The Environmental Impact of Renewable Energy

851 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Fossil fuels and alternate sources of energy

The amazing thing about renewable energy resources is that they do not deplete. These energy resources include energies such as hydroelectric energy, solar energy, wind energy, and geothermal energy. The major advantage of using these resources is that the environmental impact is extremely low when compared to the use of fossil fuels and other energy processes.

One of the most used renewable energy sources is hydroelectric power. When you look at all the environmental impacts of dams, etc., they seem to be a lot less devastating than those effects due to the use of coal and oil for producing energy. Some of the environmental impacts include major flooding due to the gigantic reservoirs that are formed by dams, which in turn makes certain areas of useful land worthless (Baird). Another impact is that the flow and quality of the water may be affected in ways that the dissolved oxygen content of the water will decrease, but this problem can be minimized with proper flow control (US Dept. of Energy). On the other hand, hydroelectric plants do not release any emissions such as carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide, both of which increase to global warming and climate change. This is a tremendous advantage over fossil fuel use. Also, there isn't any need to worry about nuclear disasters like there is with the use of nuclear energy.

Another renewable energy resource that has a lower amount of environmental impact is solar energy. Solar energy is created and used through the use of photovoltaic cells that collect the suns energy and then convert that energy into a useful form like electricity. As one would think when first asked about solar energy and photovoltaic cells, there aren't many environmental impacts associated with it. The o...

... middle of paper ...

...there isn't any negative impact on the environment due to renewable energy resources, but based on all the evidence, it seems that non-renewable resources such as coal, natural gas, and petroleum, all have a much more negative influence on the world around them.

Works Cited

AWEA. Wind Energy and the Environment. 2014. http://www.awea.org/faq/tutorial/wwt_environment.html#Bird%20and%20bat%20kills%20and%20other%20effects.

Baird, Stuart. Geothermal Energy. 2013. http://www.iclei.org/EFACTS/GEOTHERM.HTM

Baird, Stuart. Hydroelectric Power. 2014. http://www.iclei.org/EFACTS/HYDROELE.HTM

Baird, Stuart. Photovoltaic Cells. 2013. http://www.iclei.org/EFACTS/PHOTOVOL.HTM

Baird, Stuart. Wind Energy. 2012. http://www.iclei.org/EFACTS/WIND.HTM

US Dept. of Energy. Environmental Issues and Mitigation. 4/27/2014.

http://www.eere.energy.gov/RE/hydro_enviro.html

Show More
Related

  • The Redemption of a Trickster

    808 Words  | 2 Pages

    A hero, in its simplest form, is an individual who displays valor in the face of adversity, and sacrifices his or her own personal interests to promote the greater good of others. Although Monkey exhibits the former very often throughout “The Monkey’s Story”, he is severely lacking in the latter. He constantly emphasizes his self-importance and his undeniable superiority over both his lowly monkey subjects and the divine beings of Heaven, including the Jade Emperor. If the first definition provided for “hero” is the only one to be considered, Monkey most definitely does embody the archetype of the hero, but with the second included, he no longer does so. Another important idea to establish is that Monkey, when viewed through the eyes of different characters, can be looked upon either positively or negatively. For example, the monkeys residing at the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit see him as their leader and savior, but Heaven’s inhabitants regard him as a trickster and a troublemaker. Although both parties are biased (Monkey led the first to an “Eden” of sorts and has defended them time and time again from evil demons, and the second refuses to believe that any earthly being can their equal or superior), it may be resoundingly proven through textual evidence that Monkey in fact does not fit into the archetype of the hero, but rather is more suited to that of the trickster.

    Read More

  • Female Genital Circumcision Essay

    2844 Words  | 6 Pages

    ... cause of a problem but it is the result of a situation’ (Greunbaum, 2001, pp. 177-178). There’s a need to understand the cultural and social dimension of female circumcision in order to realize and respect people for the culture; however, there is also a need for better medical environments for this procedure to be performed in.

