where to start.

This is the premise behind Get it Green (www.getitgreen.com); to provide a platform were we can educate ourselves about greener living.  You will discover simple steps we all can take to reduce our energy consumption. On our site, you will learn about green companies, their products and services, environmental news, buying green, alternative energies and other valuable subjects. As we grow, we will feature articles written by industry professionals who will give us a broader look into environmental trends. By fostering community understanding about sustainability, we can help to bring about change. This is what Get It Green is all about.

I am very honored to be able to play a part in helping to raise awareness about sustainability, even from the smallest of stages.  It is a privilege to be able to offer ideas and insight to those eager to see it.  I want us to see ourselves as powerful conduits of change each time we make a conscious, green choice and to walk away feeling renewed, filled with a sense of possibility and better prepared to take action.    

Jude Daley is the founder and Operations Manager of Get It Green, (www.getitgreen.com). Inspired by her former Santa Cruz business, “The Breathing Company”, she wanted to broaden her focus to support the many areas of sustainability.   With her husband, she spent the last year designing a solar, energy efficient home in the Arizona desert and recognized the need for more information on renewable energies, building and buying green. For more information contact Jude @ 831-212-2709.


 




 

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