A renewed call for sustainable energy sources

MANILA, Philippines - Much like the human body, the Earth runs on energy, or at least that’s what we require of it. Because of man-made construction and other human needs, we use the planet’s natural resources and convert them into power for our purposes.

Unlike humans, however, there is no supplement for the Earth to regain its energy. And with energy depletion and uninterrupted expansion, we could soon be running on empty.

Although the staggering rise of global warming has been written about extensively, and so many projects have been initiated to mitigate this, there is still so much to be done. We still need to pursue the matter further and not let discussions on this die down, lest we become complacent and let our guard down.

The fact is we should still continue to seek alternative options energy sources and to increase the adoption of renewable and sustainable sources of energy. One way to ensure this is to continue pursuing conversations about the matter and thus sustain awareness and, hopefully, concern.

One of the biggest offenders to climate change has been the abuse of fossil fuels.  A recent study by top climate scientists with Argentina’s Universal Ecological Fund revealed that in three decades, global warming will inevitably reach intense levels that could endanger most people alive today.

In fact, the effect of climate change has been so rapid that by 2050, the Arctic could be completely void of ice during the summer.

Despite its alarming effects, fossil fuel is still consumed at a staggering rate of up to 61.25 percent here in the Philippines.

As the Philippines continues to favor coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas as our main sources of energy, the carbon budget that sets a limit on global temperature also continues to get tighter.

Aside from the hazards that arise from fossil fuels, the main problem is that there just isn’t enough left. Because fossil fuels take millions of years to manifest and only so little time to consume, the demand is slowly overpowering the supply. In fact, energy experts determine that crude oil will be depleted within 30 to 50 years.

Some 70 million barrels of petroleum are consumed daily, never to be replenished. Even coal, which is arguably more abundant as of late, is estimated to be wiped out by 2166.

What makes renewable energy so important is the very fact that not only does it protect our environment but it is also in abundant supply. This supply is also infinite, because unlike fossil fuels it can be reused and converted as needed.

Stanford University also recently held a study that shows solar energy, now cheaper than before, can prevent 12,000 deaths caused by air pollution while generating the necessary amount of energy for years to come. This same study proves that solar energy can work hand-in-hand with other renewable sources like wind, water, and geothermal assets.

Here in the Philippines, various efforts are already being made to spread the use of renewable energy, what with wind farms being pioneered in Ilocos Norte and Puerto Galera (making the Philippines the top wind energy producer among ASEAN nations), and solar panels being adopted by large companies.

One company that has been a major contributor to the push for renewable energy is Filipino technology company, AMTI.  The company has been keeping up with local demands on renewable energy by being a full turnkey solution provider and/or EPC for solar projects complemented with other such as perimeter security protection using fiber optic, to which solar farm that can be monitored and protected with their Advanced Premises Protection System (APPS).

Making APPS in tandem with their renewable energy hardware, AMTI is aiming for large strides toward greener and more efficient energy production plants in the country. “Our main goal in AMTI is to help provide the ways which Filipinos can make use of renewable energy in line with the global initiative to provide alternatives to fossil fuel and help mitigate global warming,”  says AMTI president Allyxon Cua.