Green Energy

Energy is one of the largest sources of carbon emissions. According to the American Environmental Protection Agency, �the process of generating electricity is the single largest source of emissions in the United States, representing 34 percent� of the total (2007 figure). For that reason, looking for alternative forms of energy, also known as green energy, is a crucial part of the shift towards a less environmentally-damaging way of life.

Green energy is any type of natural energetic process that can be achieved with as little pollution as possible. The most common ones are wind, geothermal, small-scale hydro, solar, biomass (which includes all types of biofuel) and wave power. The incineration of urban waste may produce what some would call green energy but some would say it isn�t. Nuclear energy is also considered green by some but that is vehemently denied by environmentalist groups, who have concerns over nuclear waste disposal issues and Chernobyl-style accidents.

As things stand at the moment, no green energy has a complete zero-impact on the environment. The manufacturing process of necessary equipments is not always sustainable. In the case of biofuels, there is a raging debate whether food crops would be diverted to produce fuel instead of feeding people. Wind and solar also have an impact on the landscape and wildlife. And so it goes.

However, technology is constantly evolving and green energy technologies will become cleaner and more financially competitive. What everyone agrees on is that humanity will run out of fossil fuels eventually, therefore developing renewable technologies to generate greener sources of power is an absolute necessity, from both an environmental as well as a logistic point of view.