Have you ever wondered how much your car gives off in emissions that can affect the globe and atmosphere? Tons of CO2 is emitted every year through cars, factories, and many other sources. How will this problem be solved in order to save the earth and its inhabitants? This is a huge problem that plagues the entirety of the human population and all species of the world, and luckily, we have a great solution; solar energy.

Issue

8,320 pounds, more than 4 tons, of CO2 gas is floating into the atmosphere from each vehicle per year. Mulitply that times the amount of people with cars, just over 1 billion, and that is over 8.32 trillion pounds of CO2 being released into the atmosphere each year. As car manufacturers and factories increase in number globally, more cars are bought and used by more and more people. It seems the entire world will own cars by the year of 3000 at the rate at which cars are introduced to new countries. Over 13 million cars are have been made yearly in China since 2009. It’s an extreme increase and technological innovation, considering this is a country whose car industry only recently was spurred in 1992. As technology progresses, the use and manufacturing of cars continuously increases. This isn’t the only form of CO2 emission, as factories, planes, motorcycles, buses, and more add to the emission of CO2. Whilst the ocean, trees and other plant life, can absorb CO2, there is a limit, and once that limit is reached CO2 plagues the earth and destroys life.

Excess levels in CO2 increase the greenhouse effect, decrease the purity of air, destroy environments, and have hazardous effects on humans. This is more than enough reason for us to address the huge problem we have created, and solar energy will help. Many countries are racing to help the CO2 problem, and India is an amazing place for solar energy to take off.

Solution

India is looking to use its year round source of the sun (free sun!) to take advantage of its high potential by using solar energy. India has many plans to help deter the use of fossil fuels by utilizing solar panels. States like Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh are pushing for more solar energy. Solar panel production and use has doubled in percent in the past year from April 2013 to March 2014. India is a hotbed that is ready for solar power. Solar power will directly convert photovoltaic rays from the sun and create free energy for thousands of people. Although the initial cost of nation-wide solar panels is relatively high ($170 million in the last year) the long term use of solar panels will inevitably have the panels paying for themselves. This reduces the need of fossil fuels and the halt of direct emission of CO2 will save the environment and the world.

As solar energy becomes a widely and massively used alternative to fossil fuels, emission levels are decreasing as plants and oceans cycle through the CO2 faster, decreasing it’s negative effects on a global scale. In order to keep this dream alive, people across the globe must help in the use of solar energy. Many companies have started to invest in solar energy and companies have also dedicated themselves to creating solar energy for the world. Some companies include: First Solar, Inc.; SunPower Corporation; and SolarCity Corporation, all in America. In India there are dozens of companies looking to expand solar energy. Just because people are thousands of miles apart, doesn’t mean they can’t help each other. Save the world, invest in solar energy.