When it comes to supplying energy to your home, you may have the option to choose a more environmentally-friendly source. All it takes is a quick phone call to your electric company to see if they offer green power.
Right now, your energy source might be coming from something that’s harmful to the environment.
There are three types of energy sources: those that are the least beneficial to the environment, those that are better and renewable, and those that are considered the best.
The latter, of which, is referred to as green power.
Green power is energy that comes from the following types of sources:
Solar power is simply taking energy from the sun and converting it into reusable energy. You can do this by installing solar panels in and around your home.
Wind power comes by placing wind turbines in locations where there’s plenty of wind velocity, and they have to be up pretty high. Aside from blocking the view, there are no downsides or harmful effects to the environment.
If something is burnable, then it can be used as biomass. For example, wood chips and animal manure. This is a good way to turn potential waste into energy.
Geothermal energy transfers heat from within the earth into energy. In order to use this as an energy supply, you need to be near an underground spot that has plenty of heat.
As you can see, all of these energy sources are natural and eco-friendly. They also save you money in the long run.
If your energy company doesn’t offer any of these energy sources, then see if they have large hydropower or municipal solid waste.
Large hydropower, meaning water, is a clean source of fuel. Unlike fossil fuels, natural gas and coal, it won’t harm the environment.
It’s also powered by the sun, which makes it a renewable energy source. This type of hydropower isn’t quite as eco-friendly as smaller ones, but it’s still a good source.
Municipal solid waste takes local waste and turns it into energy through different types of processes, such as anaerobic digestion and combustion.
By keeping it local, you reduce the need for trucks to travel outside of your area and emit carbon into the atmosphere.
All of these options are vastly better than energy sources that are not environmentally friendly, such as:
Coal is very toxic for the environment, since it produces metals that harm both the earth and our health. It’s a huge source of carbon dioxide.
Oil is incredibly harmful to the environment. When oil spills, it kills wildlife and destroys natural habitats. It can also affect water if it goes deep enough into the soil.
Even though natural gas is slightly better than coal, it still contributes to air pollution in the form of sulfur and carbon dioxide. It also gives way to nitrogen oxides, which then turn into smog.