Future archaeologists might think the modern world worshipped the Sun, when they find rows and rows of vast black panels positioned to maximise their exposure to solar rays.

Last year, manufacturers worked out how to make solar panel cells that can convert more than 30% of the sunlight they receive into electricity, and now the world is seeing a solar panel boom.

After centuries of burning wood to keep us warm and cook our food, humans discovered coal, which is a much more efficient source of energy. It is this, historians say, that fuelled the Industrial RevolutionA period of sudden, rapid industrialisation that transforms a country from an agricultural to an industrial economy..

But we now know that the more fossil fuels we use, the worse the climate crisis gets, as well as the illnesses associated with fossil fuel pollution.

Renewable energy, on the other hand, means we can continue to enjoy some of the benefits of industrialisation without destroying our health or that of the planet.

Is cheap energy the solution to everything?

Yes! Cheap energy brought us the Industrial Revolution. Now, in clean form, it will make us richer, healthier, and happier.

No! Replacing fossil fuels with clean energy will only persuade us we can keep our wasteful lifestyles regardless of the environmental damage they cause.