RenewablePowerFocus

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Finding Our Way Past Non Renewable Energy

Dump of the coal mine and withmachineThere are all kinds of choices in energy sources in the world today. Thanks to modern technology and development most consumers in developed nations can choose between renewable energy sources and non renewable energy sources to provide the power they need in day to day life.

Renewable energy sources include solar, geo-thermal, wind, hydroelectricity and biomass. These types of energy are termed renewable because they come from infinite sources such as the sun and the wind, running water and the burning or decomposition of various types of waste. These types of energy are endlessly abundant and do not take a toll on the earth.

Non renewable energy sources include coal, oil, natural gas and other products that are available only in finite amounts wrested from the earth. These products are fossil fuels. They took thousands of years to develop far beneath the surface of the earth. Once they are used up, there will be no more.

This very basic comparison should make it easy to see why energy sources that are not renewable are a bad choice. The fact that they will be used up one of these days in the not-too-distant future is a very big negative. Add to that the fact that sourcing these materials is horribly damaging to the only habitable planet in the known universe and it is easy to see that continuing to choose non-renewable sources of energy is a very foolish choice, indeed.

Coal mining is a horribly destructive practice. This is especially true of mountaintop removal coal mining in which entire mountaintops are simply blown to smithereens to get to the coal that lies inside the mountain. When this is done, the mountain is destroyed along with all life on the mountain. Streams that may run from the mountain are polluted and destroyed. Entire towns lose their source of water. Illness from the fallout of the destruction often ensues.

Traditional coal mining in which miners go underground to mine coal is also horribly destructive and very dangerous. Miners are always in danger of cave-ins and they inevitably develop lung cancer and other occupational illnesses, the longer they work in the mines. Mining is a debilitating job and many miners spend the vast majority of their hours underground slaving away in the mines.

Drilling for oil and gas is also horribly destructive. Wast areas of land are despoiled and the air surrounding wells is polluted by the heavy machinery used to make the wells. Heavy equipment also destroys roads all around the wells, and most often the gas and oil companies are not held accountable for the destruction.

Fracking is a practice that is used to break up deep deposits of shale to get at formerly inaccessible sources of gas and oil. This practice wastes millions of gallons of water and pollutes aquifers. It is rapidly destroying sources of water in all areas where fracking is performed.

an off shore oil platform california coast Oil spills from tankers and pipelines poison the earth and every living thing upon and beneath it. The destruction they wreak in the ocean is well-known.

Energy from the sun, wind, water and constantly renewable materials that must be disposed of does not destroy the earth. These forms of renewable energy do not pollute water. Jobs in renewable energy are interesting and healthy and growing in number by the day.

When comparing non renewable and renewable sources of energy, it should be quite clear that only infinite and renewable choices have the ability to carry us safely into the future.

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Is Nuclear Energy Renewable And Safe

nuclear power station with cooling towers steam Many people wonder is nuclear energy renewable, however, it is not. Although it’s not a renewable energy source, it’s far from the end of the discussion. Nuclear power has incredible potential, as well as incredible dangers. It has very definite advantages that make it worth considering compared to other sources of energy. It also has drawbacks that are quite unique.

Basic Principles

Nuclear power is, in principle, very simple. Purified radioactive elements – most commonly uranium, but the process can use others – are assembled carefully in an arrangement that allows controlled fission. As atoms split apart, they release heat and neutrons. The heat is captured and used to turn water into steam, and the steam drives generators. The reason nuclear power shows up on lists of “clean” energy sources is because the byproducts released by a well-designed, well-maintained nuclear plant are minimal. It’s true that nuclear power produces radioactive waste, but the volume of waste involved is usually vastly over-stated. Storing and disposing of it safely is a real problem, but not an insurmountable one.

The Limitless Potential

The real appeal of nuclear power is in its great efficiency. Over the past sixty years, it’s been discovered that uranium is a relatively common element within the earth. The process required to refine it and prepare it as nuclear fuel has also been streamlined and made as efficient as possible. The efficiency of nuclear power comes into play because of just how little uranium is required to run a reactor. The electrical needs of an average household can be sustained for a year by just a few grams of uranium.

Clean, But Not Renewable

As mentioned above, radioactive waste is a problem that can be dealt with. When operating within normal parameters, a nuclear power plant releases virtually no contaminants into the environment. This sets it apart from all the other non-renewable energy sources currently in use. However, because there is an inevitable limit to the amount of uranium available, nuclear energy cannot be considered renewable in the same way that solar or wind power are.

The Very Real Risks

Notice the qualifiers required above in discussing the safety of nuclear power. A well-maintained reactor is safe and a well-designed reactor will not melt down. A nuclear power plant releases no contaminants when it’s run properly. The problem that nuclear power advocates can’t avoid is that when things break down with nuclear power, they break down in a very frightening, very disastrous way. Whether it breaks down to poor design, such as at Three Mile Island or because of negligence as at Chernobyl or even through natural disaster like at Fukushima, a malfunctioning reactor can spread radiation into the environment and cause a serious long-term health risk. Additionally, in the modern age, it cannot be denied that nuclear power presents a security risk. While it would be difficult for terrorists to cause a serious breakdown, stealing potentially-harmful waste and fuel is a threat that calls for constant vigilance.

So, is nuclear energy renewable? No, not really and it has more than its fair share of other drawbacks. Yet still, it is such an efficient source of power that it deserves careful consideration. To meet the ever-growing needs of an ever-growing civilization, nuclear power remains a viable option, just not an ideal one.