    Read More

  • Female Genital Mutilation: A Violation of Human Rights

    3259 Words  | 7 Pages

    Female genital mutilation (FGM) is an ancient traditional non-therapeutic surgical procedure that involves total or partial removal of the external parts of female genitalia. This paper aimed to define and classify FGM, identifies the prevalence, describes reasons for performing the practice, and concentrates on the problems associated to this practice with regard to women’s health, religious beliefs, and socio-cultural, behavioral and moral consequences. Researches and survey reports that the global actions have been taken to reduce or abolish the prevalence of the practice will be assessed.

    Read More

  • Advantages And Alternatives: Pros And Cons Of Alternative Energy

    1058 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hydro power is one of many examples of alternative energy sources. Hydro power produces energy by moving water. Wind power is another form of solar power. Wind isn’t only a clean fuel source, but it is one of the most inexpensive alternative sources of energy.

    Read More

  • Female Circumcision Effects

    1473 Words  | 3 Pages

    Female circumcision (sometimes known as Female Genital Mutilation or female genital cutting) has been exercised in many different forms, in many different countries, for a long period of time. Female circumcision is defined as an operation performed to the female genital area that causes harm and changes the organ for no medical reason. Cultural, religious, and social factors are the main causes to FGM, and is mostly practiced on female infants up to the age of 15. This procedure does not benefit any female’s health whatsoever. The majority of people who practice female circumcision are those living in Africa. Coming from an African culture, where people participate in harsh practices such as female circumcision is a huge issue that needs to

    Read More

  • Persuasive Speech: Solar Power

    1587 Words  | 4 Pages

    Preview: Today I will discuss the potential that solar power has to become this country’s main supply of energy and the latest research that can make solar power more efficient and cost effective. I will also present the environmental benefits that come with using solar power over other and more harmful forms of energy.

    Read More

  • Renewable Energy: The Future Of Renewable Energy

    1172 Words  | 3 Pages

    The first type of renewable energy is hydroelectric energy or well known as hydropower. In greek word, hydro means water and thus hydroelectric energy refers to electricity generated using flowing water at high velocity. Lutgens and Tarbuck (1992, p. 163) stated that “running water is of great importance to people as we depend upon rivers for energy, travel and irrigation”. Continuous availability of water in universe made water to be the main source of hydroelectric energy. Water has been widely utilized by mankind since the beginning of civilization and wate...

    Read More

  • Female Genital Mutilation

    1756 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is hard to determine the direct origins of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Some researchers believes Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) originated in either ancient Egypt, Ethiopia, or Greece during the fifth century BC (Nawal, 2008, pp. 135-139). However, presently, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is performed on millions of young girls and women (Rahman, 2006). Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) occurs in Africa, Europe, Australia, Canada, and in the United States (Mascia-Lees 2010, pp. 66-68). Furthermore, there are four types of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) procedure. Type 1 hood of skin that sits over the clitoris (prepuce) is removed, type 2 the entire clitoris is removed, type 3 the external genitals are partly or totally removed and the wound stitched together, and type 4 is other practices including piercing, cauterizing, scraping or using corrosive substances designed to scar and narrow the vagina (anonymous 2014).

    Read More

  • Hydropower

    1514 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hydropower, the use of water to power machinery or produce electricity, provides the most renewable energy in the United States, and uses alternating current in most modern plants ("Hydropower…”). Hydropower relies on the water cycle and is a clean fuel source; it doesn’t pollute the environment like plants that burn fossil fuels. It is by far the most efficient way to generate electricity, being half the cost of using nuclear power, two-fifths the cost of using fossil fuels, and a quarter the cost of using natural gas ("Wind and Water…”). Also, hydropower is not subject to market fluctuations of embargos, and the average lifespan of a facility is 100 years. Hydropower also has many non-energy benefits such as water supply, flood control, navigation, irrigation, and recreation. However, it does face many environmental challenges such as impacts to aquatic habitats, aesthetic alterations of landscapes, changes to water quality, and interruptions of marine life ("Hydropower…”).

