THE ISSUES
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ENERGY
Most of the industrialized
world depends upon depletable, nonrenewable fossil fuels like oil, coal,
natural gas and uranium to provide its supply of energy. These fuels, however,
often pollute the environment and contribute to global warming by releasing
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The world’s use of energy has
dramatically increased and is now in transition toward renewable or nondepletable
resources. Renewable energy sources include the sun, wood, falling
water, wind, and wastes. In the developing world, the primary supply
of energy comes from wood, agricultural and forestry residues, and animal
dung. Expanding populations and forest-clearing development are reducing
the availability of wood as a source of energy. Solar power, wind
power, and hydroelectric energy produce less pollution than the burning of
fossil fuels, yet their price and specific conditions for use have limited
their widespread acceptance. Biomass conversion and hydrogen fuel cells
provide other alternative energy sources. A final and often overlooked
source of energy is conservation—increasing energy efficiency and reducing
the amounts of energy wasted.
RELATED SITES
Center for Renewable
Energy & Sustainable Technology
Clean Power Campaign. CEERT is a unique collaboration of major
environmental organizations, public interest groups and clean technology
companies working to achieve a more sustainable energy future.
The Energy
Tree
A One World Special Feature on renewable and non-renewable energy.
Oneworld.net's guides aim to challenge and inform, questioning assumptions
and suggesting alternatives on the subjects that really matter.
Nuclear Energy Institute
The Nuclear Energy Institute focuses the collective strength of the
nuclear energy industry to shape policy that ensures the beneficial uses
of nuclear energy and related technologies in the United States and around
the world.
US Department
of Energy (DOE)
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network. See also:
the Energy Information
Administration's energy statistics, data, and analysis.
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