We are now profoundly aware of the effects of global warming. Fortunately, it's not too late and we can still implement change, which is why many are pushing for green energy sources.

So what  are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Green Energy Sources?

The advantage of using green energy sources is that it is clean, so it does not emit anything harmful into the air which has an impact on the environment. It is also renewable which means we will never run out of it unlike oil which is expected to dry up in a decade or so.

Although green energy facilities are have always been expensive to build as this web page shows from the ads on the left that it not the case anymore.  Green energy requires less maintenance resulting in less operational costs.

One benefit that has become more important in recent months is the economic benefits it brings. Any form of power or energy production that results in  lower costs to the consumer has got to be a move in the right direction. Green energy is known to have an effect to certain areas of business, even boosting  tourism.

While this all sounds good, there are some who say that there are dis-advantages to using such technology.

While green energy sources can produce electricity, the amount produced or generated is not consistent. This is because we have no control of the weather so if a certain area relies on solar energy and there is a weather disturbance, it will not be able to convert sunlight into electricity.

Building wind turbine facilities also requires a lot of land so we may have to reduce the amount of farmland to accommodate the turbines. Talk of a reduction in farmland does not sit well with those who are worried about global food production.

Another disadvantage is the fact that some of the green energy sources cannot be installed in certain areas of the planet. For instance, wave energy can only be utilized if the waves coming from the ocean reach at least 16 feet. Equally the generation of power from geothermal energy can only be done in geologically unstable parts of the planet, with the obvious risks.

The arguments for and against are too numerous to mention here. If you take each argument the objections can be overcome by using alternative places for alternative green energy generation. If one type can not be used in one place then maybe another can. If wind turbines need more space, they can be installed near the coast instead of on land. A study shows that greater power generation is  achievable if they are sited in the ocean.

While the weather is something we cannot control, it is not everyday that there is a weather disturbance so this too shall pass.

Control of the weather still alludes us and as a result solar power generation is subject to occasional interruption. During solar energy generation if the sun becomes  covered, then  emergency generators can be activated using power that has already been stored.

The main point I am trying to make is that that there are ways around any  argument providing we are willing to put our environment first. Throughout the world, research continues to  find other forms of clean green power generation in order to supply the world with the energy it needs.

An example of this is called ocean thermal energy. Power  generated by harnessing the different temperatures in the water. It is currently being used on a small scale both in Japan and Hawaii.

In the US, only 7% of green energy sources are used nationally. This was much higher 11 years ago and if we don't have to worry about the cost of oil or even reduce our dependency on it, we have to invest more in this clean energy.

We can get it from green energy sources such as biomass, bio-diesel, geothermal, solar, water, magnetism and the wind. These are things we have all around us and all it takes is for someone to harness it instead of relying on traditional non-renewable means to produce energy.