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Female Circumcision

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    The one question people ask themselves when thinking of female circumcision is, “is this a human rights issue?” and “how do we end this practice?”. The debate of whether female circumcision is mutilation and therefore abuse comes up right along with the topic of female circumcision. The fact that this act is

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Female Genital Mutilation

    2206 Words  | 5 Pages

    Traditional practices passed down through generations are common in Africa and certain parts of Asia. Often times known to possess cultural importance, some of these practices have affected the lives of the inhabitants in both positive and negative ways. One of such practices is female circumcision (FC), which has such negative effects that those who oppose it call it female genital mutilation (FGM). Though not everyone agrees that FGM is the most appropriate term that applies to this tradition, in modern times, audiences worldwide have begun to accept female genital mutilation as a more fitting expression to articulate such horrid violation of human rights. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is the collective name given to the several different traditional practices that involve the cutting of female genitals. The procedure is commonly performed on girls as a rite of passage of womanhood. It is generally performed by a traditional practitioner – often an older woman – who comes from a family in which generations of women have been traditionally practitioners, their heritage gives them the authority to proceed without a medical degree. FGM has been found to have significant cultural importance for people who uphold the practice which in local dialects is often times synonymous with purification or cleansing. Therefore, how people view FGM can be seen in the change in the rates of prevalence

    Read More

  • Renewable Energy Essay

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although renewable energy can be expensive to build, it has less environmental damages in comparison to non-renewable energy. Besides the natural resources such as sun, wind, water and hydrogen, we also have geothermal power, and biofuels as renewable sources. First of all, solar energy is the energy produced when the sun heats the solar panel. Thus, when the sun heat the panels, it produces electricity. Solar power produces energy during the day and can storage energy for the night. Solar power does not pollute so much the environment. However, it has high maintenance cost, and it takes a large land space. Secondly, 15% of World electricity comes from wind. In order to have wind energy, it is important to have turbines to get the wind in order to produce electricity. Tall turbines produce more energy. The drawbacks of wind power are that it requires steady wind and its installations may interfere with TVs, cellphones, and other electrical devices. However, it is quickly built and there is no pollution nor noise produced. Third of all, the water falls in the dam can also generate electricity. For instance, 19% of world electricity comes from water. Regardless of the fact that hydroelectric power has low maintenance costs and does not pollute the environment, it can cause earthquakes, and destroy wild rivers. Only 0.3% of world energy

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Female Circumcision

    1463 Words  | 3 Pages

    Female circumcision, also known as Female genital mutilation, or female genital cutting is a custom that has sparked controversy among many people belonging to other cultures not accustomed to the practice. Within the argument lay a series of debates surrounding the issue as culture and tradition clash with human rights over whether or not this practice should be allowed. Advocates against the practice draw on the prevalence, perceptions, and reasons for conducting FGM to combat what they believe is a human rights issue.

    Read More

  • Renewable and Non Renewable Energy

    672 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hydroelectric Power Plant is when electricity is generated when water in an uphill reservoir flows downhill. The gravitational potential energy of the water changes to kinetic energy of the flowing water which drives the turbines to generate electricity. The efficiency is more than 90%. The environmental impact is Floods large area and affects the ecology of the area, May cause drought downstream if not managed properly, does not cause ai...

    Read More

  • Renewable Energy is the Future

    990 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fuels like coal, and oil that once were a fine innovation in creating energy are now rapidly deleting and one day will be gone forever; energy that won’t last is often referred to as non-renewable energy. Besides being set up to fail and become inefficient in the future, fossil fuel energy is not clean to use and poses several environmental complications. Coal, for instance is “the dirtiest of all fossil fuels. Coal combustion not only produces sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides that contribute to acid rain and snow, it generates millions of tons of particulates that cause asthma and other respiratory diseases.” As with all usage of fossil fuels, it creates enormous amounts of carbon dioxide, which contributes to greenhouse gas. Not only are fossil fuels dirty, they also pose as a security risk and unforgiving on the American wallet. (Saini)

    Read More

More about The Environmental Impact of Renewable Energy

Open Document