For much of history, the United States and much of the rest of the developed world has relied on non-renewable fossil fuels, such as coal, natural gas and crude oil. This has allowed nations to power commercial industry as well as provide the needed electricity and fuel for personal use at home. With new advances in technology, fossil fuels have been slowly taking a back seat to other cleaner renewable energy sources such as biofuels, solar, wind and hydro power that provide a consistent source of power with several beneficial effects.
Production Impact
One benefit to many renewable fuels, such as wind and solar power, is that there is little to no impact on the environment while obtaining the materials needed to produce energy. Energy can be created on site using the natural forces of nature. However, fossil fuels, especially coal and crude oil, require transportation as well as substantial drilling and mining. This has opened the door to some of the worst environmental disasters in history, such as the Exon Valdez oil spill of 1984 and the British Petroleum (BP) spill in the Gulf of Mexico of 2010.
Greenhouse Gases
Another benefit to many renewable energy sources is that they do not produce greenhouse gases while creating energy. The burning and production of fossil fuels can release carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, which, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, enter the atmosphere and trap heat, contributing to potentially devastating climate change across the globe.
Cost
Another effect of renewable energy is the overall reduction of monthly costs to the consumer. Although the initial investment costs for renewable power can be substantially higher than fossil fuels, once the system is running, the overall cost to create energy drops. In some cases, such as with select solar power systems, you can even sell excess power back to the utility company through a process called net metering. This can even further reduce your yearly spending on heating and cooling your home.
Renewable
One of the most obvious effects of renewable energy is the fact that it truly is renewable. Fossil fuels are limited to what can be extracted from the earth, which means there are limited locations where fuel can be found, and eventually it will run out. The limited nature of fossil fuels also affects the overall price of energy. Renewable resources are limitless, meaning that as long as the sun shines, the wind blows, the water flows and biofuel crops can be grown, there will be a source of energy.
Independence
With energy being renewable, these sources also allow countries, including the United States, to be more independent. Millions of barrels of crude oil are imported every day from all over the world, states the U.S. Energy Information Administration, with the largest percentage coming from Canada, Saudi Arabia and Mexico. Oil is also imported from Iraq, Nigeria, Brazil, Russia and the United Kingdom, as well as several other countries to a lesser extent. By investing in renewable energy, the need for imported fuel drops, which can have both financial impacts as well as political impacts on the overall health and wealth of the United States.
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