pros and cons of energy sources

Solar heat

pros: Free energy, no emissions, low maintenance.

cons: Requires proper building design, less effective in cloudy areas.

Solar electricity

pros: Renewable, low operating cost, no emissions.

cons: High initial cost, intermittent power (depends on sunlight).

Biofuels

pros: Renewable, can use waste materials.

cons: Can drive deforestation, competes with food supply.

Coal

pros: good supply, high energy yield, infrastructure already exists;

cons: highest environmental impact, severe land disturbance and water pollution, human health issues (Cardiovascular diseases and cancers), highest CO2 emissions, releases radioactive mercury, fluoride, and lead into air.

Petroleum

pros: we always find more, high net energy yield, established infrastructure, easy to transport, low land use compared to coal;

cons: air pollution and respiratory illness, climate change, heavily subsidized (discourages renewables), oil spills, US dependency on foreign imports, war/death.

Natural gas

pros: ample supply, cleanest burning, least CO2, versatile (can be used in cars), suggested transition field until we find more renewable ones;

cons: greenhouse gases, difficult and dangerous to transport, not used efficiently (flared off + leaks CH4).

Tar sand (bitumen sand)

pros: moderate supply, works well with existing oil infrastructure;

cons: low net energy yield, expensive when oil is cheap, habitat loss from mining, freshwater use, water pollution from mining.

Fracking

pros: large US supply, lowers cost of all energy;

cons: groundwater contamination, large water usage in mines, causes earthquakes, GHG emissions, CH4 from leaks.

Nuclear

pros: much less GHGs and air pollution, plenty of uranium exists, low land use;

cons: nuclear waste is dangerous and permanent, accidents happen, inefficient (subsidy dependent), centralized power leads to shutdowns and blackouts, one company will have huge political power.

Wind turbines

pros: good net energy, quick low cost construction, very low environmental impact, no CO2, land under turbines can be used;

cons: intermittency (backups needed if wind is low), wind farms lead to high land use, can't put on homes, kills birds and bats.

Geothermal

pros: medium net energy yield, low CO2 emissions, can be inexpensive, low land use/disturbance;

cons: steam can deplete, moderate air pollution from steam impurities, noise/odor, few suitable sites.

Hydroelectric

pros: year round water and clean energy, downstream flood control, recreational use of reservoir;

cons: expensive, upstream flooding, deadly when broken, conflict among nations, loss of downstream silt, wetland destruction, useless in drought.