Renewable Resources Reviewed

While ethanol is an often discussed venture in agriculture and energy industries, ethanol is only one of numerous options of renewable energy.  The concept of using non-depleteable resources to meet our energy needs has been around for decades.  The challenge arises in harnessing those renewable resources into viable forms of energy. 

A 2008 publication by Black & Veatch holding company entitled “Renewable Energy Options” breaks down renewable energy into five different forms.  Biomass is the area that ethanol falls under, and includes deriving energy from organic matter.  Geothermal is using the heat extracted from the earth as energy.  Solar energy is harnessed from the sun’s rays.  Water creates energy from its movement, either in ocean waves or rivers.  The final category is wind, which capitalizes on the movement of air. 

There is a common perception that renewable energy sources are more sustainable and environmentally friendly than their fossil fuel counterparts.  However, this is not always the case. For example, clear-cutting a rainforest for biofuels does more harm than it does good.  Only when the renewable resources are gathered in a sustainable way, are these renewable options beneficial.  Furthermore, that is when using renewable energy sources will actually help decrease our overall carbon footprint. 

The Kyoto Protocol was an international agreement to lower carbon emissions for 37 developed countries.  Since the industrialized nations are primarily responsible for the majority of carbon emissions, the responsibility of lowering these emissions is also placed on them.  The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997 in Japan, and the agreeing countries are to report to their carbon emissions to UN Climate Change Secretariat in Bonn, Germany. 

The United States never agreed to the Kyoto Protocol.  Interestingly enough however, the U.S. is the leader in overall renewable-energy use.  The following study gives a numerical breakdown in electrical use. (Note: the study does not reflect using renewable energy for non-electrical uses, like biofuels).  The 2005 global electricity demand was derived from the following sources: 40.2% coal, 19.7% natural gas, 16.4% hydroelectric, 15.1% nuclear, 6.6% petroleum, and 2.1% of non-hydro renewable resources.  Of that 2.1% in other sources, 1.2% comes from biomass, 0.55% wind, 0.31% geothermal, and 0.01% solar (Black & Veatch).  The U.S. demand used more coal (49.7%) and nuclear (19.3%), similar natural gas (19.1%) and non-hydro renewable (2.3%), and less hydroelectric (6.5%) and petroleum (3%).  

Following the U.S. in renewable energy use are Germany, Denmark, and Spain.  Germany is currently the world leader in solar energy.  Germany is located in the northern part of the northern hemisphere, so the abundant use of solar power in their country may not be intuitively explained by their geography.  Similar to the United State’s subsidies for the ethanol industry, Germany leads the way in solar energy because of their high solar subsides, not because of the strength of sun they receive. 

The Black & Veatch report concludes that the development of renewable energy is a result from the high government programs, not the actual abundance of the energy sources, or any other economic factor.  Time will tell of the current structure will be beneficial in utilizing biomass, geothermal, solar, water, and wind to meet the growing energy needs of the growing world population.