Discover the Advantages and Disadvantages of Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is simply energy that is gathered from naturally replenishing sources, that are also of naturally renewable nature, such as wind, sun, rain, tides, clouds, and geothermal energy. In most cases the energy that can be extracted is stored in some sort of form, either as heat or water. There are several different types of renewable energy. The two primary categories are: “renewable” or “non-renewable”. Non-renewable forms of renewable energy are generally thought to be byproducts of non-natural processes, such as the combustion of fossil fuels for instance. Examples of renewable energy are the following: Solar power, biomass, hydroelectricity, tidal, geothermal, ocean thermal, nuclear, agricultural, geothermal, solar and hydroelectricity.
As the world continues to develop and progress into what the experts believe will be irreversible climate change, renewable energy presents an incredible opportunity to move the economy and the world forward while reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the same time. Although there are no guarantees with any renewable energy project, there are two major benefits: first, it has a far lower impact on the environment than fossil fuels and other types of emissions; and second, it provides a substantial chance to meet the world’s Carbon Dioxide emission reduction targets. One of the major drawbacks however, is the fact that even with current reductions in emissions, greenhouse gas levels continue to rise, which poses a serious risk to the earth’s climate and environmental balance. The development of alternative energy poses an enormous opportunity to address this problem.
The major advantage of renewable energy has over fossil fuels is that they are a more reliable source of energy and supply more usable energy overall. With a renewable energy system, there is a greater chance of meeting the world’s power needs. Fossil fuels are a limited resource. They are no longer an abundant resource. And since they are finite, the extraction and use of fossil fuels will most likely lead to a very high level of natural gas and oil consumption in the foreseeable future. With such high levels of use, it is only a matter of time before the Earth’s resources are depleted.
With rising concerns about the environment, it is not surprising that more people today are recognizing the huge benefits that can be obtained by using renewable energy sources. There is a general consensus among experts that renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar power have a much higher benefit for the environment than fossil fuels. Many renewable sources of energy generation can be easily implemented as part of a comprehensive energy generation solution. This means that you could significantly reduce your energy bills while doing your part to protect the planet.
As with any other renewable resource or fuel, using renewable energy has its disadvantages. One of these disadvantages is that, unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy cannot be used indefinitely. In the past, scientists have speculated that we may reach the point in which all available fossil fuel will be depleted. While it may still be some years away, it seems more sensible to focus on the use of renewable resources right now. For instance, using wood for energy production has a slightly higher impact on the environment than burning wood in an oven. Burning wood produces about twice as many greenhouse gases as does burning coal in an oven.
The greatest advantage of using renewable energy, however, lies in the fact that it produces free energy without any negative impact. That is, the products of the various renewable energy sources are virtually pollution free. This pollution-free energy can then be channeled into other productive activities. Some experts even suggest that harnessing the sun’s light would allow the Earth to produce enough electricity to power the Earth’s satellites and other space exploration efforts. By using the sun’s rays for instance, we can potentially free the Earth from the threat of global warming.
