Comparative Analysis of Renewable vs Non-Renewable Energy

Introduction

Energy by definition is known as "the ability to do work". Work can appear in many different forms and usually, when people think of energy we think of the source that powers our lights, driving cars, or using the microwave. However, the sources of energy we choose have effects on the environment depending on what that source is. Specifically, energy sources can be put into two broad categories known as renewable energy and nonrenewable energy.

Renewable Energy Sources

Renewable energy refers to energy derived from resources on Earth that are frequently replenished through natural processes and can therefore be used again and again without the fear of it running out. Common examples include solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal energy. Renewable energy from these sources is known to be more environmentally friendly because they do not emit a lot of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide or air pollution wen being harvested.

For instance, solar energy harnesses sunlight using photovoltaic cells and solar panels to produce electricity. It generates no pollution and reduces reliance on fossil fuels. Wind power, created by converting wind currents into energy using turbines, also produces clean energy with minimal ecological disruption. Other sources like hydropower leverage the kinetic energy of flowing water, while geothermal energy taps into the Earth's internal heat.

On the other hand, renewable energy sources can be expensive to setup like fields of solar panels and have much less energy density compared to sources like fossil fuels which carry a lot of energy. Furthermore, wind turbines used to gather wind energy have also posed risks to animals like birds that fly into them.

Non-Renewable Energy Sources

In contrast, non-renewable energy comes from sources that are limited and take millions of years to slowly regenerate on Earth. They are generally formed form the remains of plants and animals that have been under intense heat and pressure for ages. Examples of non-renewable energy sources include coal, oil, and natural gas. Not only does frequently using non-renewable energy sources strip the Earth of these limited resources but using them for energy often requires burning them and releasing a lot of greenhouse gas and air pollution as a result.

Greenhouse gases are required for life to be possible on Earth before it prevents the planet from reflecting all of the sunlight back into outer space. They basically act as a blanket over the planet, trapping some of the heat in and keep temperatures regulated. However, in the past couple of decades, due to heavy industrialization and higher energy use, people have artificially added a lot more greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, result in global warming. Therefore, it is important to avoid overusing non-renewable energy sources.

Air pollution has also been an issue human have been trying to address and the main origin of why air pollution got so much worse is because the world was overusing non-renewable energy sources. Air pollution has serious health risks when people are exposed to it overtime.

Lastly, gathering non-renewable energy sources often requires a lot of mining and land destruction. Mining also produces a lot of pollution and greenhouse gases, and land destruction results in the loss of biodiversity in nearby habitats and putting species in danger.

Moving Forward

In the future, it is likely that renewable energy sources will be used more often for energy due to the growing worry of the Earth's environment. It will be even easier to make renewable energy more efficient due to the rapid advancement in technology as well. However, this does not mean non-renewable energy will be completely gone and there will likely be a mixture of the two being used for many more years. Both have played important roles in shaping and advancing human life and society.