sources of power
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To live in the modern world we need electricity. Unfortunately, all forms of electricity generation have some adverse environmental impact. As long as we accept this, our challenge is to find the least damaging solution as there are clearly some sources that are worse than others.
The burning of coal produces carbon dioxide and other chemicals, which creates serious environmental consequences through air pollution and warming. However, some methods of generating electricity do not have the same environmental impact and are being increasingly utilised. For example, natural gas produces less than half the carbon emissions of coal. Hydro electricity, which is primarily generated around the Snowy Mountains region of NSW and in Tasmania, is a renewable and non-polluting source although, has significant impacts on wildlife and river eco-systems.
alternate sources of electricity
There are various energy sources available to generate electricity for household use. These include primarily the following in Australia:
- Solar Power - electricity from the sun
- Hydro Electricity - electricity from water
- Wind Power - electricity from the wind
- Coal power - electricity from burning coal
- Biomass - electricity from animal and plant matter
Click on the links above to read more about each of these alternative energy sources.