1. Non-renewable and Renewable
Energy Concerns:
Non-renewable and Renewable

2. Concerns with Coal
Subsurface causes damage to land above, but strip mining is even more destructive to ground. Soil erosion and runoff into waterways occurs.
Mining is one of the most dangerous jobs in the US. Collapsing shafts is a huge concern, and inhaling the dust can lead to black lung disease.

3. Is this what you want your beach to look like?
Concerns with Oil
Is this what you want your beach to look like?
Leaks from oil operations contaminate the water and soil, posing danger to the public. Individuals who work on oil rigs are at high risk of developing serious health issues from exposure to chemicals in crude oil

4. Constuction of roads and infrastructure fragment habitats
Constuction of roads and infrastructure fragment habitats. Vegetation and wildlife are damaged
Waste must be stored somewhere – what do you do with the sludge that is produced?
Animals are displaced and reproductive rates decrease.
What about oil spills, fires, trash build up, permafrost melts, off-road vehicle trails, and dust from roads?

5. Political, Social, and Economic Impacts on Fossil Fuels
Foreign dependence means national economies vulnerable to supplies becoming unavailable or costly. Seller nations have great control over buying nations.
Those that live in oil rich countries do not necessary benefit from that oil. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer

6. Concerns with Nuclear Power
Building, maintaining, operating, and assuring the safety of nuclear power plants is very expensive.
Major concerns over safety – 1979 Three Mile Island in PA, 1986 Chernobyl in Ukraine, and 2011 Fukushima in Japan

7. Concerns of Biofuels Pesticides and fertilizers are commonly used
Biofuels are very expensive.
Can lead to deforestation, soil erosion, and desertification, damaging landscapes, eliminating biodiversity, and impoverishing human societies, human societies dependent on area’s resources.
Encourages monoculture agriculture and decreases food production, also produces small amounts of ethanol per given amount of crop grown compared to amount of food grown.
Pesticides and fertilizers are commonly used

8. Concerns with Hydropower
Water exiting a dam is much cooler than the water entering the dam, causing thermal pollution. This can have far reaching effects on the local ecology and economy downstream.

9. Concerns with Solar Power
Location, Location, Location
If the region in which you live is not sunny enough to provide adequate power from the sun, solar power will not work for you. Seasonal variations may also be problematic
Money, Money, Money
At this point, the equipment associated with solar energy is very expensive and arguably non-competitive with fossil fuel costs.
Demand Response
Solar only provides energy during certain times of the day. This cuts into base load capacity and requires power plants to be retrofitted so that they can run intermittently.

10. Concerns with Wind Energy
Wind is an intermittent resource – it cannot be turned on and off so therefore is not the most reliable resource.
Cannot be used where wind is not a fairly constant resource, like in Montgomery
Residents of areas where windfarms are best suited do not want them constructed in their backyards – not in my backyard (NIMBY) syndrome
Threatening to flying birds, which can be killed by blades.
Demand Response
Wind, along with solar only provides energy at certain times which cuts into base load capacity and requires power plants to be retrofitted so that they can run intermittently.

11. Concerns with Geothermal Energy
Can release gases into water.
If hot springs are being used, the minerals in them can corrode the equipment involved and pollute the air.
Geothermal energy is limited to the area in which it can be tapped into.

12. Regardless of the type of energy used, all have concerns due to cost, setup, pollution, location, other local resources, safety, etc. Two of the possible alternative energy forms that were not mentioned were hydrogen and wave/tide energy, as the only downside to those appears to be cost for setup and research. There will always be downsides, but the benefits must be looked at and a decision must be made as to which side outweighs the other.