A Brief History of Renewables: For the last 200 years, technology has been powered by fossil fuels. Such fuels include oil, gas and coal. All these materials have had a detrimental effect to the natural environment. They have contributed to problems such as global warming and pollution. In the last 20 – 30 years, renewable energy solutions have emerged in the developed world. These new technologies are environmentally sustainable. Energy efficiency and low expense make renewable energy the most viable solution to fossil fuels. Fig 1.1: Fig 1.1 shows a clear rise in the ‘installed capacity’ of wind energy globally from 1996 through to 2008 (Global Wind and Energy Council, n.d.)

Forms of Renewable Energy: There are four predominant forms of renewable energy technology… Each one utilizes certain forces of nature to power an electric generator… “This is because the renewable energy source is based on geographically diverse resources” (CSIRO, n.d.)… Numerous natural forces used for renewable energy are located together.

More common forms of renewable energy include the following : SOLAR energy technology makes use of ‘photovoltaic’ or ‘PV’ cells (“Solar Energy”, n.d.). WIND power is generated by a propeller-like turbine similar to that of a windmill. The PV cells concentrate sunlight to produce heat. In turn, the heat is converted into energy. The spinning of the turbine produces the energy required.

The term, GEOTHERMAL refers to the heat from the earth. TIDAL currents can also provide an energy source. Magma from the earth’s core sometimes escapes to the surface. The heat released is often absorbed by water or steam. It is this heated water that supplies the generator with its source of energy. A dam-like structure known as a ‘barrage’ can be built in the ocean. As the tide moves through this ‘barrage’, a turbine is turned, producing energy.

Energy Efficiency: Renewable energy solutions, as well as being environmentally friendly, are also highly energy efficient. For example, a power plant using fossil fuels will provide enough energy for a small city. In contrast, a single wind turbine alone produces enough energy to power 1000 homes, according to the British Wind Energy Association.

Abundance: Fuels such as oil are quickly running out, and expensive due to their scarcity. Solar power, wind, tide and geothermal energy on the other hand, can never run out. The abundance of natural energy resources also makes them highly cost efficient.

Renewables and Employment: Fig 1.2 is a statistical graph created by the Green Collar Blog, based on statistics from the Worldwatch Institute. It illustrates a 2006 estimate of the number of job opportunities generated by renewable energy development in the United States. Fig 1.2: “Driven by the gathering sense of a climate crisis, the notion of "green jobs"-especially in the renewable energy sector-is now receiving unprecedented attention” (Renner, n.d.).

Renewable energy solutions are highly efficient. They are also environmentally sustainable, deriving their power from natural and abundant sources. It is reasonable to conclude that renewable energy is the most viable alternative to fossil fuels.

THANK YOU!

SELF EVALUATION: The design principles I employed in this PowerPoint presentation were centered around a central theme of natural, renewable energy. For this reason, the background of each slide is a green to blue gradient. Both these colours together are very suggestive of the ecosystem and therefore themes of sustainability. I chose font colours which would compliment the background theme of green and blue. I used animation effects on the text within the presentation with symmetry and balance in mind. Most of the text has the Fly In effect added to it. I have tried to make each point fly in at the appropriate place in relation to its positioning on the overall slide. In fact, the position of all the objects on each slide was designed to create a sense of continuity and balance. The four rectangular bars on slide 3 are one example of this. Within the two slides explaining the four most common forms of renewable energy, I employed unity and proportion. Each slide is divided into four roughly equal squares. This keeps the slides tightly unified. The animations for each of the pictures in these two slides were put in place to reflect the kind of motion associated with each energy source. I believe that the information in this PowerPoint presentation is very legible. I have cited very reliable authorities on the topic of renewable energy. Such authorities include the CSIRO, Worldwatch Institute and the Global Wind and Energy Council. I have effectively used graphs to support my arguments. All the information in this presentation is legible, and a number of design principles have been used to convey that information. I am satisfied with the final result.

REFERENCE LIST: Images: Green Technology Gets Hotter [n.d]. Retrieved April 2009 from the Sydney Morning Herald website: African Sunrise [n.d]. Retrieved April 2009, from the TravelBlog website: The Largest Solar Power Plant To Be Built In The Mojave Desert [n.d.]. Retrieved April 2009, from the Ecofuss website: Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Plant [n.d.]. Retrieved April 2009, from the Flickr website: September 2008 Archives [n.d.]. Retrieved April 2009, from the Genius DV website: Tidal Power [n.d.]. Retrieved April 2009, from the Tidal Power website: Graphs: Jobs in Renewable Energy Expanding. [n.d.]. Retrieved March, 2009, from the Green Collar Blog website: global-2006-lg.gifhttp:// global-2006-lg.gif Info: Jobs in Renewable Energy Expanding. [n.d.]. Retrieved April 2009, from the Worldwatch Institute website: Renewable Energy. [n.d.]. Retrieved March, 2009, from the CSIRO website: Solar Energy. [n.d.]. Retrieved March, 2009, from the Planet Earth website: