| Almost all energy on planet Earth is solar energy. | | | | its attendant problems are currently the omega, but |
| The only other kinds of energy on our fair blue orb are | | | | that need not be. |
| gravity and the molten core of the planet itself. Even | | | | We can harness solar energy immediately. It is very |
| the molten core could be solar energy if one | | | | simple to harness solar energy. Have you ever |
| subscribes to the theory that the planet is simply solar | | | | opened the drapes on a sunny winter day to let the |
| flotsam spewed out in a huge solar storm billions of | | | | sunlight in, to enjoy its warmth? You have harnessed |
| years ago. Gravity is the only form of energy that | | | | solar energy. It has not cost us a dime -- which |
| we can say definitively is not solar in nature. | | | | brings us to the second advantage of solar energy: It |
| "Gravity?" I can hear you asking. Yes, gravity. | | | | is cheap. Even solar panels have become cheap in |
| When water flows, it does so as a result of gravity. | | | | recent years. If one considers the cost of cleaning up |
| When it flows through a hydroelectric turbine, gravity is | | | | oil spills and the cost of global climate change (in the |
| being used to power your home. | | | | form of intensified weather events which are now |
| Even the wind is, at the end of the day, solar in | | | | undeniable on a global scale), solar power is indeed the |
| nature. When the sun heats the atmosphere, it | | | | cheapest form of energy in the world. |
| causes movement, the same way steam results from | | | | Another advantage of solar energy is that it is |
| boiling water. The movement in the atmosphere is | | | | everywhere. Even on a cloudy day, a massive |
| wind. Wind is solar. | | | | amount of solar energy is hitting the ground. Which |
| Petroleum, natural gas and coal are essentially | | | | brings us to the final advantage -- solar energy is |
| decayed organic matter. Organic matter depends on | | | | abundant. Every single day, more energy from |
| the sun as the lowest levels of the food chain -- plants | | | | sunlight reaches the surface of our planet than will be |
| -- grow due to photosynthesis, which is why plants die | | | | burned in the entire history of all fossil fuels combined. |
| in a dark closet. | | | | This is absolutely a scientific fact. Look it up. It |
| So we have established that almost all available | | | | works out to 12.2 trillion watt-hours of solar energy per |
| energy on this planet comes from the sun. There is | | | | square mile per year. Multiply this by 198 million |
| the first reason that solar energy is superior to "other" | | | | square miles on the surface of the earth. This is a lot |
| forms of energy: It exists in its base form. We don't | | | | of energy. |
| have to wait millions of years for dinosaur bones to | | | | The only thing left to do is to harness it on a massive |
| decay into sunlight. Sunlight itself is the alpha. Oil and | | | | scale. |