subject: The Pros And Cons Of Renewable And Non-renewable Energy [print this page] More and more the topic of energy and the ability for our planet to sustain a future generation is becoming a staple in evening newscast, popular news sites and the point of contention amongst countless pieces of new legislation. As we move into the future what sort of changes or restrictions should be put on these two forms of energy or perhaps you only have a vague understanding of the two terms. Below is a brief glimpse into the world of renewable and non-renewable energy, the benefits of each as well as some of their downfalls and shortcomings.
The first source of energy and the one that is often touted as the preferred method of powering our future is renewable energy. Renewable energy gets its name from natural sources. The top ones being the sun, the wind, rain, power generated through the tides of oceans etc The main component of these sources? That they can be uses over and over and over and on demand. Arguably the cleanest form of energy, these sources typically have the lowest impact on the environment and are the preferred powering source for individuals. Additional green energies sources that are making progress in the energy world as sustainable and renewable energy forms is power from wind and geothermal activity.
The pros of renewable energy are rather intuitive in nature. The main one being the readiness to which they are available to everyone and anyone with the proper ways of harnessing them. Also, these renewable sources of energy have some of the lowest carbon foot prints. Not to mention, as a business owner, using green energies can set you up for a host of tax credits and exemptions depending on where you are located.
The only major cons of most renewable energy sources are the initial start-up costs of using them on a large scale. Erecting solar power plants, hydro-electric dams and wind farms can be a costly ordeal that can often takes months of bureaucratic hoop jumping to set up and then a slew of guidelines and operating procedures to make sure they are being run in a sound manner
Non-renewable energy sources can immediately come with some negative associations. The main proponent against these ways of powering our Earth are the negative side effects that can occur in rare occasions or the harmful emissions let out by older forms of harnessing these resources. But unless major technological breakthroughs happen soon, their time is numbered. Non-renewable energies include; fossil fuels, natural gas, coal, oil and of course nuclear.
The pros associated with non-renewable energies all come down to the correlation between what you get and what you spend. As it stands now, most of these energy sources are relatively cheap the consumer and cheap to produce. Also, when it comes to nuclear energy, small amount can go a long way, a benefit that drives the price of this energy down even further.
Cons of non-renewable energy are one of the biggest things that polarize opinions on the matter of which energy source is preferred. Aside from their inevitable expiry date, non-renewable energies pose a threat to the environment both in their emissions and the gap they leave behind once consumed.
