Energy is essential to perform any function. Just as our body needs food to move, any human activity needs an energy flow to be carried out. Today, we have inherited an energy system that comes from the industrial revolution, at the base of which are fossil fuels and, later, nuclear energy. However, these energies will become increasingly scarce and, on the other hand, they have a great impact on the environment.
Renewable energies were born as an inexhaustible alternative to these energies that may disappear but this does not mean that they have to be clean energies. Do youRenewable energies pollute the environment? What are renewable energies? How does each one pollute? In the following Green Ecologist article we will explain it to you.
What are renewable energies
Renewable energy is understood to be those that have a natural origin whose source is hypothetically inexhaustible, either because they regenerate by themselves or because their quantities are unlimited, that is, as they are used, their resources do not run out. Some clear examples of these unlimited natural sources are the sun or the wind.
Sometimes there is also talk of alternative energy, however, it does not refer to the same. Alternative energies are those that can serve as a replacement for traditional energy sources, in this case renewable energies are, but that does not mean that all alternative energies are renewable.
Here we explain what are the renewable energy sources:
- Energy tidal, of the tides.
- Energy geothermal, from the heat of the earth.
- Energy hydraulics, of the reservoirs.
- Energy wind, of the wind.
- Energy solar, of the sun.
- Energy biomass, of the vegetation.
Renewable energies: examples
Seawater energy
This energy can be obtained from with the same procedure but in two different ways. On the one hand, the energy left by the movement of large bodies of water when the tides rise and fall can be collected, but the force of the waves on the sea surface as a consequence of wind action can also be harnessed.
Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy is that which we can obtain from taking advantage of the heat that is given off from the interior of the Earth. For this, different sources can be used, such as hot springs and their vapors or magma. However, today the resources are not yet available at a technological level to be able to exploit it industrially. Still, it can be used as a home heater or to generate electricity.
Hydraulic energy
As its name indicates, this energy is produced by water, but unlike tidal energy, hydraulic energy is produced by water that accumulates in swamps or reservoirs. How is this energy produced? Easy, when the water falls to a lower level it creates an energy that in the hydroelectric power station is converted into electricity.
Wind power
In this type of energy, the natural source is the wind, which is used by windmills, technically known as wind turbines. Did you know that you can make homemade windmills?
Solar energy
Solar energy is that which comes to us from the Sun through electromagnetic radiation, it can already be in the form of heat, light or ultraviolet rays that have been created in the star after a process of nuclear fusion. Within solar energy we can distinguish between:
- Photothermic solar energy: they convert that energy into heat and use it to heat buildings, water or any other product.
- Photovoltaic Solar Energy: convert solar energy into electricity.
Biomass energy
We speak of biomass to that energy that is obtained by means of organic materials of animal or vegetable origin, for example organic waste after combustion or transformation into oil, alcohol or methanol.
Are renewable energies clean or polluting?
Before answering if renewable energies are polluting, it must be made clear that any energy source causes an impact on the environment. Of course, there are some that do it more than others, for example, non-renewable ones, in their irrational and disproportionate use, cause damage to nature, ecosystems and the planet in general. In this sense, renewable sources are a good substitute because their impact is less, but they can still become polluting. Next we will talk about how renewable energies pollute the environment:
- The geothermal energy It can be very dangerous if toxic gases and metals are dragged to the surface.
- The wind turbines of the wind power they create visual pollution in landscapes, usually natural. At the same time they can become traps for thousands of birds that die on their blades.
- Inside of hydraulic energy, mini-hydro is the one that produces a minor impact, however, large water dams create great losses in the biodiversity of the area, they generate methane gas if the plant matter is not removed, they can be the cause of pandemics, they can be located in areas Of natural or landscape value, they make river beds more saline.
- The main problem of the Seawater energy These are the high costs of its installation, which seldom make it viable. On the other hand, they have a significant visual impact on coastal landscapes, that is, visual pollution.
- The biomass produces environmental pollution, since its combustion generates nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants. In addition, if land is cultivated for its development, it is no longer used for other more productive types of cultivation.
- Surely, the solar energy It is the least polluting in every way, however, the time it takes to be amortized is very long.
If you want to read more articles similar to Do renewable energies pollute the environment?, we recommend that you enter our category of Renewable Energies.
