Essay on The Environmental Impact of Renewable Energy

The amazing thing about renewable energy resources is that they do not deplete. These energy resources include energies such as hydroelectric energy, solar energy, wind energy, and geothermal energy. The major advantage of using these resources is that the environmental impact is extremely low when compared to the use of fossil fuels and other energy processes. One of the most used renewable energy sources is hydroelectric power. When you look at all the environmental impacts of dams, etc., they seem to be a lot less devastating than those effects due to the use of coal and oil for producing energy. Some of the environmental impacts include major flooding due to the gigantic reservoirs that are formed by dams, which in turn makes†¦show more content†¦Also, there is a minor concern associated with the land use required to collect a substantial amount of energy, but one theory is that there is enough area on the roofs of every house and building in the world to supply an unfathomable amount of electricity (Baird). These environmental problems seem to be better than any other resource out there; no emissions, air pollution, water pollution, etc. When solar energy, a renewable energy resource, is compared to other forms of electricity production (based on environmental impacts), it is by far at the top of the list. The next renewable energy resource to be discussed is wind energy. Wind energy is very efficient and has a very minute amount of environmental impact. One of the major impacts due to wind energy is the noise that it generates. The turbines are very loud when one is up close to them, but when at a distance of 300 m from the average turbine the noise is about the same as the amount of noise in a library (Baird). Another impact is that these turbines have killed many birds and bats throughout the years, but when compared to bird deaths due to cats, the number killed due to wind turbines is not even close (AWEA). These environmental effects seem to be negligible, due to the fact that the noise is too far away for most people to hear, and the amount of birds killed every year is not substantial. Also, like all of the otherShow MoreRelatedThe Environmental Impact Of Renewable Energy Sources1555 Words   |  7 Pagesthe spectrum are renewable energy sources, which consist of solar, wind, g eothermal, hydro, and biofuels. The environmental impact of renewable energy sources is microscopic compared to the impact of fossil fuels. Specifically, I want to focus on the environmental impact of the production of electricity. 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