What is Renewable Energy?
Definition of Renewable energy and a quick description why coal, oil and gas do not fall under the definition of renewable.
Renewable energy, by definition, implies and inexhaustible and replenishing resource. Otherwise put, it is a resource that replaces itself after harvesting so that it can be harvested again. This applies to several different types of resources including sunlight, wind, rain, tides, biomass, and geothermal heat. If these resources are developed while keeping in mind the ecological impact and lifecycle of each, then the maximum benifit of these renewable resources is more closely achieved. What is this maximum benefit? Producing electicity that is clean, reliable, and affordable for generations to come without compromising ecological ecosystems.
Why aren't fossil fuels a form of renewable energy?
All fossil fuels- crude oil, gasoline, diesel, natural gas, coal, are the by products of dead organisms. But these are organisms that die millions of years ago and have been put through a series of chemical breakdowns that create these fossil fuels as the by-product. The bottom line- these fuel sources take millions of years to form, and reserves are being depleted much faster than new ones are being formed. Fossil fuels are not replenishable, therefore, they are finite and cannot be considered renewable in the short term.
