Lesson Plans

Green energy vs. non renewable energy

Workers prepare wind blades to be hoisted onto a new tower at the High Wilderness Wind Complex in Caetite. It is one of many wind-turbine parks being constructed across the country, in what planners here see as the beginning of an extraordinary transformation. Image by Lianne Milton /For The Washington Post. Brazil, 2013.

The Masdar solar array will help Abu Dhabi get 7 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2030. Image by Kamran Jebreili. UAE, 2012.

Teresa Chilkowich, of Arctic Energy Alliance, in front of the new solar panel in Jean Marie River. Image by Jean Marie River First Nation. Canada, 2016.

Teresa Chilkowich, of Arctic Energy Alliance, in front of the new solar panel in Jean Marie River. Image by Jean Marie River First Nation. Canada, 2016.

THE THREE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RENEWABLE AND NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY

  • Renewable energy comes from natural sources such solar, wind, geothermal, biomass sources. Whereas non-renewable energy comes from fossil fuels like coal, gas and oil. 
  • Renewable energy ca be replaced over a short time. On the contrary, non-renewable energy will never be replaced, These are resources that are depleted.
  • When fossil fuels are burned they emit nitrogen oxides that damage the ozone layer contributing the formation of smog and acid rain. Renewable energy does not emit harmful gases thereby does not pollute the environment.

THE CASE OF UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE)

Despite UAE is one the biggest exporters of oil in the world, they know that this source will deplete. 

  • By 2030. Abu Dhabi aims to get 7% of the energy from renewable sources.
  • The failure of producing renewable energy made the U.S.A. import oil in the 20th century.
  • In 2010, Obama tried to pushed a policy through a sweeping climate-change bill through a sweeping climate-change bill, but the legislation died. • There are incentives for the use of renewable energies: The Energy Department received $35.2 billion for clean-energy programs, and the Treasury Department got $13 billion to dispense as grants and tax credits to alternative-energy companies.

MORE JOBS CREATED FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES IMPLEMENTATION THAN OIL AND GAS EXTRACTION

In the U.S. there were more than 30,000 solar jobs were created between 2013 and 2014. This figures beat out the oil and gas pipeline construction industry. Thus, it is expected that solar jobs will continue increasing predicting more than 36,000 jobs. Also, like solar power, wind power is another renewable source that is creating more.jobs; both are growing at rates of 20% annually in recent years.

 

Lesson Builder Survey