Global warming is no longer a myth. It’s a perilous environmental problem that threatens the entire human population, and non-profit organizations, such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), have been continuously spearheading projects aimed to overturn the effects of global warming. One of those innovative initiatives is the Earth Hour City Challenge, a year-long competition that encourages cities all around the world to promote alternative energy and help stop climate change.
On January 25, 2015, WWF announced Vancouver as one of the finalists of this year’s challenge. The city’s mission to become a world leader in the development of sustainable living and environmentally friendly solutions has earned them a chance to vie for the honor of being crowned the Earth Hour Capital. Vancouver aims to become the Greenest City in the World by 2020, starting nearly a hundred initiatives in an effort to make it happen.
Of course, the path to a greener future is impossible without the support of the city’s residents. The government has been encouraging locals to go green and use renewable sources of energy in their homes and businesses. The use of solar energy in Vancouver, for example, can greatly reduce the city’s carbon footprint and cut down the pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels.
Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity. With the use of photovoltaic cells, the energy harnessed from the sun can be used to power lights and other electrical appliances. Low maintenance solar panels, less expensive electricity bills, and the abundance of sunlight has made solar power an ideal source of energy.
To become the greenest city in the world, every single person has to do their part, and through inpidual actions, this goal can be readily attained. Using solar energy is only one of the few ways to develop sustainable living, and those who want to join in on the city’s mission to help save the planet might want to invest in the promising future presented by it. Companies such as Terratek Energy, Inc. offer eco-friendly solar panels in Vancouver that provide residents with clean, renewable energy in ways that are more cost-effective and maintenance free, in support of creating a greener future for everyone.
(Source: Earth Hour City Challenge: Canadian finalists announced, WWF, January 26, 2015)