With climate change being a major topic in global politics, events like COP26 and initiatives like Net Zero are being organised to help nation-states reduce their carbon emissions to limit the damage done to our planet. This has brought the international conversation to renewable energies as the world attempts to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels like crude oil. But what are the most renewable, environmentally friendly forms of energy available to us? Take a look below:
Solar Energy
Solar energy is possibly the single most eco-friendly energy source there is. The sun already powers virtually all life on earth (aside from some select species that live in remote geothermic locations deep beneath the ocean), and this energy source is completely renewable. Solar energy takes up plenty of space, as solar panels need width to collect sunlight. But it has been estimated that the United States would need to dedicate only 0.6% of its landmass to a solar farm to produce enough energy to power the entire country.
Wind Energy
Like solar, wind energy is a completely natural and renewable source that people could tap into indefinitely! Wind farms also require plenty of space, with offshore wind farms becoming a common sight around Britain’s beaches. These farms contain huge fan-like wind turbines which spin in the wind, generating electricity.
Hydro and Tidal Energy
Hydro and tidal energy both use water, rather than wind, to spin turbines and produce energy. Hydro energy requires the installation of a dam or reservoir, which allowed a large body of water to be subject to a controlled flow. Tidal energy, as the name suggests, takes advantage of the natural push and pull of the daily tides rather than a controlled flow through a dam. Tidal energy is less consistent than hydro energy, but the tides are incredibly predictable, and energy can be stored during high tide to use during the low tides.
Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy works by harnessing the natural heat coming from deep within the earth. This heat can be used to generate electricity or directly used to heat homes and businesses. Geothermal energy isn’t widely available in the UK, but some countries, like Iceland, benefit greatly from geothermal power plants.