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Clean energy may also be called renewable energy or green energy and it specifically refers to energy produced usually from renewable resources without creating environmental debt. There are several other ways such clean energy can be defined. It some cases it may refer to energy processes that pollute less, or it can be considered only energy that doesn’t pollute at all and doesn’t use resources that can’t be easily renewed.
The basic forms of clean energy are often cited as those that come from water, wind, or sun (solar). In some cases, some manufacturing and use of coal is considered clean and called clean coal. This last is a matter of dispute among environmentalists.
It’s hoped that clean energy use, especially as total substitution for use of things like oil, might help to reduce global warming and greenhouse gas emission, creating a safer planet for all inhabitants. In reality, clean energy has its problems too, which have not been fully realized because it is not a complete replacement for energy created by non-renewable resources. For instance, wind farms that can provide power can have significant effect on local bird populations, and birds of some types can face grave depletion of numbers when they live near wind farms.
Nevertheless, despite some negative consequences to the environment from things like wind farms or use of hydroelectric power, these tend to be minimal in comparison to the use of petroleum or non-clean coal. Many environmentalists reason that though no power source is completely without risk, clean energy could have a wide reaching effect on healing the planet and perhaps stemming the tide of global warming. An additional reason why clean energy can be so desirable is because it tends to come from sources that are free. While harnessing this energy costs money, wind and sun aren’t owned by anybody in particular.
This is not the case with things like oil. Most of the oil deposits in the world are gathered in a few places, and the majority is located in the Middle East. Many who are proponents of creating clean energy sources say that dependence on oil in foreign countries creates a host of diplomatic problems. Countries may need to sacrifice in order to get the resources they need or wars may be in part consequence of fighting over this resource. There are numerous people who believe that wind or solar energy could lead not only to a cleaner planet but also a more peaceful world.
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Much remains to be done to figure out how to best harness clean energy sources and how to use them to best advantage. One issue is how to transport collected energy from one place to another, since many places that produce this energy are located in remote locations. Changing the power grid to accommodate different sources of energy can help this problem, but this has yet to occur on a wide scale.
the Advantages of Wind Energy Production?
What Is Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion?
What is Clean Renewable Energy?
What are the Different Types of Energy Investments?
What is a Windmill Farm?
What are the Advantages of Wind Energy?
What is Sustainable Energy?
Category
Animals and the Environment
wiseGEEK features
Print this Article
Link to this Article
Comment on this Article
Add Page to Favorites
Suggest a Topic
XClose this window
Follow wiseGEEK
X
help
Close this window
Did You Know?
52% of Americans live in cities with over 500k people yet 85% of professional athletes come from smaller towns. more...
get widget
This Day in History
Clean energy may also be called renewable energy or green energy and it specifically refers to energy produced usually from renewable resources without creating environmental debt. There are several other ways such clean energy can be defined. It some cases it may refer to energy processes that pollute less, or it can be considered only energy that doesn’t pollute at all and doesn’t use resources that can’t be easily renewed.
The basic forms of clean energy are often cited as those that come from water, wind, or sun (solar). In some cases, some manufacturing and use of coal is considered clean and called clean coal. This last is a matter of dispute among environmentalists.
It’s hoped that clean energy use, especially as total substitution for use of things like oil, might help to reduce global warming and greenhouse gas emission, creating a safer planet for all inhabitants. In reality, clean energy has its problems too, which have not been fully realized because it is not a complete replacement for energy created by non-renewable resources. For instance, wind farms that can provide power can have significant effect on local bird populations, and birds of some types can face grave depletion of numbers when they live near wind farms.
Nevertheless, despite some negative consequences to the environment from things like wind farms or use of hydroelectric power, these tend to be minimal in comparison to the use of petroleum or non-clean coal. Many environmentalists reason that though no power source is completely without risk, clean energy could have a wide reaching effect on healing the planet and perhaps stemming the tide of global warming. An additional reason why clean energy can be so desirable is because it tends to come from sources that are free. While harnessing this energy costs money, wind and sun aren’t owned by anybody in particular.
This is not the case with things like oil. Most of the oil deposits in the world are gathered in a few places, and the majority is located in the Middle East. Many who are proponents of creating clean energy sources say that dependence on oil in foreign countries creates a host of diplomatic problems. Countries may need to sacrifice in order to get the resources they need or wars may be in part consequence of fighting over this resource. There are numerous people who believe that wind or solar energy could lead not only to a cleaner planet but also a more peaceful world.
Related topics
Much remains to be done to figure out how to best harness clean energy sources and how to use them to best advantage. One issue is how to transport collected energy from one place to another, since many places that produce this energy are located in remote locations. Changing the power grid to accommodate different sources of energy can help this problem, but this has yet to occur on a wide scale.
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