Renewable Energy

Have you ever felt a gust of wind playfully tug at your hat, or stood by a rushing river and felt its immense power? Have you ever closed your eyes and turned your face toward the sun, soaking in its golden warmth? If you have, then you have met me. I don't have a body or a face, but I am everywhere. I am the giant’s breath that pushes sailboats across the sea and turns the blades of a pinwheel. I am the sun’s brilliant hug that helps flowers grow and warms the sand on the beach. I am the unstoppable current of the river, strong enough to carve canyons through stone over thousands of years. For as long as the Earth has spun, I have been here, a tireless and invisible helper. I whisper through tall grasses, I dance on the surface of the ocean, and I paint the sky with the light of every new day. I am a never-ending friend, always ready to share my strength with the world.

For thousands of years, curious and clever humans have noticed my power. Long ago in a land called Persia, people built magnificent windmills with giant cloth sails. I would push against the sails, turning a heavy stone inside to grind wheat into flour for their bread. In ancient Greece and Rome, they built clever water wheels along the rivers. I would rush against the wooden paddles, turning the wheel to lift water to their fields or power their workshops, doing the work of many people without ever getting tired. But then, something even more amazing happened. People started to look not just at what I could do, but what I truly was. In 1839, a brilliant young scientist named Edmond Becquerel discovered one of my biggest secrets. He found that my sunlight could create a tiny spark of electricity all on its own. It was like magic. Almost fifty years later, in 1888, an American inventor named Charles Brush built a colossal machine in his backyard. It was an enormous windmill, taller than a house, that spun in the wind to generate enough electricity to light up his entire mansion. Can you imagine a pinwheel big enough to power 350 light bulbs? Finally, in 1954, a team of smart scientists at a place called Bell Labs created the first practical solar panel. They made a special kind of silicon 'sandwich' that could soak up my sunshine and turn it directly into power. It was then that they gave me a name so everyone could understand my special gift. They called me Renewable Energy. The word 'renewable' means that I can be renewed, or used again and again, without ever running out. I am like a magical pitcher of water that never, ever empties.

My gift to the world is that I am clean. Unlike other energy sources called fossil fuels, which come from digging deep into the Earth and can create pollution when they are used, I am gentle on the planet. I don’t make the air dirty or the water murky. When you see me working today, you see a brighter, healthier future. You can see me in vast farms of solar panels that look like shimmering blue lakes, drinking in the sun to power entire neighborhoods. You can see me in rows of towering wind turbines, spinning gracefully on hillsides and out at sea, catching the wind to light up cities. You can feel my strength in mighty hydropower dams that use the force of rivers to run our schools and hospitals. I am the energy of tomorrow, a promise of clean air, sparkling water, and a happy planet for you and for all the children who will come after you. I will always be here, ready to power our most wonderful dreams.