Advantages and Disadvantages of Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources
Solar Energy (Renewable) Advantages (benefits) – Endless Supply No air/water pollution Disadvantages (drawbacks) – Needs back up Sun must be shining Expensive to start up
Hydropower (Renewable) Advantages (benefits) – Unlimited supply Easily stored Fairly inexpensive Disadvantages (drawbacks) – Most good sites already developed Requires a water supply Disrupts the environment
Geothermal Energy (Renewable) Advantages (benefits) – Clean and safe Low cost to run Disadvantages (drawbacks) – Hard to use Could stop producing Exploration is difficult to find a site
Wind Energy (Renewable) Advantages (benefits) – Unlimited supply No pollution Free source of energy Disadvantages (drawbacks) – Needs constant wind Uses lots of land Negative visual effects
Biomass (Renewable) Advantages (benefits) – Always available Abundant source Helps reduce landfill size and waste Disadvantages (drawbacks) – Habitat loss Soil erosion Air pollution
Coal (Nonrenewable) Advantages (benefits) – Our most abundant fossil fuel!!!! A low cost fuel Disadvantages (drawbacks) – Considered a dirty fuel Air pollution/acid rain concerns Possible negative visual effects on environment (strip mining) Hazards of coal mining
Natural Gas (Nonrenewable) Advantages (benefits) – U.S. has an abundant supply! Relatively inexpensive Not much pollution Disadvantages (drawbacks) – Difficult to store and transport in gas form Drilling and exploration is expensive and time consuming
Petroleum (Nonrenewable) Advantages (benefits) – Abundant source worldwide Easy to use Used to produce many products Disadvantages (drawbacks) – Air pollution Must import about half of our supply Price can change rapidly because of OPEC control
Nuclear (Nonrenewable) Advantages (benefits) – Doesn’t contribute to global warming (no CO2 emissions) It is reliable (doesn’t depend on weather) Doesn’t require as much space as other energy resources Disadvantages (drawbacks) – Difficult to dispose of waste Nuclear accidents