But since there are no free lunches in this world, this exploitation of resources came with the price tag of global warming and climate change that has plagued our world for about three decades.

The alarming rise in temperatures and sea levels across the world has prompted mankind to find alternative sources of energy such as solar power, thermal energy and nuclear fission and fusion among many others.

Currently, about 1% of the world's total energy needs are met by solar power but it is estimated to rise exponentially in the coming years. Solar panels are devices manufactured by encasing semiconducting materials such as silicon or germanium in photovoltaic cases that convert light energy into electricity. Solar power has the lowest greenhouse emission and water consumption per unit electricity produced. As of now, India and China are leading the race in solar power output compared to other nations, which are quickly catching up.

Thermal power plants are another excellent example of renewable sources of energy. In thermal power stations, water is heated and converted into steam which in turn drives turbines connected to an electrical generator that gives electric output. The steam is then condensed back into water and reused The only drawback is that many a time, fossil fuels are used to heat water into steam. However, this can be solved by using solar or nuclear power as an alternative to heat water.

According to many leading environmentalists, the energy crises cannot be solved by solar, hydro and thermal power since they have a low efficiency of about 30-40% and require enormous capital to become operational. A cheaper yet dangerous alternative is the nuclear power, which utilizes nuclear fission, or breakdown of radioactive material to produce large amounts of heat energy that can run electric generator turbines. There is an ongoing debate as to the viability of nuclear power since, since it produces a lot of hazardous waste and has potentially dangerous consequences in case of an accident (as seen in Chernobyl and Fukushima).  However, more research and development is needed before any solid stance can be taken on this issue.

In the coming years, there is hope for the future generations to achieve a 100% renewable energy world if more investment is made in developing and harnessing non-conventional power sources.