Modern human living on earth has its repercussions: global warming, pollution, extinction of plant and animal species and the depletion of natural resources. There has been heavy use of nonrenewable energy resources to power daily life, when there are plenty of clean, regenerative sources readily available.
Renewable resources and renewable energy have become a focus of the future. People are choosing to make "green" choices and use clean fuels, making naturally replenishing resources more mainstream.
Features
A renewable resource is a naturally-restoring source that regenerates at a percentage equal to, or faster than, the human consumption rate. People have been largely dependent on fossil fuels and other nonrenewable resources for fuel purposes, product construction and human consumption. However, natural goods (like oil) will run out and resources dependent on regrowth can be harvested beyond a regenerative point (deforestation).
Renewable resources and energy sources offer improved efficiency, are more cost-effective and are inexhaustible.
Types
There are two different types of renewable sources, material goods and natural energy sources. Assets like foods, wood, bamboo and chemicals are sources that grow at a self-sustainable rate.
Renewable energy resources provide perpetual energy through solar radiation, wind power, biopower and hydroelectric power.
Biomass energy recycles organic matter and it burns waste from landfills, excess lumber and agriculture. This source uses coal plants to produce cleaner heat and electricity and to create ethanol gas to fuel cars.
Solar energy harvests energy from the sun, which is free, inexhaustible and can be used anywhere the sun shines.
Wind farms use turbines to create efficient, pollutant-free energy that can supply entire states with power.
Hydropower harvests energy from the tides, waves, currents and waterfalls, offering clean, readily available power.
Warning
The abuse of the planet's nonrenewable sources is very clear: global warming is apparent through the annual rise in temperature, the melting of the polar ice caps and snow-topped mountains, unpredictable violent weather worldwide and the extinction of many plant and animal species.
The burning of fossil fuels coal, oil, natural gas and other chemicals releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
All transportation such as planes, trains and automobiles, release toxic emissions.
Coal refineries, power plants and nuclear power plants are pumping "greenhouse" gases into the air.
It is easy to see clouds of smog hovering over most major cities and understand the damage human-made pollution can cause if people continue to burn through natural sources and drain the earth of fossil fuels.
Benefits
Using renewable resources and energy allows the United States to offer clean assets and recycle waste. They provide local jobs, minimize energy costs and reduce the country's dependence on foreign resources. The sun, the ocean and wind power are all power sources that exist for free and can be harvested without creating pollution. The burning of biomass products does not release carbon dioxide emissions and can fuel cars and homes without promoting global warming.
These are "clean" forms of energy that not only generate plentiful amounts of power, but can be used without harming or depleting the Earth of any limited resources.
Potential
Now, people are more aware than ever of the importance of integrating more renewable resources and renewable energy into daily life. As these sources slowly become more mainstream, the costs of "green" energy like solar and hydroelectric are lower than ever. Wind energy has expanded by 20 percent in the United States and biomass energy measures almost half of the Nation's renewable energy production.
Renewable resources and energy sources are cleaner, more efficient alternatives for the Earth and for its residents. They will change the way people harvest, use and spend on energy in the future.
