Author: Ginger Reid
While it’s true that big corporations are responsible for most of the pollution leading to climate change, how we live our lives also contributes to this problem. Thankfully, there are plenty of small changes that can be done in our homes and communities to make a difference. Here are some ways you can change the world for the better.
Guest Post by: MODSolar
Sources: Berkeley Labs/ Solar Weekly/ Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy/ SunRun
When people say ‘solar energy,’ they immediately think of cutting costs on their monthly electric bills. This is understandably the primary reason why people consider getting themselves rooftop PV panels. However, deciding to convert to solar creates powerful impacts that extend far beyond one’s home!
YOURSELF
As soon as you install solar PV panels, you start saving money. Depending on where you live and your state’s laws, you can sell electricity to the grid and have zero bills! In addition, you don’t have to be reliant anymore on your electric company, which can raise prices whenever they want. You’ll also have immunity (to some degree) against blackouts!
Going solar is probably the best home improvement project you can make, too. As sustainable energy proves to be more and more popular, having solar PV systems on your roof can even increase your property’s value, making it a sound investment! In fact, in a study by the Berkeley Laboratory recognized by the Department of Energy, it is claimed that a home with PV panels will sell $4/W or $15,000 for a 3.6-kW PV system, but it’s even higher in California, which remains the number one champion of solar energy in the US.
PLANET EARTH
Solar energy requires no combustion of fuels, unlike power plants that run on gas and fossil fuels. The reduction in carbon footprint is equal to avoiding climate change damages that could, by some estimates, reach amounts of up to $259 billion. That also means 17 million fewer metric tons of greenhouses gases.
And while nuclear power plants need boiling water reactors to make electricity, solar panels don’t. That means saving enough water to supply 1.3 million homes.
Isn’t it great that what you originally intended to benefit just your family can bring massive positive effects to the environment, too?
THE COMMUNITY
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reveals that as of 2016, the US solar industry supports 260,077 people, including installers, salesmen, laborers, and more.
But more than the provision of livelihood, solar power protect lives. The reduction in toxic waste, especially greenhouse gas emissions, makes way for a healthier environment. With solar power, there are no pollutants going into the air, land, or water! This means a lowered risk for childhood asthma and other diseases. An estimated 25,000 to 59,000 premature deaths from 2015 to 2050 can be avoided.
Furthermore, the national grid has varied sources of electricity when we introduce solar energy. This means that should one or two sources fail (e.g. power plants), a power outage won’t be possible on a national or massive scale.
With solar PV systems, you’re saving money, the planet, and human lives! Though solar energy is currently expensive for the whole world to afford, with the cooperation of nations and technological experts, we may soon find a way to make the big shift within our reach. And with such beneficial effects to humanity and the Earth, we should strive to make it as soon as possible.
If you’re considering adding a blog to your site, you’ll want to have a plan beforehand. Planning your blog will help your subject matter remain consistent over time. It’ll also help you determine whether or not there’s enough material to maintain a steady stream of posts.
One pitfall many new bloggers run into is starting a blog that isn’t posted to frequently enough. A shortage of recent posts can give your visitors a bad impression of your business. One may think “I wonder if they’re still in business” or “they may want to hire a writer.”
A blog, like any other customer facing aspect of your business, communicates your brand. If it isn’t maintained and given proper attention, people will notice. Post regularly and keep your content fresh. Give your audience a reason to visit often.
If you write about a variety of subjects, categories can help your readers find the posts that are most relevant to them. For instance, if you run a consulting business, you may want some of your posts to reflect work you’ve done with previous clients, while having other posts act as informational resources. In this particular case, you can set up 2 categories: one labeled Projects and another labeled Resources. You’d then place your posts in their respective categories.
If you’re new to WordPress you may be wondering what’s the big deal behind Pages and Posts. At first glance they appear to be one and the same: if you were to create either a new page or a new post you’d be presented with nearly identical interfaces and in many cases the public appearance of pages and posts will look the same.
Don’t let this fool you. There’s a very fundamental difference between the two and that difference is what makes CMSs, like WordPress, great platforms for integrating blogs with traditional websites.
Think about the kind of pages that make up a typical website. Most often you’ll see pages like “Home”, “About Us”, “Services”, “Contact Us”, etc. Within WordPress these are often treated as Pages; documents that have no particular regard for the time they were posted.
For example, when you visit the “About Us” page of your favorite company’s website you don’t expect the content to be very different from what was available there a week ago.
If you’re considering adding a blog to your site, you’ll want to have a plan beforehand. Planning your blog will help your subject matter remain consistent over time. It’ll also help you determine whether or not there’s enough material to maintain a steady stream of posts.
One pitfall many new bloggers run into is starting a blog that isn’t posted to frequently enough. A shortage of recent posts can give your visitors a bad impression of your business. One may think “I wonder if they’re still in business” or “they may want to hire a writer.”
A blog, like any other customer facing aspect of your business, communicates your brand. If it isn’t maintained and given proper attention, people will notice. Post regularly and keep your content fresh. Give your audience a reason to visit often.
If you write about a variety of subjects, categories can help your readers find the posts that are most relevant to them. For instance, if you run a consulting business, you may want some of your posts to reflect work you’ve done with previous clients, while having other posts act as informational resources. In this particular case, you can set up 2 categories: one labeled Projects and another labeled Resources. You’d then place your posts in their respective categories.
If you’re new to WordPress you may be wondering what’s the big deal behind Pages and Posts. At first glance they appear to be one and the same: if you were to create either a new page or a new post you’d be presented with nearly identical interfaces and in many cases the public appearance of pages and posts will look the same.
Don’t let this fool you. There’s a very fundamental difference between the two and that difference is what makes CMSs, like WordPress, great platforms for integrating blogs with traditional websites.
Think about the kind of pages that make up a typical website. Most often you’ll see pages like “Home”, “About Us”, “Services”, “Contact Us”, etc. Within WordPress these are often treated as Pages; documents that have no particular regard for the time they were posted.
For example, when you visit the “About Us” page of your favorite company’s website you don’t expect the content to be very different from what was available there a week ago.