Green energy sources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, and hydroelectric power, are being developed to minimize the negative impact of energy production on the environment. Fossil fuels are a major contributor to global warming, and green energy sources are seen as a way to reduce the rate of climate change. Hydroelectric energy is a popular green energy source, but it can also cause environmental damage. Solar power is renewable and suitable for powering homes and portable devices, but it requires a significant amount of land. Wind power is effective for providing electricity to small communities, but some people find the turbines ugly and there are concerns about their impact on local wildlife. Geothermal energy is sustainable and produces little waste, but it is limited by the expense of the technology. Some types of nuclear power are considered green because they produce very little waste, but there are concerns about the potential for accidents. The green energy movement also aims to refine existing fossil fuel technology to make it more environmentally friendly.
Green energy is energy produced in such a way that its negative impact on the environment is minimized. Traditional energy sources, especially fossil fuels, produce greenhouse gases which are thought to be the main cause of an effect known as global warming or climate change. Green energy sources, such as solar, wind, geothermal and hydroelectric energy, are being developed and promoted as alternative sources that contribute little or nothing to climate change. Nuclear power is also sometimes considered a green energy source, because some types of nuclear technology produce much less waste than oil and coal.
Why green energy matters
The industrial revolution that began in the second half of the 18th century changed the world, with new machine-based production methods leading to a profound increase in economic growth, population growth and quality of life. At the time, the long-term consequences could not even be conceived, much less felt; however, the burning of large quantities of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, has caused great damage to the environment. Most climatologists agree that the use of fossil fuels has contributed significantly to global warming. This term refers to the measured increase in the temperature of the earth’s surface since the late 19th century and the environmental effects of this change.
The main objective of developing green energy sources is to generate energy while minimizing both waste and pollution, thus reducing the impact of energy production on the environment. Scientists who advocate the use of green energy say that the use of such sources will reduce the rate at which climate change occurs, although it cannot stop or reverse the increase in temperature. Another important goal is the creation of renewable energy sources. This is in contrast to fossil fuel sources, which are limited and estimated to run out before the end of the 22nd century.
Hydroelectric energy
This technology uses the movement of water to power turbines connected to generators and, in many countries, provides a higher percentage of energy than any other green resource. Hydropower does not produce a significant amount of waste and provides a unique environmental benefit. Many of the larger hydroelectric dams make use of a reservoir, which can serve as a site for recreational activities. The presence of a large water supply can also provide valuable support to agricultural regions.
In some cases, however, damming a river and creating an artificial lake can cause damage to the environment. Fish may not be able to get past the dam, for example, reducing their population. Reservoirs require the flooding of a previously dry area, drastically changing it. The Three Gorges Dam in China offers a clear example of both: the Baiji or Yangtze River dolphin, which used to live in the river where the dam was built, is now functionally extinct and over 1 million people were displaced when the their cities were covered in water to create the reservoir.
Solar power
Solar energy produces no emissions, is renewable and is very suitable for powering portable devices and homes. Many new homes consider solar power generation as a design concept, with solar panels and water heating systems. Although the goal of solar-powered transportation has not yet been achieved, the panels can be used in vehicles as a source of energy for air conditioning.
When it comes to large-scale power generation, the major disadvantage of solar technology is that solar panels and energy storage devices use a significant amount of land. This can be repaid somewhat by building on land that is unsuitable for other uses. While the technology has improved, most are only about 20 percent efficient and can be expensive to install.
Wind Power
Wind is used to generate energy with large turbines connected to an energy collection, storage and distribution system. This type of power generation is a very effective method of providing electricity to small isolated communities. They are often preferred to solar-powered methods in agricultural areas because land containing wind turbines is more easily reusable for other purposes. Offshore wind farms have much higher construction and maintenance costs, but are able to harness stronger and more constant winds.
Because the turbines are large, some people complain that they are ugly that distract from the beauty of the environment. There is also some concern that they could harm local bird and bat populations.
Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy is generated by the earth beneath its surface in the form of heat. While not technically a renewable source, it is more or less indefinitely sustainable and produces only a small amount of waste compared to fossil fuels. Many countries use this type of energy for part of their needs, but most thermal energy plants are located near tectonic plate boundaries, where the energy can be extracted more easily. Geothermal energy’s potential to supply a significant portion of the world is limited by the expense of the technology it requires.
Nuclear energy
Some types of nuclear power are classified as green because they produce very small amounts of waste. A green nuclear reactor can burn its own nuclear waste for energy, relying on a process called nuclear transmutation. In this process, waste is converted into progressively lower forms of energy via further similar reactions. This means that almost all available energy can be extracted from thorium or uranium, the most widely used fuel sources in nuclear power plants. Scientists believe that this form of energy production is so efficient that it can meet 100% of the earth’s needs for up to five billion years.
Many people fear nuclear power, however, due to accidents such as those at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine and the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant in Japan. A disaster of this magnitude can not only kill workers and other people near the plant, but could potentially lead to an increase in cancer in the population exposed to the radioactivity released during the accident. However, there have been a very small number of accidents of this magnitude, and even the Fukushima Daiichi disaster, which was one of the largest in history, is not expected to significantly increase cancer deaths in the area.
Cleaner fossil fuels
In addition to developing new sources of energy, another goal of the green energy movement is to refine existing fossil fuel technology to make it more environmentally friendly. An example of this is so-called clean coal technology, which attempts to reduce gas emissions from burning coal. One means by which this can be accomplished is by converting coal into a gas and then generating energy by burning the gas. While this type of energy generation is cleaner than traditional methods of burning fossil fuels, critics believe the environmental cost is still too high. Another problem is that even though the technology is less harmful, coal is still a limited resource.
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