There is a lot of talk these days about what the future of the earth and its resources might look like. Predictions range from an end-of-days scenario to a more hopeful outlook. Energy use and resources are often a part of these conversations. What about electricity? Will we have enough of it? Can we run out of it? These are questions that many people wonder about. So let’s take a look at what we know and what the future might hold. Let’s check what these electricians say about it.
What is electricity?
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena that is the energetic result of motion and matter, and which has a property of electric charge.
We use electricity for practically everything in our lives, and the very thought of it not being accessible sends a chill down our collective spines. When communities face a disruption in their electrical services that result in temporary black out, people really suffer. It’s a scramble for utilities companies to get the lights back on and it’s a great relief when they do.
Will we run out of electricity?
The world stillproduces the majority of its electricity by burning fossil fuels and coal, which is then transferred along lines and through a massive grid system to individual homes and buildings. Since coal and fossil fuels are a finite, limited resource (they don’t reproduce or sustain themselves), it is logical to conclude that we are going to eventually run out of this resource. But will we run out of electricity?
Technically, no, there can always be more electricity, but we will not be able to produce electricity in the same way, by burning fossil fuels.
The good news is that electricity is energy, and energy is produced in many other natural ways on and around our planet: from the sun’s nuclear fusion at the centre of its core; from the ebb and flow of water in rivers and oceans; from heat released from earth’s inner layers; from the wind. If we harness these sources of energy, we will continue to have electricity.
The more pressing question should be: will we have new systems in place for creating energy before we run out of fossil fuels?
The future of electricity
While electricity as a substance won’t end, our access to it and our ability to harness it is going to need some rethinking. As electrical contractors, we think about the future of electricity a lot and we have hope, there are a lot of brilliant minds coming up with solutions to the problem of our energy future.
There are ways to make an individual difference, by reducing your energy footprint and using less electricity whenever possible. This might mean replacing old, inefficient appliances or updating your windows which will help reduce your consumption.
BPM Electricians, who serve the clients in the Vancouver Lower Mainland, they encourage all of their clients and customers to find ways to be more energy efficient in their homes, and to transition to renewable energy sources whenever possible. If you want to assess how much electricity is used in your home, take a look at your energy bills and see where you can make adjustments or giveus a call. There are lots of savings to be had that are good for the pocketbook, and for our electrical future.