The issue of energy conservation and the search for new, cheap, renewable energy sources has taken center stage in politics and science in recent years. The different types of renewable and sustainable energy sources are very varied, and each have different advantages and disadvantages. However, before discussing the different advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy and renewable energy policies, it is important to first discuss what type of energy is being discussed under the umbrella of “renewable” or “sustainable” energy. First, solar energy is one type of energy that is commonly considered to be a renewable energy source, since the sun shines on the Earth every day (Haugen and Musser, 2012). Wind energy, captured by windmills in places of high winds can also be a form of alternative, sustainable energy. In terms of alternative energy for fuel, things like electric-gas hybrids and biofuel vehicles have been introduced as alternatives to vehicles that use fossil fuels to run. There are certainly disadvantages to using alternative energy sources-- colloquially, “green” energy sources-- but the benefits of using these alternative energy sources far outweighs the disadvantages.
The obvious advantage to using renewable energy sources is that these energy sources, by definition, do not “run out.” For example, if the sun were to burn out, the sudden lack of solar power would be a miniscule problem compared to the massive problem of the loss of the sun. In addition, wind energy will continue to be a plausible form of energy for as long as the weather patterns on the planet provide for win (Haugen and Musser, 2012). The fact that the infrastructure for these energy sources will continue to be relevant for long periods of time is an advantage insofar as the use of these renewable energy sources is concerned. Providing energy sources that can be used for long periods of time without ever threatening to “run out” or ruin the environment is a benefit and positive effect of the use of renewable energy sources.
Another positive aspect to the use of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power is that these types of renewable energy sources create no or negligible waste in the form of harmful gases (Haugen and Musser, 2012). Unlike other, traditional forms of energy-- like coal, for instance-- wind, water, and solar energy does not require that substances burn and release harmful gases into the atmosphere. There are also no waste products that must be released into the oceans, rivers, or lakes of the world; the lack of byproducts also means that more waste does not need to be deposited into landfills (Haugen and Musser, 2012).
In addition to renewable and sustainable energies like wind, solar, and water energy, another form of “green energy technology” that has come to the forefront in recent years is renewable and “clean” energy for vehicles (Haugen and Musser, 2012). Vehicles and transportation are one of the biggest forms of pollution for the planet, particularly air pollution (Haugen and Musser, 2012). The introduction of electric cars has been effective in certain places to reduce the impact that cars and other types of vehicles have had on the environment. Traditional, fuel-driven cars, particularly older models, have a tendency to release a large amount of noxious toxins into the atmosphere, a problem that has been attacked by the introduction of electric, hybrid, and biofuel cars into the market (Haugen and Musser, 2012).
Hybrid, electric, and biofuel cars have the advantage of being extremely low-emission vehicles, meaning that they release very few pollutants into the atmosphere (Haugen, 2012). The use of one of these cars can significantly reduce an individual’s carbon footprint for the year, particularly if they take other steps to reduce their impact on the environment (Solar Schools, 2013). These cars have improved greatly in recent years, and many of them get excellent gas mileage if they use gas at all, which means gas costs are kept to a minimum for the driver of the vehicle (Solar Schools, 2013).
There are, of course, disadvantages to using renewable and sustainable energies. One of the primary disadvantages of using these types of energies is the fact that the technology used to capture these types of energy is changing so quickly that the technology of today could easily be obsolete in less than a decade (Haugen and Musser, 2012). This could lead to further costs incurred by the individual using the technology, something that can be very frustrating for consumers (Haugen and Musser, 2012).
Another major problem with alternative energies is the cost (Haugen and Musser, 2012). Because so many of these technologies are new, they are often very expensive; at the very least, they are often more expensive than the alternative. The cost factor can be a large disincentive for those who are interested in participating in the use of new, “green” technologies. However, even with these disadvantages, the long-term benefits of utilizing green technologies far outweigh the short-term disadvantages.
References
Haugen, D. M. & Musser, S. (2012). Renewable energy. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.
Solar Schools. (2013). Renewable energy: the advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.solarschools.net/resources/stuff/advantages_and_disadvantages.aspx [Accessed: 25 Jan 2014].
