There are consequences involved in overuse of our resources. Those consequences could be devastating on a global level. The solution really lies in our own backyard. The actions we take and the decisions we make everyday can affect change.
The solution might be at home. If we wait for industry and government to make changes we will soon feel even more devastating effects from climate change. We may already be seeing those effects in the form of more severe weather patterns affecting the growing of our food.  The choices we make today will affect the quickest change for the better.
Turning to solar power: Isn't it a costly solution?
The answer is very simple. Once your solar panels are installed (or wind generator, or other renewable energy choices) you will never have to pay another utility bill. Clearly, renewable energy is a long term approach to solving the problem of high utility costs.
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Use of Solar Power at Home

Energy crisis, peak oil - is it any wonder that more and more people are checking out the benefits of renewable energy and specifically solar power? Solar power is environmentally friendly and easy to use. Find out more about solar power at home. Cheap Solar Power For Your Home

Instead of paying a large electricity bill every month, many homeowners are converting their homes to use solar power. You may have dismissed this due to the fact that most solar systems that you see for sale are prohibitively expensive, but there is a way to get cheap solar power for your home without buying these systems. Build them yourself. Solar Power Inverters

We all know that one of the sad times we face every month is receiving our expensive electric bill. The price keeps on increasing and it seems to be difficult of us to get rid of it. But we are lucky that solar power is an alternative energy source to solve the problem. Having a solar power system at home, we will no longer worry about the electric bills. Solar Power - Pool Solar Heaters

The right pool solar heater can raise the water temperature by as much as 15 degrees. New solar power kits are not that expensive and doesn't take a rocket scientist to install. Discover more here.It would take a long time to recover your investment certainly, but it will help to reduce your dependence from the utility company. The real problem is the high energy usage in the home. Take a look around right now at that the refrigerator, dryer and electric range; all very high end users of electricity.
If you decide to stay in your present home and install renewable energy to run it then radical conservation methods and investing in super-efficient appliances would be necessary to run your home. Even a modest scaled independent power system would cost several thousand dollars and your lifestyle would have to undergo drastic changes to make it work.
If lowering your electric bill is your prime concern, then implementing conservation measures is a better dollar for dollar investment compared to installing an independent power source.
This is a good starting point. Think of it as training for your end goal of running your home with independent power and you will succeed.
You can make games of conservation in your home with your kids. Children are especially good at coming up with creative conservation practices in the home. Get them involved in this process from the start.