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So what exactly is renewable energy?
The term is thrown around frequently in discussions on green living, oil dependency, and climate change, but most people do not have a firm grasp on the concept. Renewable energy is a reliable energy source that includes solar, wind, geothermal, hydro power and tidal energy. Aside from geothermal and tidal energies, renewable energy sources are replenished constantly by sunlight. In contrast, nonrenewable sources of energy, such as coal and petroleum, necessitate costly explorations for their procurement and become more expensive as their supplies dwindle. Renewable energy also generates negligible levels of carbon emissions, rendering it a far better alternative than nonrenewable energy because it helps fight climate change instigated by fossil fuel usage.
Environmentally-friendly
The impact of these clean sources of energy on the environment is much lower than conventional energy sources (Renewable Energy World.com). Coal mining and petroleum exploration and refinement produce solid toxic waste. Burning coal to produce electricity both discharges arsenic and lead into surface waters and releases carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides and mercury into the air. This kind of pollution causes illnesses and deaths in humans, produces acid rain, disrupts ecosystems, and attacks the ozone layer. While some the existence of climate change, there is strong consensus within the scientific community that climate change and global warming are indeed occurring and are the result of human production of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
Reliable and Safe
In addition, renewable energy is more reliable and safe than other sources of energy. According the United States Energy Information Administration, our country imported roughly one million barrels of oil per day from Mexico and Saudi Arabia in 2010 (Chandler). Almost two million additional barrels were imported each day from Canada. As evidenced by the energy crises in 1973 and 1979, the price and accessibility of oil largely depends on political stability (Moll). It is clear that we cannot continue to depend on limited, monopolized energy resources. Renewable energy can be produced locally, decreasing its vulnerability to political upheavals. In regard to safety, occurrences like explosions on oil platforms and collapsed coal mines are not a concern when harvesting renewable energy.
Accessible
Unlike finite sources of energy that will someday be depleted, renewable energy will be accessible for generations to come (Renewable Energy World.com). Coal, natural gas, and oil reserves are limited resources that are buried deep underground or under the ocean. Finding these sources becomes increasingly difficult and harmful as more is harvested each day. Refining marginal reserves like oil sands into usable oil requires burning large amounts of natural gas. Drilling under the ocean floor can lead to disastrous outcomes, as demonstrated by the British Petroleum oil spill in 2010.
Beneficial to the Economy
Renewable energy sources positively affect the economy as well (Renewable Energy World.com). Because renewable energy production is more labor intensive than current fossil fuel energy production, more workers will be needed to meet demand for renewable energy . As we invest in materials and workmanship to build and maintain renewable energy sources, we will create jobs and fuel local economies because renewable energy investments are often made in the same state and even the same town (Renewable Energy World.com). Not only that, but the use of renewable energy will also allow entire new industries to develop for the production of machinery, parts, and expertise . Instead of importing costly sources of energy, we will be self-sufficient in energy production.
This content taken from For the Wind.
