CHAPTER 4

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Recall the foundation of the Hierarchy of Needs: air is a fundamental necessity, so much so that Abraham Maslow placed “AIR” as the first basic need. Recognizing its universal importance, we need to address air quality as Automation and AI begin to free our time from the workplace and the Climate Crisis unfolds before us; how can we improve our air quality under A2C2?

Improving air quality means enhancing the state of the air in the environment. Determining the concentration of pollutants and other harmful substances in the atmosphere can create a baseline for where we’re at and what action is required. Ultimately, poor air quality can endanger human health.

Through various measures, such as reducing emissions from transportation and industry, promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, reforestation, and implementing policies and regulations to limit pollution, we can enhance our most fundamental human requirement: air. Life itself at the global and local levels can be improved through the same added awareness—we need more than just fossil fuels to run the machine of modern society.

Fossil fuels have ushered in an unprecedented era of economic growth, benefiting countries with access to fossil fuel reserves and providing them with significant advantages. However, the uneven distribution of fossil fuel reserves has sparked political instability, conflicts, and human rights abuses in various parts of the world, and this is on top of the considerable environmental cost. As we continue to extract and burn these resources, the ecological impacts become more severe. Given these limitations and drawbacks, a growing appeal exists to integrate cleaner energy sources, such as solar or wind, into the systems we’ve already established. So, let’s clear the air.

Solar energy is a renewable energy source that produces no pollutants, greenhouse gases, or other harmful substances, and the Sun’s energy output is remarkably abundant. Harnessing even a fraction of this energy output through Photovoltaic Systems (PV Systems or solar panels) presents a clean, renewable, and readily available energy source. In recent decades, technological advancements have increased the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of solar energy to meet local energy demand and help power the energy grid.

Enter into the mix: wind. Wind energy emerges as another promising renewable energy source to help improve air quality by reducing the total amount of fossil fuels needed to power the lights. With the potential to meet a portion of global energy requirements without generating harmful greenhouse gases, wind energy captured through wind turbines holds plenty of appeal.

The future of solar and wind energy looks promising. They are domestic energy sources that can further reduce reliance on foreign fossil fuels. As more nation-states set ambitious goals to curb greenhouse gas emissions and diversify with renewable energy sources, solar and wind energy are poised to become increasingly vital in the global energy landscape. Their potential to help combat climate change while providing clean and abundant energy should be applauded further.

The fossil fuel era has profoundly shaped human societies and the environment. While it has delivered significant economic and technological benefits, it has also contributed to environmental degradation. It is a leading cause of climate change and global warming. The potential to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels as the primary energy source globally could significantly improve air quality and ensure a cleaner future. As we confront the challenges of the 21st century, it becomes increasingly evident that shifting to cleaner energy sources is essential for the sustainability of our planet, not only for our energy demand but also for our fundamental requirement: cleaner air to breathe. While we may never eliminate the use of fossil fuels in our lifetime, we invest a significant amount of effort in hunting and gathering fossil fuels for our energy needs. It’s time to shift our focus towards farming more of the Sun and wind for our energy needs as if our air quality depends on it because it quite literally does.