Countdown to the Top Alternative Energy Source

With all the talk of how bad fossil fuels are on the environment, and the fact that we a running out of our nonrenewable energy sources, the government has been stressing the changing to using more alternative energy sources. Wind, solar, hydroelectric, nuclear, biomass and geothermal power are the most common alternative energy sources. The problem in America is that fossil fuels like natural gas, oil, and coal meet 85% of the total energy requirement of the country. This is a problem because it shows that 85% of the energy we use comes from non renewable sources. With statistics like this, the government is beginning to stress the importance of looking into more stable, renewable energy sources. Not only are fossil fuels harder to come by, but fossil fuels are also having a very negative effect on the environment. However, it must be stressed that not all alternative energy sources are that much better than fossil fuels. Some renewable energy sources have just as many negative effects on the environment as the fossil fuels that we are trying to replace. With all the alternative energy sources that are spoken about today, there is now way for us to know which sources are truly better than fossil fuels. Here is a countdown to the best alternative energy source.

5. Nuclear Power

Many heads are turning towards nuclear power as a good alternative to fossil fuels for energy. According to the World Nuclear Assiociation “436 commercial nuclear power reactors operating in 30 countries”, nuclear energy power sources account for “15% of the world’s electricity." Nuclear power is known as the clean, safe energy source because it does not directly cause any pollution. However nuclear power can harm the environment is ways worse than pollution. The most disastrous effects of nuclear power is the possibility of a meltdown. The most remembered meltdown took place in 1986 at the Chernobyl facility in the Ukraine. A fire ripped apart the casing of the core, releasing radioactive isotopes into the atmosphere. Thirty-one people died as an immediate result. And estimated 15,000 more died in the surrounding area after exposure to the radiation.The possibility of a meltdown scares Americans so much that no nuclear plants have been ordered since 1978 and more than 100 reactors have been cancelled. Another drawback to nuclear power is the nuclear waste produced in the process of making the energy. The main problem with the waste is where to store it because the nuclear waste can cause major negative effects to the environment. Nuclear waste must be stored in containers and looked after for thousands of years. With all of these negative effects of nuclear power is it easy to see

why in American nuclear power is not being

stressed as an alternative energy source.

4.Wind Power

Another alternative energy source that is getting a lot of attention around the world is wind power. Wind power is a very well known renewable source, and a majority of people will say that it creates no pollution and no negative effects on the environment. Wind power is NOT as environmentally friendly as previously believed. Wind power requires the use of many wind turbines, which create energy by transferring the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be harnessed for practical use . Wind turbines do not generate pollution or radioactive waste like most other forms generate. However, wind power does have major drawbacks. A huge problem with the use of wind power is that it relies on weather conditions. Wind farms must be located on a flat elevated area, because wind is necessary for the process. This causes an issue because we cannot predict nor control the weather, so the reliability of the energy source is questionable. Another major issue with wind power is the direct effect it has on the migration patterns of the birds in or traveling through the area. Wind turbines on more than 4,000 windmills have been chopping up tens of thousands of birds that fly into them, including golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, burrowing owls and other raptors.This is causing many of these birds to become endangered because their numbers are being drastically reduced. Many people in America are stressing the discontinuance of investing our time and money in wind power when it has drastic effects on the wildlife in the area.

3. Solar Power

Solar power is another alternative energy source that is sweeping across American with high hopes. Solar power requires the use of solar panels which Solar panels give off no pollution. The solar panels collect solar radiation from the sun and convert that energy to electricity. This process points to the first problem with solar power which is, like wind, solar power requires certain weather conditions. Solar power requires many hours of direct sunlight, and we cannot control the weather it is not always reliable. Solar power can only be generated during the day, so for half of the day the solar panels are not generating any power. This means at night there is a reliance on stored energy or an alternative energy source. Clouds can also block the sun’s rays from coming in contact with the solar panels during the day, and because clear skies are rare in most states, solar power would not be the best energy source for the United States. Solar power also has a negative aesthetic appeal. The solar panels look very bland. Many people also don’t like the panels sitting on their roofs because of how they appear to the eye. Another very relevant issue with solar power is the high initial cost of the equipment used. The main reason the cost of solar energy is so high is because the components that are used to make up the systems have high costs. The average American family simply cannot afford solar energy.

