The Informative And Positive Effects Of Renewable Energy

Have you ever wondering where your electricity comes from? How your car uses gasoline to run? What about how these things impact our environment or how we are going to keep producing them? As a country, we need to start looking ahead to the future and planning for what is to come. Currently, 86% of America’s energy comes from petroleum, natural gas, and coal. All of these resources will run out eventually. We need renewable energy sources that will keep producing in a clean, more efficient way for a long time. Before committing to an idea and going all the way with it, we need to compare all the different energy sources available to the U.S. and choose the one that is best for everyone.

These alternatives can be helpful in reducing carbon emissions while ensuring the energy independence . These sources are wind ,solar ,geothermal, hydro, nuclear and renewable bio fuels. Some of these sources are renewable , meaning they can be replenished, while others like nuclear, are non-renewable, yet are clean sources of energy. For better sustainability , society continues to explore the challenges of these energy options to help implement the necessary changes for an environmentally friendly and energy independent future.

One of the most important ecological changes needed not only in this country, but globally would be the transition from fossil fuels and coal to renewable sources of energy like solar, wind, hydroelectric, and biofuels in an attempt to reduce carbon emissions, which in turn pollute the environment and contribute to adverse climate change. Even though renewable energy is able to regenerate, does not mean that it has no ecological footprint or that renewable energy is completely sustainable for our environment (Week 14 Energy Use & Transportation/Renewable Energy Sources). A renewable source of energy is usually one that does require us to mine away at the Earth to receive the source of energy (Week 14 Energy Use & Transportation/Renewable Energy Sources). Renewable energy is important for several different reasons. First, renewable energy has environmental benefits because it provides individuals with clean sources of energy and it reduces the impact that it will have on the environment (Why is renewable energy important?) Second, if we use renewable energy then we will have energy for future generations, such as our children and our grandchildren because renewable energy will never run out we will always have it, unlike other sources of energy that will eventually run out (Why is renewable energy important?). Third, renewable energy sources are important for the world’s economy and for jobs because the money that is spent on renewable energy in the United States will

1) Introduction a) Attention Getter:”We need to help the environment!” “We’re harming our planet!” “We need to use a cleaner energy source!” With all this talk about wanting to help the environment while still using the resources we need, you would think someone would have already made a product that does this. Well, someone already has: solar panels.

When the new Southeast Polk High School opened they added many new energy saving products. This included installing geothermal heating under the high school cutting back on the cost of heating such a large building. Many new windows help save on energy used to light the building along with automatic lights that turn off after several minutes without movement. The new high school shows how easy it is to save money and help the environment. Renewable energy is good for all aspects of the U.S, providing jobs, economical growth, environmental cleanliness, and new research for improving energy efficiency. Therefore the United States should use renewable energy to benefit the economy and environment.

Alternative or clean energy is the way of the future. Every day we wait to implementing changes in the way we generate energy, is a lost opportunity to prevent further damage to the environment. As Kevin Begos (2016) points out in his article “The Solar Energy Controversies” by implementing solar technologies we can help the environment by reduce our dependency on fossil fuels (p. 387).

In the United States today we face growing costs in providing homes and businesses with electricity with the current costs and demands of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are becoming less common and more expensive with each passing day. An alternate source of energy must be found to combat this growing dilemma, a source that is already providing 13% of our countries energy. Hydro, Solar and Wind energy all three of these being able to provide a potentially infinite amount of energy, so why have we not committed to taking advantage of these sources of energy? Alternate fuel sources for electricity such as Solar energy, Hydro energy and Wind Turbine should be more commonly used for each area in the United States to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

Previously, we didn’t have to rely to much on energy, however times change causing a large consumption of energy. Solar panels may seem like a good idea due to its constant release of energy. On the contrary, in Source A, Michael Dhar states,” when a photon of sunlight knocks an electron free, the electric field will push that electron out of the silicon junction. A couple of other components of the cell turn these electrons into usable power” showing that at an optimal state, the sun will produce energy. These result often vary due to the amount of inconstant

In this day and age, we have new energy sources that could be used to power our homes and transportation. Wind and solar power are used all over the world, but are still used far less than fossil fuels. Most would say it’s not reliable or it doesn’t make any profit. While both statements are true, it doesn’t mean we can’t make a better future using renewable energy. In fact, the only reason we don’t use renewables for everything is that we don’t want to change. The hard truth is we need to change. Fossil fuels are great right now, but if we run out, humanity must have another source of energy.

The issues that arises from switching our energy supply system from nonrenewable resources to renewable resources is much bigger than just the impact that they have on the environment; eventually these fossil fuels are going to run out and the demand for alternate forms of energy then rises. Currently in the United States, only 8% of our energy needs are met by renewable energy and of that 8% only 4% is supplied by wind energy; all other energy is supplied by nonrenewable resources (Wyoming Renewable 2013- 2015). The need for expansion of renewable energies is critical for the development of our nation and for the long term existence of our environment. In order to reverse global climate change the advancement of renewable technology must be explored more intensively.

A clear first positive reason to switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy is to create a cleaner environment. Fossil fuels have caused much destruction to Earth’s current atmosphere and environment. From greenhouse gasses, carbon capture and other pollution emissions, fossil fuels have different ways of damaging the environment. Global warming is another prominent piece of evidence that reveals the dangers of non-renewable resources According to Mark Z. Jacobson and Mark A. Delucchi both professors of respected universities, Stanford and California. , “Nuclear power plants create 25 times more carbons emissions than of wind energy.”. If the United States can eliminate emissions 25 times less than what they currently from nuclear energy the amount of good being done for the environment will be

Renewable energy, energy from a source that is not depleted when used, such as wind or solar power, is not a new concept. Before electricity, people heated their homes through burning wood, a form of biofuel energy. Biofuel is a renewable energy from wood and other life-based sources, just like solar energy is from the sun, and hydropower energy is from the movement of water. Hydropower is another thing that’s been used for awhile. During the industrial revolution, factories would be built by rivers to harness the energy they needed to run their machines. Some of the first solar panels were used in space (Richardson). The Vanguard I, launched by the U.S. Navy in 1958, was the first satellite powered completely by solar energy (Eschner). Renewable energy has been used for hundreds of years, why not use it now? Although ridden with a high upfront cost and occasional unreliability, renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, tend to have an overall positive effect on the environment and economy that are superior to that of fossil fuels.

2. There are a number of renewable energy forms. The most common five sources are Biomass, Solar, Wind, Geothermal and Hydropower, and I have chosen Wind energy and Hydropower.

Renewable and non-renewable energy sources are used daily in our lives. According to Conserve Energy Future (n.d.), “Renewable energy is the energy from natural sources i.e. sun, wind, rain, tides and can be generated again and again as and when required [...] Non-Renewable energy is the energy which is taken from the sources that are available on the earth in limited quantity and will vanish fifty-sixty years from now.” Finding ways to use renewable energy sources rather than non-renewable source would help stop the negative environmental impacts created by a growing human population and would be very beneficial to our society. Today, I will assess my own energy use; determine which renewable sources of energy would be the most and least appropriate for where I live; discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the energy sources I currently rely on; describe how technological advancements have facilitated the implementation of renewable energy; and discuss ways in which I could reduce energy used at home, work or in other areas of my daily life.

Using renewable sources are becoming an alternative of fossil fuel because of their infinite supply, low carbon emission, price stability in the energy market and economic benefits. Examples of renewable sources include solar photovoltaic (PV), wind,