“Perfect storm” Professor Sir John Beddington FRS UK Chief Scientific Adviser 2008 -2013

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United Nations Sustainable Development Goals poster

Around the world, more than 1 billion people lack access to electricity, concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Improving access to clean and affordable energy services for these populations will be a critical driver for poverty reduction as well as improved health and social outcomes.

2014 sustainable energy trends and facts for the United States. 

Two-thirds of Americans favor increased government spending to develop solar and wind power, and spending more to develop alternative fuels for cars has the same level of support.

The number of Americans who support alternative, renewable energy production has increased since 2013. 

Energy from renewable resources—wind, water, the sun, biomass and geothermal energy—is inexhaustible and clean.

The costs of technologies to capture that energy are rapidly falling and becoming economically competitive with fossil fuels, while reducing the risk of climate change. Investing in renewable energy creates jobs, fosters economic growth, and improves energy security for countries that lack domestic fossil fuel resources.

Significant amounts of water are needed in almost all energy generation processes, from generating hydropower, to cooling and other purposes in thermal power plants, to extract­ing and processing fuels. Conversely, the water sector needs energy to extract, treat and transport water.

These interdependencies complicate possible solutions and make a compelling case to expeditiously improve integrated water and energy planning in order to avoid unwanted future scenarios.

In 2014, major debates and discussions surrounding climate change and green living in the United States has placed an unprecedented focus on renewable energy. The future growth in the renewable energy sector is slated to be significant as American’s make an effort to minimize their energy footprint on Earth.

Since the Industrial Revolution, the world has been hooked on fossil fuels. This fatal addiction has us living on borrowed time, facing ecological and economic ruin by 2050. 

At present we remain dangerously over-reliant on fossil-fuel power. However, it’s not too late – if we take steps in the right direction we can beat our addiction.