9781422275184

Emissions from plants that burn fossil fuels are very harmful to the environment.

There are also nonrenewable energy sources that are not fossil fuels. For example, uranium is a chemical element that is mined and converted to fuel that is used in nuclear power plants. Nonrenewable energy sources have been the primary sources of energy for human use since we began using natural resources to heat our homes and produce other types of energy. Renewable energy is an energy source that can be replaced once it is used. There are five main types of renewable energy: solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, and bioenergy. In its most basic forms, renewable energy has been in use for thousands of years. For example, people have received light and warmth from the sun since the dawn of time. The ancient Greeks used the power of flowing water to turn

CHAPTER 1: WHAT DO RENEWABLE ENERGY WORKERS DO? 13

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