Diverse energy sources provide us with the energy we need to live and work. Geothermal, solar, wind and biomass are just a few of the sources. In addition to being an important source of electricity they can also be used to transport and heat. The major issue for these energy sources is that they can create greenhouse gas emissions if they are burned to generate electricity. This leads to the need for more green energy sources.

Fossil fuels are the most well-known form of energy. They include coal, oil and natural gas. They were created thousands of years ago, when prehistoric animals and plants died and were buried beneath layers of sedimentary rocks. When the conditions were right, these fossil fuels were gradually transformed into carbon-rich substances that, when burnt generate energy. These fossil fuels cannot be recycled since they will exhaust within our lifetimes or in a number of lifetimes.

Renewable energy sources, on the other hand, are continually replenished. The most important renewable energy source is sunlight, which gives heat and light. It is used to power our homes and businesses as well as to drive our vehicles. Wind is another renewable energy source, which generates electricity through spinning turbines. Since the first people discovered how to harness wind we have been utilizing it for millennia. Finally, we use biological processes to make alcohol (a clear alcohol that can be used to create fuel) from waste and crops.

Hydropower is the largest renewable energy source in the United States, but biofuels and winds will soon overtake it. Hydropower relies on nature’s technical managerial areas in the civil infrastructure water cycle to harness the power of fast-flowing water, which is then used in turn to produce electricity.