If you have read even just a bit into renewable energy sources, you are most likely aware that these are thought to be much better for the environment than carbon sources of power. While many people know that making use of renewable energy will decrease their overall carbon footprint on the earth, not everyone knows exactly why this is the case and it’s worthwhile finding out a bit more about this.
Fewer Greenhouse Gas Emissions
More and more people are becoming aware of the impact of greenhouse gases on the ozone layer; this problem has become a very serious one, which is why the rise of renewable energy sources has occurred as quickly as it has.
Greenhouses gases are chemical compounds that allow sunlight to move through the atmosphere to the earth, but when this is reflected and starts moving back towards space, it becomes infrared heat and gets trapped in the atmosphere, causing the earth to warm over time. While there are natural gases that have properties similar to greenhouse emissions, many more are human made and very dangerous for the environment.
According to the Pembina Institute;
Renewable energy systems produce zero or few greenhouse gas emissions while they are being used and only small amounts during the manufacturing of equipment or fuels.
This benefit alone has made renewable energy sources worth exploring.
Limited Water Pollution
Water pollution is a big problem in this day and age, particularly because there is a limited amount of fresh water and many parts of the world experience severe droughts throughout the year. Pollution can occur at various stages as carbon materials are burned, from the mining stage (where runoff into the rivers has poisoned entire eco systems) to the oil spills that have filtered into the ocean and caused tremendous harm to both the water and wildlife. By opting for renewable energy sources, these offsets aren’t a problem because there is no need for mining or oil. It should be noted, however, that certain renewable sources, such as hydropower plants, could end up disrupting the wildlife in the areas in which they are installed.
Affecting the Quality of the Air
People shouldn’t just be concerned with the greenhouse emissions because they are affecting the planet; they should also be very concerned about the effect of pollution on the quality of air that they breathe. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists;
…a ground-breaking study by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory explored the feasibility and environmental impacts associated with generating 80 percent of the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2050 and found that global warming emissions from electricity production could be reduced by approximately 81 percent.
Cleaner Soil
Of course anything that negatively affects the quality of the water system on earth also affects the soil; this, in turn, affects the quality of the food produced by farms just about everywhere on the planet. Cleaner soil is better able to carry nutrients for the crops that are grown on a particular piece of land and when this is combined with healthy air and water, the overall produce is of a much higher quality.
Drawing energy from the wrong power sources can have extremely negative impacts on the earth, from the skies to the soil, which is why it is of the utmost importance that people start looking into renewable forms of energy and put them in place as soon as possible. Renewable energy isn’t only cleaner; it is also sustainable, cheaper and much more reliable than the finite energy sources that are in place at the moment and this makes it all the more appealing.
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