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Intro:

Climate change is an issue that all of humanity faces. Despite its complexity, the task of reducing the effects of climate change can be accomplished through the combination of a variety of solutions. Shifting away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources is a key component in battling climate change. 

The Problem:

The negative impacts of climate change are already visible and will continue to worsen as time goes on without sufficient action taken to prevent further warming. Natural disasters such as flooding and intense storms will become more frequent. Droughts will become more widespread and wildfires will have the potential to spread further.

Sea levels will rise which will impact large populations which live near the coast. With the rising sea levels, many will need to relocate as their homes become uninhabitable causing migratory issues, potentially on large scales.

Coal power, and natural gas, emit carbon dioxide when generating electricity which contributes to the greenhouse effect. Green energy sources can be used as alternatives to reduce emissions from the energy sector which contributes to climate change. 

The Solution:

Renewable energy sources are not emission-free, as they still have a carbon footprint associated with the resources used to construct them, but their energy production does not emit greenhouse gases as fossil fuels do.

Solar panels can be installed on homes and in solar farms, along roadways, or in parking lots. The downside of solar is that its production relies on sunlight availability, and is impacted by the time of the year, the weather, and has no production during the night.

Wind power can be developed in locations that have sufficient wind strengths. Often offshore or along hillsides. Wind power varies with wind strength and can be anywhere from no power output to the maximum output of a given turbine. Both wind and solar power need to be supplemented by other energy sources or energy storage to handle their variations

Hydroelectric can both be a source of power and a method for storing excess energy through pumped storage. A dam constructed along a river is an example of hydroelectric being used solely for power generation. Pumped storage is when excess power is used to pump water uphill to a storage site, so that when energy is required that water can then run downhill through a generator to recover the energy, essentially functioning as a battery.

Conclusion:

No single renewable energy source is capable of removing our dependence on fossil fuels on its own. It is through the combined usage of these sources of energy, as well as technological advancements in other fields, that the challenge of reducing emissions from energy production can be accomplished. 

Despite the complexity and severity of climate change, the issue can be tackled through the combined efforts of engineers, governments, and individuals all working together to implement mitigation efforts. Shifting towards renewable energy is one solution that we must continue to pursue.