The Future is Green

Ever since the industrial revolution, our world has been running on oil. The black sticky stuff is the liquid remains of fossilised sea creatures, plankton and algae. Crude oil is recovered mostly through oil drilling, refined and separated by distillation, to produce petrol, plastics, fertilisers, solvents, adhesives and pesticides. About 80 percent of the world's readily accessible oil reserves are located in the Middle East, with 62.5 percent coming from the Arab 5: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq, Qatar and Kuwait. The world at large consumes 30 billion barrels (4.8 km³) of oil per year. The current rate at which we consume oil is unsustainable as well as highly damaging to our environment. Industry leaders and analysts agree that the production of oil will peak before 2020, and gradually decline from there as oil sources become scarce. This will result in oil products becoming more expensive and finding alternatives will be necessary. Substitutes such as coal and gas are finite resources too, so they will only be a temporary solution. As petrol will become unaffordable for many, the number of cars on the road will decrease. This may result in a higher urban population, as commuting to work will no longer be an option. As it will become expensive to transport food across the country, people will need to grow their own food. There are various movements working towards more productive use of urban wastelands and domestic gardens including permaculture, urban horticulture, sustainable gardening, and organic gardening. City air will be much cleaner, bicycles will dominate the roads, and roof top gardens will attract wildlife. All this has huge benefits for our health, as we will live a more active lifestyle and consume more whole foods. 

Feeding more than seven billion human bodies takes a heavy toll on the Earth’s resources. The World Health Organization recommends the Mediterranean diet which is low in meat, rich in fruits and vegetables, low in added sugar and limited salt, and low in saturated fatty acids. A diet low in meat and saturated fats and high in legumes and other vegetables is associated with a low incidence of ailments and low environmental impact. Worldwide, livestock production occupies 70% of all land used for agriculture, or 30% of the land surface of the Earth. In June 2010 a report from the United Nations Environment Programme said that a move toward a vegan diet is needed to save the world from hunger.

Temperatures will climb, and with them, the sea levels will rise. Ten per cent of the world's population – about 600 million people – live in low-lying areas vulnerable to sea level rise. Places like the Netherlands, Bangladesh, China's Guangdong and Shenzhen, and America's New Orleans and Miami Beach will be under water. Satellite observations show that Arctic sea ice is now declining at a rate of 11.5% per decade. The Arctic may experience ice-free summers. As frozen lands thaw out, there will be more arable land in high-latitude regions. Arid regions on the other hand will experience increased drought, and tropical regions will experienced increased wet-seasons, causing soil erosion and flooding.

Can we survive on sunshine, wind, and water? The United States Department of Energy estimates that the solar energy resource in a 100-square-mile (259-square-kilometer) area of Nevada could supply the States with all its electricity. Some people predict that we'll send a set of solar- satellites into space that will beam solar energy down from orbit. Wind power is growing at the rate of 30% annually, with a worldwide installed capacity of 282,482 megawatts at the end of 2012, and is widely used in Europe, Asia, and the United States. As offshore wind speeds average 90% greater than that of land, offshore resources can contribute substantially more energy than land stationed turbines. Since water is about 800 times denser than air, even a slow flowing stream of water, or moderate sea swell, can yield considerable amounts of energy. Hydropower is produced in 150 countries, with the Asia-Pacific region generating 32 percent of global hydropower in 2010. Projections vary, but scientists have advanced a plan to power 100% of the world's energy with sunshine, wind, and water by the year 2030. Yes, the future is green.