The world is awash with a variety of energy sources. Fossil fuels–including natural gas, oil, and coal–accounted to more than 81 percent of all energy consumed in the year 2018. Renewable energy sources such as solar energy, wind power biomass, hydroelectricity and biomass comprise 14 percent. Nuclear energy is another 5 percent. Different countries use different energy sources to balance the needs of their economy and environmental concerns.
Nature’s energy comes in many forms like sun, wind waves and ocean. These sources of energy transform into more efficient forms of energy, like electricity or heat when they are harnessed. When these energy sources are used up, they become nonrenewable energy sources.
Many fossil fuels and some of the other nonrenewable energy sources are causing harm to the environment. For instance, oil mining can cause the destruction of our forests that are virgin to the earth. Fracking (hydraulic fracturing) can result in water pollution and earthquakes. The burning of coal releases carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming.
Fortunately, a majority of the most promising sources of energy are renewable and sustainable. Solar, wind and hydropower produce, for instance, electricity without the need to dig for new sources.
Other sustainable energy sources are emerging, such as the wave and tidal power. To be utilized on an enormous scale, these technologies need to have effective distribution networks. This requires the use non-renewable energy sources to build these networks. As a result, these sources aren’t sufficient to meet the majority of our energy needs. It is important to be aware that prices for renewable energy equipment have come down dramatically over the past few years, and the efficiency is growing quickly.