During the industrial revolution coal, that was used for heating homes and transportation, was the beginning of the drastic increase of the CO2 emission that led to Global Warming. With the usage of Fossil Fuel in all the present modern transportation and energy production have increased the emission even further in our atmosphere to unprecedented levels therefore contributing more damage to our planet. Our impulsive tendency, to apply all technological innovations into our lives without further consideration on its negative effect on our health and climate, was disastrous.
After a fierce and long struggle in the last few decades technology came to the rescue by rectifying and preventing the effect of fossil oil. This was done by switching to renewable energy. This step was essential but came late because the decision to adopt solar and wind energies was sabotaged by the Big Oil Corporation. But again, this rush, with all the good intentions to go green, might have some consequences that we are not yet aware off. Full and more elaborate research were mandatory, so we do not fall into the same trap again, before going into a full fledge deployment.
These researches are coming out now right on what the effect of renewable energy on its surroundings. One of these researches was just published in Science by Yan Li and colleagues. Using sophisticated modeling software, they simulated turning the Sahara Desert into a huge solar and wind farm. All type of scenarios and information were fed into a computer program that simulates Earth’s dynamic climate. The system came up, with different predictions, with the effect of these energy farms on the environment.
Dr Yan Li explained the objective of his research :
“We want to investigate if we build such large wind and solar farms in the Sahara that can provide enough clean energy to meet all human energy demand, what their impact on regional climate would be.”
This simulated research area was in Africa, the Sahara and the neighboring Sahel. The size of this simulated Sahara is so huge, almost close to the size of Canada or the whole Sahara in Africa. This energy produced over this area is equivalent to four times the energy needed globally. The objective of the Sahara because the area scarcely populated and ready to supply energy demands of Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The result of the research study concluded that this giant renewable farm will affect the surrounding desert area warmer and rainier (the average daily precipitation would increase to 0.59 of a millimeter that is 1.5 times than the current state) and part of the Sahara will turn green for the first time in Millennia.
The conclusion of this research points to the possibility of renewable energy not only suppress our reliance on Fossil Fuel to also stop the expansion of deserts the byproduct of the global warming.
Dr Li optimistic conclusion: “I believe the increasing adoption of renewable energy can save the humanity from climate change.”
Gestures of Resistance: An Interview with Tan Pin Pin. to read more click festifair.co
