Comments on: What is the best form of renewable energy?

By: Craig M

Craig M — Mon, 25 May 2009 01:06:59 +0000

Read this story by my wife. It will give you the answers.
References :
http://www.socyberty.com/Activism/The-Greenhouse-Effect.145925

By: John L

John L — Mon, 25 May 2009 00:18:59 +0000

Solar and wind energy are two great sources of renewable energy because they can be co-dependent whit each other and is becoming less expensive. You can also receive a tax break if you install a solar panel or wind mill. You can even build a do it yourself solar panel and wind mill if you have the area to install it with easy accessibility.
References :
http://usa4energy.com

By: Jouet C

Jouet C — Mon, 25 May 2009 00:11:59 +0000

Well few of the others have said it right- location decides which is the best. When we say best, we have to refer to the cost of use, the safety of provisioning energy (some people don't have sunshine for half of a year in some parts of Scandinavia) and also the sustainability of the technology necessary to make use of the renewable energy source. For example, using the motion/kinetic energy of rivers could be great, but building dams is a huge environmental risk for the surrounding ecosystem. Also for the safety of steady energy provisioning when using wind, one have to be able to "stock" the excess energy for non-windy times, and that usually requires building water reservoirs in higher altitudes. And where there is construction, there is intervention in the ecosystem again. Not to mention those countries with no higher altitudes available. For them wind is no-go. Where I live, we use a combined technology for heating and cooling. Solar panels on the roofs are collecting solar energy over the sunny, warm period of the year and conductor pipes direct this heat energy into the deeper layers of the ground. The ground stores this energy, and during winter time, the pipes direct the stored energy back to the buildings.
References :

By: Lonewolf2306

Lonewolf2306 — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:26:59 +0000

I agree with ''Gertrud S'' and ''Light Knight'', yes all forms have positives and negatives, but the access to the energy source is what should determine the type of renewable you use. E.g, Britain should be using wind at its coastal regions, regions with the most sunlight should be using solar power (e.g.deserts, areas near the equator) etc.

Also, the damage done by the USSR to the Aral sea was not due to generating power, the water was used for irrigating cotton in Ukraine, and poor planning and canal construction meant that around 75% of diverted water evaporated away. I hope that by now we have advanced enough to not repeat this mistake.
References :
Yates, Andrew
Palmer, nigel
''Advanced Geography'' 2005, Phillip Allen updates

By: Jeffrey

Jeffrey — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:14:59 +0000

I'd say wind.Its everywhere.
References :

By: neo hippie

neo hippie — Sun, 24 May 2009 22:59:59 +0000

if money and technology aren't an issue i'd go with geothermal.

we could power the entire planet for years by using just a fraction of the available geothermal energy.

wind is very cheap and very effective, so is solar. a combo of the two works nicely.

i read somewhere scientists are developing hydroelectric generators in the ocean which produce electricity from the currents. but i think that's still on the drawing board. the hydroelectric dams aren't good for animal habitats and such.
References :

By: Gertrud S

Gertrud S — Sun, 24 May 2009 22:40:59 +0000

it also depends on the location, on the amount of sunrays,
on the speed and frequency of wind and so on
one renewable form was left out : biomass. plants, animals
and humans produce a lot of wast which could be returned
to the cycle by using it as biomass.
References :
having visited companies and rural communities using and
run by biomass

By: Light Knight

Light Knight — Sun, 24 May 2009 22:31:59 +0000

The best is the one is the one you use.
Usually this is the one to which that you have the most access.

If you live in the desert hydro may not be much good but solar or wind might. If you live in a valley you might not get too much sun or wind but have a year round stream that can power a wheel. If there is wind., geothermal or whatever near you, make use of it.
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By: tess

tess — Sun, 24 May 2009 21:58:59 +0000

Hydroelectric is bad. The dams necessary cause a LOT of environmental damage by disrupting the water flow and the habitat or many species. Look up the Colorado River and the Hoover Dam to learn about one of the more controlled issues. There have been many hydroelectric projects, especially in the former USSR that completely destroyed an entire regions ecological system and commerce because of the rerouting of water.

I don't like solar because of the chemicals it takes to produce the photovoltaic cells. Other than that it is on its way to becoming quite efficient and versatile.

I haven't done much research on geothermal, but I think it takes way too much work and disruption of the local environment to be the best option.

I like wind the best. I know that some people are worried about wind farms disrupting the flight patterns of migratory birds, and killing birds as well. Therefor, I think it is a great idea to build these farms out at sea, where there is far less bird traffic.

So, I think we should primarily use wind power, with solar power being a supplemental option, especially for remote locations, as you can (or will be able to, soon) produce a lot of power on site with a single panel. There is also a lot of interesting research going on with solar power. Scientists are working on a photovoltaic film that could be adhered to car windows and could aid or take the place of a car battery.
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By: liujieyuan5331@yahoo.cn

liujieyuan5331@yahoo.cn — Sun, 24 May 2009 21:36:59 +0000

Yes.In order to build an environmental society, we should use more renewable energy. I think solar, wind, geothermal and hydroelectric are all renewable energy. And the one easiest to use is wind because it can be find in everywhere and the cost to develop it may be the lowest. That is all.
References :