The Pros and Cons of Renewable Energy Sources

If you’re even remotely aware of climate change and its mechanisms, you know that fossil fuel emissions are a large part of the problem. Coal, oil, and natural gas all release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere when they are burned, causing the Earth’s natural temperature regulation mechanism, the greenhouse effect, to be thrown off (check out my Intro to Climate Change post for more about the greenhouse effect!). Continued use of fossil fuels is not sustainable, both in terms of the future of our planet and the amount of resources available. In addition to causing climate change, fossil fuels are a finite resource. We only have what is currently within the Earth, as these fuels take longer than a human lifetime to form, and not all of what is in the Earth is easily accessible either. Therefore, we need a different form of energy, one that won’t run out and won’t cause massive amounts of harm to us and the planet.

Enter renewable energy. Renewable energy is any form of energy that can be produced without concern about the longevity of the source. The most commonly known types are wind, solar, and hydroelectric. Most of us know about these different sources of renewable energy, but what we don’t often hear about is the differences between them, or exactly why they are better than fossil fuels.

To start, lets talk about solar. Produced using solar panels, which collect the sun’s energy and turn it into electricity, solar energy is pretty easy to grasp the basic concept of. Its main pro is that, after construction, there is no further use of non-renewable resources, and there is no damage to the Sun from their existence. However, they do take up a lot of space, and are limited to where there is enough sunlight to produce adequate energy.

Next is wind. Produced using wind turbines, which create energy from wind using the rotation of blades, it is, like solar, not very complex. Also like solar, there is no further use of non-renewable resources after construction. There has been concern in the past about potential impacts on birds or other wildlife, but this has not shown itself to be a huge issue. Some do find wind turbines unsightly, and like solar they are limited to where there is enough wind to power them, but they are an overall very viable source of renewable energy.

Last is hydroelectric. Generally, hydroelectric energy is produced via dams, which allow the energy in the motion of water to be captured and turned into electricity. Out of all three sources of renewable energy discussed, dams have the largest potential to cause problems. Constructing a dam can disturb the ecosystem in the body of water where it is constructed, and can also cause issues for the people living around it. They are the oldest source of renewable energy out of everything discussed, but also have the most potential for problems.

Overall, the pros of renewable energy sources are the minimal-nonexistent amounts of pollution they produce, the lack of concern about resource availability, and the fact that they are just overall more sustainable than fossil fuels. The cons are how they are often limited in where they can exist, and that they take up very specific kinds of space. However, when considering the pros and cons of fossil fuels in a comparative sense, it is clear that renewable energy sources are just so much better.

Sources consulted: Environment - Raven, Berg, Hassenzahl