Ever since the Industrial Revolution humans have been burning fossil fuels like they were going out of fashion. Well, now they are going out of fashion, but not because our tastes have changed, because the planet is at serious risk. Germany has long been an industrial powerhouse, and the country sees its manufacturing future using coal-free technology. The country is vowing to go coal-free by 2038 and here’s the plan.
Decision By Committee
It wasn’t taken lightly, but after collecting several important government members, the Germans have decided to do away with their coal-based power plants. The meeting lasted several hours in January 2019, but the decision was final; Germany will stop using coal power stations by 2038. There are 84 coal power stations in Germany, and they will slowly begin to disappear from existence. A plan was drawn up to gradually begin transferring energy sources to other means, despite fossil fuels making up around 40 percent of Germany’s energy.
Focus On Renewables
Germany also committed to move away from nuclear power and will stop all thermonuclear power plants by 2022. Instead, they will make renewable energy their main source which is so far ahead of many other countries. It is going to cost the German economy an estimated $45 billion, but it will come with the knowledge that they are no longer damaging the planet to the same extent.
Inspiring Others
After news broke of Germany’s commitment to renewable energy many environmentalist groups began campaigning in the U.S. to bring focus to the issue. In comparison, the USA uses much more fossil fuels than Germany and are estimated to use around 691 million tons per year. Not that the U.S. uses the most in the world as China are believed to be using billions of tons each year.
Following A Trend
Germany is not the first nation to make a commitment to renewable energy, and the United Kingdom is well ahead of many other countries. Only five percent of the UK’s energy comes from fossil fuels currently, and this figure is only likely to reduce as the years go on.
Germany making a stand for solely using renewable energy 2038 is a big deal. They are one of the world’s leading manufacturers so reducing their carbon footprint is going to have a significant impact on the environment.