Biofuel and Renewable Energy: Your Questions Answered
Renewable energy is energy that comes from natural, renewable sources or processes and is naturally replenished within a human timescale. It includes various carbon-neutral sources such as sunlight, wind, geothermal heat, tides, waves, and biomass. The fuel collected from biomass, on the other hand, are called biofuel. Animal waste, plant or algae material are some of the examples of naturally replenishable biomass.
Biofuel is considered a powerful renewable energy source with the possibility of using in human vehicles and equipment. They are completely different from fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, petroleum, which are not derived from renewable sources, and thus, are considered very damaging for the environment.
What Makes Something a Renewable Energy Source?
In general, sustainability and endlessness are the two characteristics that make an energy source renewable. To put it simply, the energy that can’t run out and is endless can be termed as renewable. They also need to be pretty much carbon neutral. The biggest source of renewable energy is the sun. The most popular sources of renewable energy, at the moment, are:
- Solar Energy
- Wind Energy
- Hydro Energy
- Tidal Energy
- Geothermal Energy
- Biomass Energy
Among these sources, solar energy is most abundantly available, but we don’t yet have the capacity to preserve it enough. Biofuel derived from biomass, on the other hand, is perhaps not entirely carbon neutral. Then again, it is the most cost-effective renewable energy source and can effectively improve the lives of marginalised people in poor economies.
Can Nuclear Energy be Considered Renewable?
Energies like nuclear generate electricity are zero-carbon, which means that they emit little to no CO2 to the atmosphere, similar to renewable energy sources. However, nuclear energy sources are still not renewable. They have a stable source though, making it a viable companion to the renewable energies in the fight against global warming and climate change.