The Unintended Pitfalls Of ‘Green’ Energy

‘Green’ energy may not be as environmentally friendly as previously thought, according to research by scientists in Hong Kong.

AsianScientist (Nov. 3, 2017) – Scientists at the University of Hong Kong have found that renewable energy sources could have a negative impact on the environment despite their proposed merits of reducing dependence on fossil fuels. The study is published in Trends in Ecology and Evolution.

Many governments are promoting a move away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy sources. In total, renewable energy accounts for a quarter of global electricity generation, and China is the industry leader, producing 28 percent of hydro, 26 percent of solar, and 35 percent of wind energy. However, the environmental consequences of setting up ‘green’ energy infrastructure has not been formally measured.

In this study, the team of researchers led by Dr. Luke Gibson, Honorary Assistant Professor of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Hong Kong, compared the environmental impacts of hydro, solar and wind energy. They found that while wind turbines and solar panels cause environmental harm, hydropower does the most damage to the environment.

“Hydropower has degraded some of the most biologically rich habitats on our planet,” said Professor William Laurance from James Cook University in Australia who is a co-author of the study. “Hydro projects are such a disaster for tropical rainforests that I don’t consider them ‘green’ energy at all.”

However, ‘green’ energy industries have expanded enormously in the past decade. Given the risks, it is critical to mitigate the environmental impacts of future renewable energy deployment.

“We need to keep a close eye on these ‘green’ energy developments to ensure new projects don’t harm wildlife or sensitive habitats—particularly along migratory routes where wind turbines could kill many birds or bats,” said Gibson.

“Renewable energy has the potential to balance the conflict between our growing energy needs and environmental security. We must identify and mitigate the ecological impacts of renewable energy to ensure that its future is truly green,” he added.



The article can be found at: Gibson et al. (2017) How Green is ‘Green’ Energy?

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Source: University of Hong Kong; Photo: Pixabay.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

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