Renewable Energy

Most of theenergyweuse todaycomes fromnuclearenergyand fromfossil fuels: coal,oil,andnaturalgas.Theseenergyresourcesarenonrenewable,whichmeans that oncewe use themup, they are gone forever. Before that happenswe need to learn to usemore renewable energy fromresources that will not run out, such as the sun, wind, and moving water. Manyscientistsbelievethatourclimateischangingbecauseof thecarbondioxide (CO 2 ) that is released as a result of human activities, including the burning of fos- sil fuels. Renewable energy is sometimes called “green power” because it does not create as much CO 2 as energy made from fossil fuels, and is therefore better fortheenvironment.(Whilenuclearenergyisnotconsideredarenewableenergy resource, it also does not produce CO 2 .) 2 Renewables Brainstorm Set a timer for three minutes. With a partner, see how many types of renewable energy resources you can think of without looking inside this booklet. Make a list and share it with your class. Advantages of Renewable Energy Resources • They can be replenished. • They produce significantly fewer CO 2 emissions than fossil fuels. • They are cleaner and do less damage to the environment than fossil fuels. • They help build a sustainable energy future. Challenges of Renewable Energy Resources • Harnessing and distributing renewable energy resources can be more expensive than using fossil fuels. • Many renewable energy resources are limited by weather, the time of day, or geography. Changing The way we use energy is