In a nutshell, green energy is any form of energy that is produced from renewable and relatively clean sources. By clean, it is meant that the source is either carbon-neutral or does not create other harmful byproducts. The truth is there is no such thing as 100% green energy. The idea is to look for products that create vastly lower pollution. However, there are several different options as far as environmentally friendly energy sources go. The primary ones are solar, geothermal, hydro, wind, and biomass. As with anything in life, each one has its pros and cons. Having said that, the following are the main points generally accepted to be as descriptions of green energy.
Cleanliness
The first and most important description of green energy is that it needs to be relatively clean, from a pollution producing standpoint. This is achieved by producing energy with very little or no impact on the environment. The cleanest of all the green sources are hydro, solar and wind energy. This is because, apart from the pollution that comes from manufacturing these products there is no polluting side effect, once they start making energy.
Reusable
Ideally, anything that is an infinite source, like wind and sun’s rays, is considered to be green fuel. since it is not being mined from the earth and will not run out in the foreseeable future. Fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum are mined and are slated to run out soon, in historical terms.
Geography
Renewable energy should not be limited according to geography. This means that no matter where energy is needed, it should be possible to set up green sources of energy. The more locations it can be established, the more useful it will be for the planet and humanity as a whole.
Cost
Cost is a factor that can be subjective for a lot of people. What one person may think is cheap, may not be the case with the next person. Therefore, when talking about renewable energy the debate between what is expensive and inexpensive can quickly become heated. However, it is generally accepted that green energy sources should be cheap to implement, according to the region it is being installed. After all, what use is the most amazing technology, if no one can afford it?
Seeing the Wood for the Trees
In this day and age of the Internet, there is a lot of information being passed around. Unfortunately, a lot of it is also misinformation. As far as renewable energy is concerned, there is plenty of it. Therefore, it is important to sift through all the info and decide which one is correct. An example of green energy misinformation would be natural gas. There is a perception in the world that natural gas is not very polluting. This is far from true. Natural gas is a fossil fuel. On top of that, it is extracted using a controversial method known as fracking. Fracking is a huge polluter of the air above and the water below the ground.
