The vast majority of us are becoming a lot more environmentally aware and as such do take a much more active role in looking after our environment. The world is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels which are going to run our eventually, as such a lot more research and development is being done in finding alternatives sources and technologies to ensure that we will be able to move away from using these environmentally dirty forms of energy and instead have green environmentally friendly alternatives.

Transport
Most forms of transport out there have an environmental impact on our world. Most of the major forms of transport rely on energy from fossil fuels;

Cars

Trucks

Airplanes

Large Boats

Trains

Motorbikes

With the majority of these transport methods using either Petroleum products or power generated from coal fire power stations, this makes them not very green and in turn does have a negative impact on our environment. Car manufacturers are only slowly offering alternatives to the public which include hybrid cars, electric cars and hydrogen powered cars. A lot of these are still in early stages of experimenting and refinement so are almost a working process. If you cannot wait for the car makers to get a product which is green and environmentally friendly, you may wish to purchase a kit which will change your vehicles fuel to bio diesel which can be done quite easily and cheaply. This will give you a vehicle which can be run on fuel made from sustainable sources and leaves a lot less pollution than the normal combustion engine.

Solar Power for your home
Depending on where you live in the world, depends on the alternative power sources which are readily available in your area. As these become more popular, more time and money is investing in improving the technology to make it even more efficient. A prime example of this is the solar panel which has been around for quite a few decades and over the last 20 years or so the technology has been refined to make the solar panel a lot more efficient in converting sunlight to power. If you live in a country which receives plenty of sunshine then this may be a suitable alternative for you. But before you go out and buy your solar panels wholesale from a local supplier, you will need to do some research on the system that is best for your needs. If you have a large roof or area of land which you can use to install solar panels, then you may be able to install a system which is not only going to cover all of your energy needs, but you can also create a surplus and sell this back to the energy companies. There are many counties around the world where the government will offer you a grant f you are looking to install systems like this in your home or place of business. These types of systems do pay for themselves over time as long as you have the initial money to invest.

Wind Farms
Wind farms are another form of environmentally friendly energy. These do have mixed reviews though as they can be a clean alternative energy source, these have an impact on our environment in another way. Due to the size of the turbines used in wind farms, they do make a blot on the landscape, especially as these types of farms are usually put in the middle of the country side or off shore where there are not many people. These are not only large but can also create quite a lot of noise as well with the turbines being moved in the wind. These can be a great source of renewable energy but they do have an aesthetic impact on our environment as well with the visual eyesore and noise pollution made.

Summary
As of yet we do not have a viable alternative energy source which is suitable for everyone. Time and money still needs to be invested to make current technology more efficient and research into new ones as well. We do need to up a gear or two in this though as our energy reserves are running out. We need to make a stand for our environment and try and preserve a world worth living in for our children and future generations. It all starts with little steps and will snowball from there, the more people we get actively looking to change our ways then the sooner change will come. But as we wait for the elusive perfect form of energy to be discovered, let’s make an effort and start the wheels of change, before it is too late!

This article was written by Max Johnson on behalf of Avic International. AVIC Solar is a leading supplier in wholesale solar panels and ranks 250th in the Global Top 500 largest corporations in 2012. Max is a keen blogger on technology and green issues and is always looking for ways to help maintain the planet and reduce his carbon footprint.