The World Uses a Variety of Different Energy Sources

The world is awash with a variety of energy sources. Fossil fuels — including natural gas, oil and coal–accounted to more than 81 % of all energy consumed in 2018. Renewables such as solar energy, wind power, biomass, and hydroelectricity make up 14 percent. Nuclear energy is another 5 percent. Different countries use different mixes of energy sources, in order to balance economic needs with environmental concerns.

Energy is present in nature in many forms: sunlight, wind, waves, ocean and many more. When harnessed and converted into more practical forms of energy, like heat or electricity, they are known as primary sources. These sources of energy become non-renewable sources of energy once they have been exhausted.

A lot of fossil fuels and a few of the other sources of energy that aren’t renewable are damaging the environment. For instance mining for oil may take away the planet’s forests. Hydraulic fracture (fracking) can trigger earthquakes and pollute the water. Carbon dioxide is released when coal is burnt, which contributes to global warming.

Fortunately, a lot of the most promising sources of energy are renewable and sustainable. Solar, wind, and hydropower can produce, for instance, electricity without digging for new sources.

Tidal and Wave Power are two other renewable energy sources that are emerging. But, in order to be used on a massive scale they must have efficient distribution networks. This requires the use non-renewable energies to build these networks. This means that these sources are not yet sufficient to meet the majority of our energy requirements. It’s important to remember that the prices of renewable energy equipment has decreased dramatically in recent times and the efficiency is rising.

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