3. Hydroelectric Power

Another alternative energy source that is talked about a lot is hydroelectric power. Hydroelectric power is the process of creating energy through moving or falling water. Hydroelectric power does not create pollution like nuclear power nor does it rely on weather like solar and wind. Hydroelectric power utilizes flowing water to create some energy. It uses the force of gravity and the current of the water to turn turbines, which creates the energy. With water being the main requirement for hydroelectric power it seems as though there could not possibility be any negative effects that come from it. However, like the previous alternative energy sources, hydroelectric power also has some MAJOR negative effects. One negative effect is that hydroelectric power requires diverting water sources and creating dams. This can and does causes major damage in pre-existing ecosystems. Loss of habitat and altering habitats can have drastic effects on the organisms in the area. Another disadvantage of hydroelectric dams is the need to relocate the people living where the reservoirs are planned. In February 2008, it was estimated that 40-80 million people worldwide had been physically displaced as a direct result of dam construction. However causing people to move for the placement of a dam is not the worst effect of hydroelectric power. Sometimes the dams used for hydroelectric power can fail and cause serious problems for the people in the surrounding areas. Flooding as a result of malfunctions from hydroelectric power is enough to make people turn away from this alternative energy source.

2. Biomass

Biomass is another alternative energy source that most people think has no negative side effects. It is true that biomass is one of the safest alternative energy sources compared to the others talked about, however it is not perfect. Biomass is an organic matter that can be used to make fuels, chemicals and other products, as well as provide heat or electricity. Biomass energy can convert waste from livestock, food processing and households into energy that can be used from everything from heating a house to powering a car. With all the benefits of biomass energy it seems that there is nothing that can go wrong with this alternative energy source. Biomass, however, does have one major issue. Biomass is a part of the carbon cycle. In the process of burning the organic matter to create fuel carbon dioxide is being released into the atmosphere. Using biomass methods for energy production produces a large portion of carbon dioxide. Biomass can be considered one of the many factors that contribute to the global warming. So although Biomass seems to have many benefits as an energy source, it also still has a negative effect on the environment.

1. Geothermal Power

Geothermal energy is by far the best alternative energy source offered at this time. Geothermal power is energy generated by heat stored in the earth. The sun heats the earth, and the ground serves as an insulator to store the heat as energy. Pipes are run beneath the ground, and water is heated as it passes through the pipes. A lot of energy can be obtained by this process, the fact is that even if only 1 percent of the thermal energy contained within the uppermost 10 kilometers of our planet could be tapped, the amount would be 500 times that contained in all oil and gas resources of the world. Unlike solar and wind power, geothermal energy does not rely on weather conditions. Heat can be extracted from the earth in the arctics. Also geothermal energy is safer on the environment, unlike nuclear power and biomass. The processes surrounding geothermal energy do not create any waste like nuclear power, and it also doesn’t emit any greenhouse gasses like biomass. Geothermal also does not cause any direct effect to the population in the area surrounding where the energy is being created like hydroelectric power does with the chances of flooding. Geothermal looks to be like a superior alternative energy source to fossil fuels.

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What Does This Mean?

Many alternative energy sources are not as good as previously thought. Solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, and nuclear power all have many negative effects on the environment, and can cause many unwanted negative consequences for people around them. In her book Alternative Energy, Paula Berinstein commented that the point needs to be made that alternative does not necessarily mean nonpolluting. Overall, geothermal energy is the best alternative energy sources to fossil fuels. It is safer, cleaner, more reliable, and in abundance in the United States. So as America is looking for an alternative energy source for the fossil fuels, which we have become reliant on, there needs to be much more time and money spent on looking into geothermal power. Geothermal power is going to be the future for America. It offers the best solution to the problems that fossil fuels bring and at the same time it brings benefits.