Bryce Fisher

English 112

Mrs. Carroll

February 18, 2020

“Benefits and Drawbacks of Renewable Resources”

Over the past several years global warming and climate change has been a hot button

issue all over the world. Climate change is a change in global or regional climate patterns. Since

the mid-20th century climate change has rapidly increased because of the large amounts of

greenhouse gases present by the burning of fossil fuels. Global warming is a major aspect of

climate change. It is the rise in average temperature of Earth’s climate. Burning fossil fuels

contributes to the production of greenhouse gases, which cause the planet’s surface temperature

to rise. This is called the greenhouse effect, which is where greenhouse gases trap infrared

radiation making the planet warmer. Burning fossil fuels, also known as nonrenewable resources,

causes these greenhouse gases to be released into the atmosphere. Many people believe that

using nonrenewable energy sources contributes to climate change and argue that governments

should change to renewable energy sources. To uncover what nations across the world must do

to divert this crisis, this essay will discuss what is a renewable resource and the benefits and

drawbacks of renewable energy sources.

A renewable resource is an energy resource that comes from natural occurrences from the

planet. “Renewable energy comes from natural processes that replenish constantly which creates

a lasting source of energy” (Mohanty). This allows countries to constantly use these resources
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over and over again, without the threat of them running out. The two most popular types of

renewable energy sources are solar and wind power. “Renewable energy not only comes from

sunlight and wind, but from tidal and wave action, water flowing in rivers and dams, heat from

deep underground, and wood combustion, crop material or other biomass materials” (Mossman).

Renewable energy can also come from many other natural occurrences. Other popular sources

are hydroelectric and geothermal power. All of these sources are naturally occurring and

replenish constantly, which makes them appealing to the public. Renewable energy resources are

also appealing because they do not contribute to global warming. When the public uses these

energy sources they do not release any greenhouse gas emissions when used. This limits the

amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted. “The main driver of renewable energy is people’s

interest in protecting the environment and concerns about climate change” (United States). As

the public’s knowledge of renewable energy sources continues to increase, the more popular they

become. People want to impact change in our world; therefore, many believe that switching to

environmentally friendly renewable energy sources will protect the environment and belittle the

concern about global warming. Renewable energy sources are naturally occurring and long

lasting. These sources come in many different forms that allow different ways to harness this

energy. They will always be a lasting of energy, but they also help protect our environment by

reducing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere.

There are numerous benefits and advantages for using renewable energy resources. Many

state governments and national governments are seeking the benefits of renewable resources.

These governments and communities are implementing these resources into their daily lives to

eliminate the concerns of climate change. In New York, “we have seen an increase in average
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temperatures and precipitation, more destructive storms, more invasive species, a rise in sea

level, and a northern shift in some species' ranges” (New York Tackles Climate Change). This

rise of temperatures and sea levels is a direct result from greenhouse gases emitted from burning

fossil fuels. New York’s state government along with other state’s has implemented more

renewable energy resources into their daily uses. Applying these resources through the Regional

Greenhouse Gas Initiative, New York and others have been able to say that renewable resources

are, “an effective tool to protect the environment and atmosphere by reducing harmful pollutants

from the air, water, and land” (New York Tackles Climate Change). Experts often refer to

renewable resources as the green energy development because of their beneficial impact on the

environment. They argue that, “Green energy is the main tool for achieving efficient energy”

(Mohanty). Green energy has emerged as a development to reduce the amount of carbon

emissions released and limited the impacts of climate change. Green development aims for

sustainability and efficiency. Renewable energy sources are more efficient and sustainable

compared to nonrenewable resources because renewable sources naturally occur and there will

always be a lasting source. “The main advantages of renewable energy sources are that they

provide energy security, they are energy efficient, non-polluting, inexpensive, locally available

and more environmental-friendly and also have potential to reduce oil dependence and help

achieving green growth” (Mohanty). The ability to tap into a renewable energy source is

everywhere. There is a plentiful amount of resources available at any given moment. These

sources provide efficient energy and reduce the amount of harmful pollutants present in the

environment. They also reduce the oil demand, which in return will create a healthier and safer

environment for everyone to live in.

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There are countless amounts of benefits for renewable resources; however, there are

several drawbacks that are associated with renewable resources. Renewable energy sources are

very appealing, but many experts are cautious before diving straight into them. Many are worried

if these “resources will meet the high energy demands” (Mills). Policymakers want to make sure

they get the most bang for their buck. Most of the energy sources are fossil fuels and other

nonrenewable energy sources because most countries already have the infrastructure in place to

harvest these materials, but renewable energy sources require different infrastructure, which

would cost more money to build and maintain. Another concern is that, “renewable energy

sources are often unreliable because they aren’t where you need them, when you need them, or in

a readily available form” (Mills). The fact that renewable resources are often unreliable worries

governments and policymakers because they do not want to invest in something that will not

work, especially when everything in the world depends on energy. In many places throughout the

world the infrastructure for renewable resources are scarce. In America, the infrastructure for

renewable resources is nonexistent or often limited. For example, “wind and solar farms are

often scattered in remote areas that require long transmission lines to connect to power grids”

(Mossman). To access these resources, governments will need to build infrastructure such as

transmission lines and convertors to connect these sources to power grids. Doing this will add

extra time and effort, as long as an additional cost to add to power grids that are already set up

for nonrenewable energy sources. Even though renewable resources look appealing at first, there

are many drawbacks that cause governments and policymakers to be hesitant whether to use

renewable resources.
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Renewable resources can provide an excellent, clean source of energy. They also provide

a great way to achieve energy efficiency and protect the environment. However, these benefits

may not outweigh the drawbacks related to renewable energy sources. There is a large potential

risk factor in dealing with renewable energy sources, but is it worth the financial risk to better

improve the environment? That is for the people to decide upon.

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Works Cited:

Basar, Gulsevi, and Leonardo Bedoya-Valencia. "Modeling of Renewable and Non-Renewable

Energy Resources and their Long-Term Effects on CO2 Emissions in Colorado."​ IIE

Annual Conference.Proceedings​, 2014, pp. 2725-2734​. ProQuest,​

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/162230

8513?accountid=10163​.

Mills, Mark P. "A Closer Look at Renewable Energy." Consumers' Research Magazine, vol. 83,

no. 3, 03, 2000, pp. 10-13. ProQuest,

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/197586

306?accountid=10163​.

Mohanty, Manoranjan. "New Renewable Energy Sources, Green Energy Development and

Climate Change."​ Management of Environmental Quality​, vol. 23, no. 3, 2012, pp.

264-274​. ProQuest,​

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/971705

337?accountid=10163, doi:​http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14777831211217468​.

Mossman, Matt. "Renewable Energy Debate." ​CQ Researcher,​ 15 Mar. 2019, pp. 1-58,

library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2019031500.

"New York Tackles Climate Change."​ New York State Conservationist,​ vol. 73, no. 2, 10, 2018,

pp. 9​. ProQuest​,

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/213257

8072?accountid=10163
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"United States : CLEAN ENERGY FAIR Explains the Benefits and Alternatives of Renewable

Energy Sources." MENA Report, 2014. ProQuest,

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/156427

4632?accountid=10163​.