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I'm in 11th grade and I was wondering what makes renewable energy a good source of energy to the environment?

I'm in 11th grade and I was wondering what makes renewable energy a good source of energy to the environment?

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David E.’s Answer

The answer to your question is the difference between "renewable" and "non-renewable" energy. The energy that is extracted from the earth, such as coal, oil, natural gas, fracked gas, etc. is considered to be non-renewable because it is the product of millions of years of chemical reactions that caused its creation and, thus, is not "renewable." In order for the energy to be renewable, it would have to be able to be recreated again and again. Renewable energies such as wind, solar, hydro, and wave energy are renewable because the wind blows every day, the sun shines every day, water is flowing from rivers every day, and the oceans produce waves each and every day. These energy forms (wind, solar, hydro, wave energy) are considered to be renewable and do not cause the massive transfer of carbon that mining, fracking, and burning fossil fuels cause. The production of the equipment and the devices required to gather renewable energy does have some negative impacts on the environment but they are minuscule when compared to fossil fuels and other non-renewable forms of energy.
Thank you comment icon Thanks for the advice. Elijah
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Aytek’s Answer

hi Elijah, abundancy and greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint are two of the key aspects that make renewable energy good for environment.

Abundancy: As David has mentioned solar, wind and tide are all abundant sources of energy. Interesting tid-bit: Humankind actually can't generate "energy". All we do is to convert energy from one form to other. Wind blows and wind mills convert the kinetic energy to electricity (a form of energy). Sun light is radiant energy and solar panels convert that into electricity.

GHG footprint: Usually, solar, wind, hydro are all used to create "electricity" - another form of energy. When electricity is created using renewable resources (like solar), it can be called renewable electricity. Then we all use this electricity. The creation of renewable electricity and the use of it don't emit greenhouse gases. NASA has really good explanations on these if interested: https://climatekids.nasa.gov/greenhouse-cards/

Thanks!

Aytek
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