Some members of the society condemn that renewable energy resources cause as much harm to the world as non-renewable ones. From my perspective, I am in complete disagreement with the statement. This essay will delve into the perks of the alternative energy resources along with examples to support the stance.
To embark on the merits, most of the alternatives do not deteriorate global warming since they do not produce greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. In other words, during the burning of fossil fuels, greenhouse gases are emitted, causing heat to be trapped in the atmosphere. While for other energy resources, carbon emission is not guaranteed in the process of electricity generation. Take solar power as a prime example, photovoltaic cells directly utilise the heat energy from radiation to power the generator. Moreover, electricity production by wind turbines is triggered by the conversion of kinetic energy, both of which does not involve the release of greenhouse gases.
On top of that, renewable power sources contribute less significantly to air pollution compared to traditional fuels. To elaborate, impurities are present in fossil fuels, rendering a large sum of air pollutants to be produced when heated. One of the impurities, sulphur, is converted into sulphur dioxide when ignited. The pollutant then dissolves into rain water to form acid rain, which can damage the respiratory system of organisms and change the acidity of rivers, killing the marine animals and destroying the ecosystem. In contrast, no air pollutants are released using water power, wind power and solar power.
Although one can argue that the constructions of alternative power stations can damage the wildlife, the possible destruction caused by faults in nuclear power stations overshadows the cons of renewable power station. The leakage at Chernobyl was one of the most devastating disaster in the world, with the impact still present in current days. Furthermore, the waste buried from the used nuclear fuels also disrupt the quality of nearby soils.
All in all, I fully concur to the idea that renewable energy resources are less harmful to the environment compared to traditional fuels due to the reduced emission of greenhouse gases and air pollutants. Though the process of building of power stations can be disruptive to the ecosystem, the demerits are overshadowed by the possible accidents which nuclear power can lead to.