Clean Energy

Clean energy is another conservationist catch phrase, it is different in meaning from its close cousin, renewable energy. The difference lies in how we examine a particular energy source. For energy to be considered clean, it must emit little to no pollution during the entirety of its production span. For example, a solar panel creates no pollution when it converts sunlight into electricity. However, whether or not a solar panel is considered clean depends not only on how it functions while operative, but how the panel is made.

Some factories making solar panels are powered by fossil fuels, which translates to a plant belching carbon dioxide emissions while trying to produce clean power. If that sounds like a contradiction in terms, it is because that is exactly what it is. Similarly, the production of wind power might be clean energy, but it depends on the production, transport, and installation of the turbines.

Hydroelectric power must contend with the acreage lost to the reservoir. Not only is the construction of the dam far from an environmentally friendly endeavor, but the footprint of the projected reservoir inundates hundreds of acres of habitat in remote environments. This is not to say that hydroelectric, solar, or wind power cannot be clean energy. They certainly can be! But clean power has a different set of requirements to meet.