Renewables

Windmills and solar power

5.5 Renewables

 

What about clean energy from renewables? Solar power on earth is likely not going to be sustainable enough. Maybe in the future we can harvest solar power from space but for the moment giant wind farms can be a solution. In his book Heat from 2006, George Monbiot proved that from all the renewable, giant wind farms, in combination with adjustments in our lifestyle could be the only solution to provide the world with enough energy.

On the other hand, a study from the World Bank in 2017 discovered that the mining of all materials needed to produce enough power plants working on renewables will cause another environmental problem. Constructing these new power plants will require the extraction of millions and millions of tons of aluminum, zinc, lead, copper, and iron. There might not even be enough silver for this amount of solar panels, neodymium for the wind turbines, and especially lithium to produce all the necessary batteries. On top of that, wind turbines are less effective than turbines on fossil fuel. This means that in comparison to the same energy output, you will need more of the dangerous sulfur hexafluoride gas (chapter 3.7) to stop sparks inside their transformers. And last, but maybe the most important downside of power supply from renewables is that it isn’t flexible and consistent enough to provide our societies 24/7 with a reliable flow of electricity. So we’re still going to need backup power stations on fossil fuel, or nuclear energy.

This leads to the conclusion that with the technology currently available it is likely impossible to produce enough clean energy to support our whole population with the same Western lifestyle. Coincidently the recently published new documentary Planet of the Humans, directed by Jeff Gibbs and Michael Moore is now showing a similar message. So what we really need is a holistic approach with a change of mind and lifestyle.

Sustainability Blog Sustainable chocolate How to grow sustainable cocoa to produce chocolate and energy?The main ingredient of chocolate is cocoa beans. Originally from what’s now called Ecuador in South America the cocoa bean slowly traveled north over the American Continent and became famous for its use in Maya and Aztec Read more
Sustainability Blog Fly more sustainable How can we start now with making flying more sustainable? Compared to other sectors, aviation is a relatively small contributor to global greenhouse emissions, but it was also one of the fastest growing. Between 2000 and 2019, there was a 5% average rise in flights per Read more
Sustainability Blog Ancient Water Management Why Peru is reviving a pre-Incan technology for waterWhy it is important to travel and learn from other cultures. Mankind has been for millennia on this planet and our current climate problems are not the first and will not be the last either. Although we Read more
Sustainability Blog Gazi's carbon offset success The success of Gazi’s sustainable Blue Carbon Offset programCoastal ecosystems are some of the most productive on Earth. They provide us with essential ecosystem services, such as coastal protection from storms and nursery grounds for fish. They also help sequestering and storing so called Read more
Sustainability Blog Default Sustainable The Default Sustainability ApproachWhat if we can make our society and tourism more sustainable without having to change much of our human belief structures? This approach is called: “The sustainable environmental friendly default approach”. A study in Nature looked at non-monetary incentives that encourage pro-environmental behavior and Read more
Sustainability Blog Teleférico in La Paz Sustainable cable cars above La Paz, BoliviaThe city of La Paz in Bolivia provides a good example of how the improvement of public transport can be beneficial for its citizens, the environment and tourism. La Paz has around 800.000 inhabitants and is located in Read more
Sustainability Blog Geothermal Power Unlimited clean energy and tourism? Geothermal energy is heat derived within the sub-surface of the earth. Water and/or steam carry the geothermal energy to the Earth’s surface. Depending on its characteristics, geothermal energy can be used for heating purposes or be harnessed to generate clean electricity. Globally, Read more
Sustainability Blog How whales absorb CO2 How whales absorb CO2 and can slow down climate changeCan protecting whales be 'the next' carbon offset scheme? The world's largest animals are unusual good at taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, and how they do this is likely going to surprise you.Whales, Read more
Sustainability Blog Communities in Congo Sustainable rainforest communities in DR Congo The Congo Rainforest Basin is part of some 314 million hectares (1.2 million sq miles) of primary rainforest – the oldest, densest and most ecologically significant kind. This rainforest plays a crucial role in the stability of the world's climate, and Read more

Copyright © 2020 Tourism vs Climate Change Powered by Fairtravel4u