Which Alternative Power Sources are the Cleanest?
According to a recent study of the European Union: Environment Directorates General (DG), wind power emerges as a clear winner ahead all other alternative power sources in terms of its overall impact on the environment and human health. The objective of the Environment Directorate-General is to protect, preserve and improve the environment for present and future generations. The four priorities of the DG for the years 2002 to 2012 are climate change; nature and biodiversity; environment, health and quality of life; and natural resources and waste. Other alternative power sources, including solar, geothermal and hydroelectric power, finished ahead of nuclear power and coal combined with carbon capture and storage.
Alternative power sources should be differentiated from renewable power sources in that they are not virtually infinite but instead are finite – for example solar power will not decrease in our lifetimes but the availability of radioactive materials to fuel nuclear power plants will. The study assessed alternative power source technologies not only for their ability to deliver energy, but also for overall performance in several categories. The most heavily scrutinized categories were carbon dioxide emissions, mortality, resource abundance, land area required and water consumption.
The study also considered twelve different combinations of alternative power sources and vehicles to meet transport needs. Battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell and flex-fuel, which are able to run on a blend of petrol and ethanol, were all examined. According to the results, wind, whether being used to power battery-electric or hydrogen fuel cell cars, emerged the clear winner as the best alternative power source in fueling the vehicles in question.
