Climate Change FAQs

What is the difference between clean energy and renewable energy?

Clean energy is defined by how much pollution is produced during the production of the energy. For example, nuclear energy is actually one of the cleanest energy sources around, because a tiny amount of fission produces huge quantities of energy. Renewable energy on the other hand focuses on whether the energy source can be replenished at an equal rate to our use of the energy. Nuclear energy does not qualify as renewable, because fissile material such as uranium or plutonium is not being created at anything near the rate of our use. In fact, like fossil fuels, fissile material exists in finite supply on earth.

Does that mean that renewable energy isn’t clean?

That isn’t necessarily the case, but just because sources like solar, wind, and hydroelectric power are renewable does not automatically qualify them as an environmentally friendly source of energy. For example, the dam and reservoir that accompany a hydroelectric power plant essentially destroy hundreds of acres of habitat for various species. This doesn’t mean that hydroelectric power is bad, but it does mean we have to carefully weigh the location of a hydroelectric power plant so that we don’t endanger any species of plants or wildlife because of it.

What is global warming?

Global warming is a trend that has been noticed in the past century of the world. In short, the average global temperature has gone up approximately 1.5 degrees Celsius over that time. This has a host of ramifications, yet many governments have yet to act. For some, the question remains whether this increase in temperature is caused by our actions as a species, or whether it is simply a part of the natural warming and cooling cycles the earth has gone through. Few try to deny the existence of global warming, but many will debate the causes.