| There are many energy sources today that are | | | | Hydroelectric energy uses water to produce |
| extremely limited in supply. Some of these | | | | power. This is the most reliable of all the |
| sources include oil, natural gas, and coal. | | | | renewable energy sources. On the down side, |
| It is a matter of time before they will be | | | | it affects ecology and causes downstream |
| exhausted. | | | | problems. The decay of vegetation along the |
| | | | riverbed can cause the buildup of methane. |
| Estimates are that they can only meet our | | | | Methane is a contributing gas to greenhouse |
| energy demands for another fifty to seventy | | | | effect. Dams can also alter the natural river |
| years. So in an effort to find alternative | | | | flow and affect wildlife. Colder, oxygen poor |
| forms of energy, the world has turned to | | | | water can be released into the river, killing |
| renewable energy sources as the solution. | | | | fish. And the release of water from the dam |
| There are many advantages and disadvantages | | | | can cause flooding. |
| to this. | | | | |
| | | | Geothermal energy uses steam from the Earth's |
| Renewable energy sources consist of solar, | | | | ground to generate power. It uses smaller |
| hydro, wind, geothermal, ocean and biomass. | | | | land areas than other power plants. They can |
| The most common advantage of each is that | | | | run 24 hours per day, every day of the year. |
| they are renewable and cannot be depleted. | | | | Disadvantages are that it is very site |
| They are a clean energy, as they don't | | | | specific and, along with the heat from the |
| pollute the air, and they don't contribute to | | | | Earth, it can also bring up toxic chemicals |
| global warming or greenhouse effects. Since | | | | when obtaining the steam. Drilling geothermal |
| their sources are natural the cost of | | | | reservoirs and finding them can be an |
| operations is reduced and they also require | | | | expensive task. |
| less maintenance on their plants. A common | | | | |
| disadvantage to all is that it is difficult | | | | Biomass electricity is produced through the |
| to produce the large quantities of | | | | energies from wood, agricultural and |
| electricity their counterpart the fossil | | | | municipal waste. It helps save on landfill |
| fuels are able to. Since they are also new | | | | waste but transportation can be expensive and |
| technologies, the cost of initiating them is | | | | ecological diversity of land may be affected. |
| high. | | | | In addition, its process needs to be made |
| | | | simpler. |
| Solar energy makes use of the sun's energy. | | | | |
| It is advantageous because the systems can | | | | Ocean energy is a clean and abundant energy |
| fit into existing buildings and it does not | | | | form. It does, however, have high costs. |
| affect land use. But since the area of the | | | | Ocean thermal energy also requires close to a |
| collectors is large, more materials are | | | | forty degree Fahrenheit difference in water |
| required. Solar radiation is also controlled | | | | temperature year round. In addition, |
| by geography. And it is limited to daytime | | | | construction and laying pipes can cause |
| hours and non-cloudy days. | | | | damage to the ecosystem. |
| | | | |
| Wind energy uses the power of the wind to | | | | There are many advantages to the use of |
| produce electricity. Although it is the | | | | renewable energy sources. There are also some |
| largest job producer, it is reliant on strong | | | | disadvantages. The fact is energy demands |
| winds. Wind turbines are large and, although | | | | will continue to increase. Through research |
| you can use the area under them for farming, | | | | and development, as well as, new |
| many consider them unattractive looking. They | | | | technologies, the hope is many of the |
| are also very noisy to operate. In addition, | | | | disadvantages of renewable sources of energy |
| they threaten the wild bird population. | | | | can be eliminated and we can successfully |
| | | | incorporate it into our power supplies. |