The discovery of fire was a monumental one in our history. It essentially separated us from the rest of the species of the world in that, we then had the capability to use energy to serve our needs.

Over time, we learned to harness energy in all sorts of ways and from all sorts of sources and it all resulted in the building of our grand human civilisation. But with progress, there also arises a problem of sustainability.

As the human civilisation progressed and grew, our numbers grew with it. The population of the world in 1900 was just 1.6 billion. Today, it is around 7.5 billion and by 2050, it is estimated to reach a whopping 9.2 billion. That’s a lot of humans!

Those numbers, coupled with the fact that we live in the age of technology, means only one thing. Our energy requirements are greater than ever and it is only going to increase exponentially. So, the question arises, how do we power the next century?

Fossil Fuels - A Dwindling Source

Much of the world that we know today has been the result of the progress that we’ve made in the last few centuries. From the industrial revolution to the green revolution, tireless human endeavour has been the basis of this 21st century world.

Most of that progress in the last few centuries has been powered by fossil fuels and they have served us well but they have not been without their side effects.

Our rampant use of fossil fuels in all spheres of life has resulted in the degradation of the very environment we live in. From pollution and global warming to climate change, we have messed up the natural balance of the planet and now more than ever, we need alternative sources of energy for our ever advancing civilisation.

Also, considering the fact that fossil fuels are limited in nature and one day we are sure to run out of them, it is vital that we transition into using the energy sources that are more suited to our times.

A World In Transition

If you look at the technological innovation that we have become accustomed to in the past decades, you will be surprised to realise that the same hasn’t happened in the field of energy. We are essentially still using century old technology for our energy needs and that’s a pity.

Although late to the game, the world has finally started to transition from fossil fuels to cleaner and renewable sources. Almost every week we get to hear news about one country or the other making strides in this area.

India has set up an ambitious plan of selling only electric cars by 2030, eventually phasing out all non-electric ones. We are seeing the same trend starting to gain momentum in the entire world led by the top car manufacturers. Also, India recently cancelled plans for many coal power stations in a bid to ramp up solar power generating capacity instead.

China is another country that will play an important role in the transition. They too cancelled about 103 coal stations to combat drastic pollution and have been increasingly ramping up solar power generation. In fact, a few weeks ago, the Qinghai Province in China ran for an entire week on renewable sources like solar, wind and hydro power. Small changes like this often lead to big ones.

The U.K broke an energy record too just a week ago when it met more than 50% of it’s electricity demands with renewable sources. If this is impressive, check out what Denmark did. A few months ago, it ran its entire country on wind power alone for an entire day! Germany also achieved something similar when it ran on 85% renewable energy sources for a day.

Canada too is proving itself as a world leader in renewable energy. In 2015, 66% of the country’s energy demands were met by renewable sources of energy like wind, solar and biomass. With their commitment in this field, that number is only going to get higher.

Renewable energy is breaking similar records in the US too with California hitting an all time high of 56.7 % energy demand met by renewables on March 23. Also, cities like Atlanta plan to go 100% renewable energy by 2035 and Chicago by 2025.

It seems like the entire world is in a transition mode right now doing away with old, obsolete technology and taking steps to secure a world which is free of pollution and one where lack of energy will no longer be an issue anywhere in the world, driving the next century of growth.

The energy revolution has started and it might just mark the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel age.