The sunlight is a basic condition of life - main energy source for living forms on the Earth. It offers 11,000 more energy than human population requires today as well as an endless range of materials-giving plants and animals. The only limit is our ability to use sunny resources sustainably, within their renewal capacity.

Renewable energies

On the Earth surface, sunshine is transformed to different kinds of energies as well as into bodies of plants. People have used to use these energies for thousands of years (as a food from the real beginning, water and windmills for flour making or pumping water). Renewable energies are a reliable resource of huge potential. Using modern technologies connected with energy savings they can securely satisfy our energetic needs.

See 100 % renewable energy scenarios

Wind power

Airflows can be used to run wind turbines. Traditional windmills turn mechanical machinery; modern ones generate electricity. They can be used in large-scale wind farms for national electrical grids or in small turbines for providing electricity to rural residences, or grid-isolated locations. The long-term technical potential of wind energy is believed to be 40 times of current electricity demand.

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Hydropower

Hydraulic power is the force of moving water. There are several forms of waterpower:

• Waterwheels, used to power mills and machinery (textile machines, sawmills...)
• Hydroelectricity, usually referring to hydroelectric dams or run-of-the-river setups
• Tidal power, which captures energy from tides in horizontal direction and tidal stream power, which does the same vertically
• Wave power, which uses the energy in waves

Large-scale water power plants, which dramatically change environment, are hardly considered as renewable.

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Earth and geothermal energy

Earth energy uses temperatures found in the earth or below water to cool or heat air and water for buildings (using pump). Geothermal energy uses steam or hot water in the earth's crust to power turbines or to heat buildings or water.

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Biomass

Term biomass refers to living biological material, which can be used as fuel or for industrial production. As a renewable energy it is derived from numerous sources, including by-products from the timber industry, agricultural crops, raw material from forests, household wastes and animal matters. It is used in:

• Solid form - wood and plant rests loosed or pressed into briquettes or pellets
• Liquid form - vegetable oil, pyrolytic oil, ethanol, butanol
• Gaseous form - biogas (methane) from green wastes and animal matters

Although the potential of biomass energy is huge, its food and material use should have a priority. Satisfying our energy demands should not cause hunger. The best resources of biomass energy are wastes of food and materials.

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See biofuel problems

Renewable resources of materials

Renewable resources of materials used to be main sources for thousands of years. Natural fibers, oils, starch and aromatic substances have created base of our common culture. We've used them for making clothes, houses, paper, colors, cosmetics, medicine, cleaners or toys.

They used to be a real prove of our dependency on an environment, and our ability to transform our nature in sustainable way.

Their biggest advantage is their non-toxic character and bio-degradability. Sustainable use of renewable materials can provide us with high quality products without harmful side effects, such as health damage, waste contamination and other irreversible derogation into the environment.

Fibers

Natural fibers such as flax and hemp used to be a main source of textil or paper in Europe. In the beggining of 20th century, biodegradable plastics such a cellophane were produced. As natural resources, they can be cultivated and processed locally into thousands of biodegradable products.

See http://www.naturalfibres2009.org and search for your favourite fiber

Fibers

Next to food, starch from potatoes, corn or wheat is used in paper-making industry and for natural glue or biodegradable plastics production

For more see the study

Make your own potato starch plastic, visit the visit the Royal Society of Chemistry website.

Oils

Historically, vegetable oils are an important component of paints, lubricants, cosmetic products, candles or cleaners (soap). They have a medical use also. Next to that we can make biodegradable plastics out of them. Main sources of vegetable oil in Europe are these plants: sunflower, rape, pumpkin, flax, hemp, false flax and more.

See www.vegetable.in for more info