What energy source contributes least to global warming?

Answer 1

Renewable energy produces practically no greenhouse gases, compared to fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas).

Hydroelectric power has very little greenhouse gas emissions associated with it. Wind and solar power tend to have low emissions. Geothermal energy also has low emissions.

Nuclear power has some greenhouse gas emissions associated with the mining and refining of uranium ore, but not a lot.

Answer 2

Any renewable energy source contributes least, as they do not emit carbon dioxide pollution into the atmosphere:

• Solar Energy
• Wind Energy
• Geothermal
• Hydroelectric, Wave, and Tidal Energy

Nuclear power, though not renewable, contributes very little carbon dioxide.

Of the fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas), natural gas (methane) is the least-polluting.
Solar
Solar
Hydroelectric, wind power, Solar

Answer 3

Wind (apex)

Answer 4

Alternative energy sources such as windpower, hydro-electric and geothermal sources add nothing to global warming in their operation.

The operation of nuclear power stations also adds nothing to the greenhouse effect, and therefore nothing to global warming. However, the extraction, transport and processing of uranium do add significant amounts to global warming.

Burning natural gas produces carbon dioxide, thereby adding to the greenhouse effect and global warming, but also produces considerable water vapour, so natural gas is the fossil fuel that adds least to global warming.

We know that burning oil adds to global warming and so does coal, which created more carbon dioxide than either oil or natural gas for the same amount of energy released.

Shale oil is a non-traditional fossil fuel that is potentially the most damaging of all fossil fuels in terms of its effect on global warming. Not only does it release carbon dioxide when burnt, it often requires considerable energy for its extraction.

Answer 5

Renewable sources of energy, like solar, wind, hydro, wave, tidal, geothermal and biofuel all contribute no greenhouse gases to the greenhouse effect after they are up and running.

(Biofuel contributes carbon dioxide when burnt, but it is CO2 that has recently been captured from the atmosphere, so it is part of the normal carbon cycle. It is not the same as burning fossil fuels which release extra carbon that has been hidden away for millions of years. This extra carbon disrupts the natural carbon cycle and causes the enhanced greenhouse effect that is causing global warming.)

If fossil fuel generated electricity is used in the manufacture and establishment of the renewable energy power plants, then they have all contributed some greenhouse gases. These will be balanced out by the green electricity they produce, and after a while the balance will be even and they will begin generating clean, greenhouse-gas free energy.

Answer 6

Renewable energy produces practically no greenhouse gases, compared to fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas).

Hydroelectric power has very little greenhouse gas emissions associated with it. Wind and solar power tend to have low emissions. Geothermal energy also has low emissions.

Nuclear power has some greenhouse gas emissions associated with the mining and refining of uranium ore, but not a lot.

Answer 7

Neither hydro power, solar power, or wind power directly generate greenhouse gases, and there is virtually none from nuclear power. Only the oxidation/burning of fuels (hydrogen, methane, wood, peat, oil, gas, coal) will generate greenhouse gases during the release of energy.

Answer 8

Of the renewable energy sources, none of them generate greenhouse gases (except biofuel, which emits the same amount that it removed from the atmosphere while growing, so is carbon neutral).

Of the fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas), the one that generates the least greenhouse gases is natural gas.

Answer 9

There are several energy sources that release no ghgs except for the gases released in the manufacture of their equipment. these are:

• Wind power
  
• Hydro power
  
• Solar power
  
• Geothermal power
  
• Tidal power
  
• Nuclear power
• Wave power
  
• Hydrogen power (if the hydrogen is generated by one of the above sources)
  

Answer 10

Any of the renewable energy sources (sun, wind, water, wave, tide, geothermal, biofuels) adds practically nothing to climate change.

All the fossil fuels contribute to climate change, coal more than oil, oil more than natural gas.