The Good and Bad of Alternate Energy
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY GOOD OR BAD
by
Charles (Bud) Evans
Global energy consumption and depletion of the world’s non-renewable energy sources dictate exploring and using alternative energy sources. Using alternative energy sources can be both beneficial and difficult. What are some pros and cons of alternative energy sources?
A major advantage of renewable energy is that it is renewable therefore it is sustainable and will not be depleted. Most renewable energy produces little or no waste products that may pollute or have harmful effects on the environment.
Countries using renewable energy sources are also showing some economic benefits many areas. Most of their projects are located away from the urban centers and capital cities. This has increased the use of local services as well as tourism.
Some disadvantages of using renewable energy sources are:
It is difficult to generate large quantities of electricity.
The reliability of the energy supply. (Those that rely on solar or wind).
It is more expensive to set up the equipment necessary for generating the energy.
Some advantages and disadvantages of various alternate energy sources:
- Solar energy- the sun is a great source of energy since it is free and is efficient. It is possible to maximize the energy given by the sun to replace traditional electricity. But there are limitations, like areas at high latitude and places with frequent overcast skies are places not capable of producing efficient solar energy.
- Wind energy- wind is also an efficient electricity source. It is possible that wind energy can replace up to 20 percent of the total electric consumption in the future. It is also an environment friendly source of energy because there are no harmful gases produced in the process of converting the energy. Location is an important factor in using wind energy, high latitudes and coast lines are good places to set up windmills. A relatively large land area is also needed to put up sufficient number of windmills.
- Hydroelectric and tidal energy- both of these energy sources come from water. Hydroelectric energy it is mainly produced by dams. Tidal energy, on the other hand, uses the natural tides of the ocean. Production of energy from water is a clean way to produce energy. There are several disadvantages:
- Putting up river dams as sources of hydroelectric energy is very expensive, while tidal energy source depends much on the ocean. Since oceans tends to unpredictable there are only 9 places worldwide that are suitable for this kind of energy source. And tidal energy power plants are also said to provide negative effects on the migratory birds and the fishes.
- Power dam are thought to disrupt the natural cycle of fish reproduction.
- Biomass- biomass consists of fermented animal waste, agricultural crops, grains and other natural products. It can be used to produce an alcohol and also replace gasoline needs. It maximizes waste materials as an alternative energy source. A drawback, it that it still produces greenhouse gas however it is neutral because as much carbon dioxide as is produced by burning is removed from the air to produce the biomass.
Renewable alternative energy sources pose some disadvantages,the unfavorable effects are relatively small when compared to conventional fossil fuels. The hunt for a cost-efficient and environmental friendly alternative energy source does not stop on the latest discovery. Nuclear energy should not be ruled out either as it can be very safe and produce more fuel than it uses.
BIO Charles (Bud) Evans http://pathtoselfsufficiency.com/blog/ is a alternate energy advocate and marketer of energy related products. He is a retired health physicist from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and currently runs a small repair shop Rattlesnake Mountain Enterprises