The areas of specialization in the civil infrastructure world relies on a variety of different energy sources. Fossil-based fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal–accounted for more than 80 percent of the energy consumed in the year 2018. Renewable sources such as solar energy, wind power, biomass, and hydroelectricity comprise 14 percent. Nuclear energy accounts for another five percent. Different countries utilize different sources of energy to meet the needs of their economy and environmental concerns.
Nature provides energy in many forms: sun, wind, waves and ocean. When harnessed, and transformed into more efficient forms of energy, like electricity or heat, these are referred to as primary sources. These energies become non-renewable sources of energy when they are exhausted.
The environment is damaged due to a wide range of fossil fuels and also other non-renewable sources of energy. For instance mining for oil can take away the planet’s forests. Hydraulic fracture (fracking) can trigger earthquakes as well as water pollution. The burning of coal releases carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming.
Fortunately, many of the most promising sources of energy are sustainable and renewable. Hydropower, solar power and wind for instance, are able to produce electricity without having to search for fresh supplies.
Tidal and Wave Power are also sustainable energy sources that are emerging. In order to be utilized at an enormous scale, these technologies require efficient distribution networks. This requires the use of non-renewable energies to build these networks. Therefore, these sources aren’t enough to supply the majority of our energy needs. However, it’s important to keep in mind that costs for renewable energy-related equipment have fallen significantly in the past few years, and efficiency is increasing rapidly.