- Wind: This holds massive potential, and we've begun to see this already. In fact, if only three of the fifty United States implemented full, large-scale wind power plants, enough energy would be produced to power the entire country. Wind power is also profitable - a good investment, if you have land or know anyone who does.
- Tidal: This is another huge one. For example, the waters around the United Kingdom could be utilized to provide electrical power for the entire nation. There's a lot more ocean on the planet than land, so the potential for this one is obvious.
- Hydroelectric: This involves damming rivers, and has already been used with great success (see the Hoover Dam in the US and the Three Gorges Dam in China). If more large rivers can be utilized in this way, the electric potential is great.
- Geothermal: This is possibly the biggest, and few people even know it exists. Geysers and other openings in the earth can be tapped into to provide massive amounts of energy. The earth produces this natural energy to provide power to the entire world several times over, and yet this resource remains largely untapped. There are a few successful plants in the 48 lower states and Alaska, but I have a feeling we'll be seeing more in the future.
- Solar: Many people will say this is the energy source with the most potential. It's already begun to catch on in big ways, and still holds huge possibilities. Imagine if every building in a large city had solar panels - the potential is obvious.
Alternative energy is a great topic of discussion. Keep bringing it up, and educate yourself further. Remember also that all of these sources could turn a profit - they aren't only environmentally friendly but economically friendly as well. And ask yourself this: With all this potential, why are we still burning fossil fuels?
Technically all energy sources will run out eventually. The Sun will die in about five to six billion years leaving a white dwarf which would still radiate latent energy for billions of years. Geothermal is the latent heat within the Earth plus the fission of Thorium and Uranium and this heat could actually outlast the life of the Sun if it weren't for the fact that the Sun would swallow the Earth when it becomes a red giant. That Thorium energy is easily and inexpensively accessible to us in Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors so that's probably our best renewable source as it can easily be scaled to our needs, is safe, reduces nuclear wastes and we simply can't conceivably run out of it. LFTR isn't on the scale of a home grown project like solar or wind could be but the reactors could be mass produced and therefore benefit from the economies of scale.
Bioenergy, including energy crops; forest, agricultural and livestock residues and so called second generation biofuels
Direct solar energy, including photovoltaics and concentrating solar power
Geothermal energy, based on heat extraction from the Earth‘s interior
Hydropower, including run-of-river, in-stream or dam projects with reservoirs
Ocean energy, ranging from barrages to ocean currents and ones which harness temperature differences in the marine realm
Wind energy, including on- and offshore systems
Geothermal, if we can efficiently drill deep enough there is unlimited heat for power production.
LFTR's are not considered renewable, but apart from that I totally agree with John W why we do not have thousands of LFTR's producing power now, just shows how incompetent our leaders are.
Burning niggers. they reproduce like rabbits and they give off lot of energy, and society will be better without them anyways.
I was wondering what the best renewable source was a for our future and wanted some opinions
Please discuss why your answer holds the most potential for our future
Also give for and against reasons:)
Thanks a lot!
