Mother Nature is providing us with the means to get ourselves out of the pollution-related problems we've created.
Light from the sun allows us to create electricity with the help of solar panels, while powerful gusts of wind spin turbines located both on land and at sea to produce power.
While hydroelectricity is not a new technology, the forceful flow of water is now being utilized in a slightly different way to keep the lights on.
In February, the United States Department of Energy allocated $15.5 million to harness tidal and river current energy to create pollution-free power.
One project has been given $6 million to bring a two-megawatt capacity tidal energy turbine to the Rosario Strait in the San Juan Islands, Washington. Elsewhere, a community-led initiative in Alaska will receive $9.5 million to deliver two tidal energy devices in the Cook Inlet, which could produce between one and five megawatts of power.
"With marine energy, we can sustainably harness the power of the ocean and rivers, providing rural and remote communities with clean reliable power," said Jennifer M. Granholm, the U.S. Secretary of Energy, in a statement.
"The projects … are part of the largest investment by the federal government to advance the technology to capture energy from ocean tides and river currents, while helping decarbonize hard-to-reach coastal communities across the country and increasing their energy independence and resilience by increasing use of locally generated energy."
All over the United States, dams previously used for hydroelectricity are being torn down for the sake of ecosystem regeneration, with these structures blocking historical migration routes and access to breeding areas for aquatic creatures, as well as having other negative environmental consequences.
But by working with community leaders and having a clear idea of how to generate power from the waves and tides with as little impact on delicate ecosystems as possible, we can make the most of natural phenomena to end our reliance on planet-damaging dirty fuel sources for energy.
This funding is an important step toward a much cleaner, safer planet that sees technology working in harmony with the natural world.
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