The world uses many different energy sources. Fossil fuels — including oil, natural gas and coal–accounted to more than 81 percent of all energy consumed in the year 2018. Renewables, including solar power, wind power, biomass and hydroelectricity, account for 14 percent. Nuclear energy is another 5 percent. Different countries use various energy sources, and are able to balance environmental and economic requirements.
Nature’s energy can be found in a variety of forms: sun, wind, waves and ocean. These sources of energy can be transformed into more practical energy forms, such as electricity or heat, once they are harnessed. These energy sources become non-renewable sources of energy once they have been exhausted.
Many fossil fuels and some of the other energy sources that are not renewable have been causing environmental harm. For example mining for oil may destroy the forests of the planet. Hydraulic fracture (fracking) can cause earthquakes as well as water pollution. Burning coal releases carbon dioxide, contributing to global warming.
Fortunately, the majority of the most promising sources of energy are renewable and sustainable. Hydropower, solar energy and wind power, for instance, can produce electricity without the need to search for new sources.
Other sources of sustainable energy are emerging, such as waves and tidal power. To be utilized on an extensive scale, these technologies require effective distribution networks. This requires the use of non-renewable energy sources to build these networks. These sources aren’t able to satisfy the majority of our energy requirements. It’s vital to remember that the cost of renewable energy equipment have fallen dramatically in recent years and the efficiency is rising.
