The first is solar power. We have a practically limitless power source and it comes from the sun. There are number of ways to harness the power of the sun. The first is from solar power cells.

These devices convert the solar energy into electrical energy. It is clean and virtually limitless. The limiting factor right now is cost. It is still rather expensive to build power cells. Therefore the cost of the energy from these cells is higher than would it would be from other sources like oil fired or coal fired electrical power plants.

But this situation is changing. The technology used to produce these panels is constantly improving. Hopefully it will get to the point where it is cost effective to have banks of solar panels around the globe providing abundant, clean and cheap energy.

Another very viable alternative is to generate electrical from wind power. This is also something which is readily available. There are many areas of our country where the winds blow constantly. There are many wind turbines which have been developed to take advantage of this power from the wind.

It converts the power of the wind to drive a turbine which in turn drives a generator. This generator provides abundant electricity. This source of power can be used on a local or individual basis or expanded into hundreds of wind turbines spread throughout a particular area.

Our government needs to enact legislation to encourage the use of these alternative sources of energy. By doing so it will spur further development to make the use of these options even more cost effective and viable in the long run.

The main advantage of space based solar power over collection done on the Earth’s surface is that in space there are no obstacles in the way of collection. Many things in the atmosphere and weather conditions can limit how much solar power you can collect in a day when you are above the Earth’s atmosphere you take away most of those obstacles and can collect more energy.

Studies have shown that 144% more energy can be collected from a spaced based solar panel over one located on the Earth’s surface. The other big advantage is the amount of hours it can collect solar power. Most of the year a space based solar panel placed correctly can collect sunlight 24 hours a day one earth you are not going to collect more than 12 hours a day maximum of solar energy.

However, spaced based solar power does create a few problems as well. The primary problem is transmission of energy from the collection panels to the Earth’s surface for use. Since we obviously cannot put wires on a satellite reaching to Earth the power much be transmitted wirelessly to Earth.

Space based solar power is probably a long time away from becoming main stream but it is definitely a technology we should be researching and developing because the benefits of having unlimited solar power are endless.

Green energy is cleaner. Oil is dirty from collection to use. The drilling process if it goes wrong like we saw in the Gulf of Mexico can be very damaging to our environment. The production cycle of oil is very dirty and creates a whole range of toxins that go back into our environment.

We all know once the oil finally reaches our car in the form of gas then our cars drive around poisoning the earth. Green energy sources are cleaner and natural which makes their environmental impact much higher than using green energy.

Green energy is more abundant. Although oil and natural gas may be in short supply and very expensive, water power, solar power and wind power are completely clean and in large supply. The dwindling resources of traditional energy sources are a real problem for us and the sooner we face the challenges head on the better off we will be.

Green energy is also better for our wallets. Depending on foreign oil means we depend on a ton of different markets to tell us how much we are going to pay at the pump. In the last 10 years or so gas prices are all over the board. It is very hard for a family to budget when gas goes up $1 in a month’s time. Green energy sources can be produced here and be used here which would allow for a more advantageous market for consumers.

Solar energy is the most common type of sustainable alternative energy. Solar power uses the conversion of sunlight and turns it into electricity. The sun’s energy is collected using solar panels which trap the rays and convert them to energy.

Wind power though a less used technology than solar it is just as effective. Wind power is collected through turbines which then convert the wind to energy. Large scale wind farms are then connected to the electrical grid while smaller farms are used to provide electricity to isolated locations.

Hydro power or water power is power collected from a force of moving water. If water is going to produce energy it has to be fast moving. That means the most ideal place to collect hydro power is when a river is in a flood or moving very fast for another reason.

Using these types of sustainable alternative energy sources is vital to both our future and future generations. Most of the energy sources we use now such as oil and natural gas are not only becoming more expensive everyday but they are also dwindling in supply. These sources are not long term energy sources, which is why we need to be thinking about alternative energy now before it is too late.

and I can’t wait to share photos with you when I get home. This group was different than most so it has been interesting. The people are SO nice here it is amazing. The weather has been phenomenal and the Caribbean Sea is gorgeous.

On the flip side, I have really been missing my boys…. I can’t just pick up the phone (Darn you Verizon!) and chat if I need to which is frustrating. Probably more so because I am the only staff on this trip….. Tomorrow we are off to check out more scenery and ride a ski lift up a mountain. Afterwards we are hitting up Dunns River Falls which I hear are amazing. Should be fun!

Have a great week!

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