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In recent years, we have realized the harmful effects of smoking, we have started cutting sodas and other sugary drinks out of our diets, and we have begun to recycle plastic products more than ever. Current generations have especially realized the importance of taking care of our planet and all of the natural resources that we need for survival, which has invoked a movement toward sustainability. Along with recycling, eliminating toxins from the air, and conserving water use, the sustainability movement has been working to create alternative sources of energy that will not be harmful to the planet. These sources include solar, biomass, and wind power. Solar power is useful because it relies on energy from a source that is constant and that we cannot deplete: the sun. Sunlight can be collected and converted in various ways, including solar water heating with solar collectors, and even the direct conversion of sunlight to electricity by using mirrors or boilers. This source is not sufficient enough to power everything in our society. However, it is a good place to start. If each person used the sun to heat their water, this alone would reduce so many harmful electrical effects worldwide. Another useful source of energy is biomass energy, which is acquired through plants. Biomass involves simply using resources that are thought of as garbage, such as dead trees, tree branches, wood chips, unused crops, bark, sawdust, and even excess yard trimmings. Even our trash contains some types of biomass that can be used. Instead of letting these materials go to waste or throwing them in landfills, we can use them to produce heat, electricity, fuels, and compost material. Biomass power plants take these materials and burn them in a furnace that creates energy that can be used. Another way to incorporate biomass is at farms where many animals are present. When the manure that these animals produce decomposes, it can be burned and turned into electricity and heat to run the farm. Biomass simply takes materials that nobody wants anymore and uses them to create power in a more sustainable, healthful way. One other form of sustainable energy is wind power. The benefit of this source is that we cannot deplete it because the wind is a constant force in the atmosphere around the world. People have already been harnessing wind power for centuries with the use of windmills. Today's modern wind turbines capture wind's kinetic energy with rotating blades and convert it into electricity. There a few different types of machines that can do this, including utility-scale, distributed, and offshore wind, which can provide electricity to homes, farms, and even businesses. The impact of using the wind as a source of electricity can be substantial if we incorporate its use. These types of alternative energy sources and others, if implemented more permanently, can have a tremendous impact on the sustainability and well-being of our planet. We just have to spread the word and encourage action. To learn more about sustainability, visit http://ecofirmafarms.com/sustainability.php.
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