Renewable energy generally refers to types of energy that don’t rely on finite (and often polluting) sources. Also called green or clean energy, renewables will be critical to weaning the world off of fossil fuels, cutting global emissions, and achieving carbon neutrality. Unfortunately, with the race to replace fossil fuels with renewables heating up, there have been a worrying number of misconceptions about green energy.
Wind turbines kill whales is a popular misconception that’s often accompanied by artificial intelligence (AI) generated images of dead whales near turbines. However, the reality is that offshore wind turbines have zero effect on whales. On the other hand, research has proven that burning fossil fuels increased ocean acidity by emitting carbon dioxide, threatening the existence of marine life.
Wind turbines decimate bird populations. This misconception exaggerates wind-turbine-related avian deaths while ignoring deaths caused by other hazards. On average, around 140,000 to 679,000 birds are killed by wind turbines in the U.S. every year. Conversely, between 12-64 million birds die every year due to power lines, building collisions kill 100 million to a billion birds annually, and house cats top the list at 1.3 to 4.0 billion avian kills every year.
While wind firms do kill lots of birds every year, it barely compares to hazards like cats or power lines. Wind farms can reduce these deaths by using measures that reduce collisions, such as using black paint for some turbines to increase visibility and running environmental surveys to make sure they aren’t located on bird migration routes.
Solar panels can cause wildfires is a misconception that has become popular in recent years amidst the increasing number of wildfires. In reality, less than 1% of solar energy systems catch fire. Fires that do occur can usually be traced back to faulty installation, irregular maintenance, or poor-quality equipment, and they rarely result in wildfires. These instances can be minimized by investing in high-quality infrastructure and robust training to maintain solar systems.
Renewable energy is too expensive. In reality, green energy has grown incredibly cheap over the past several decades. Solar energy costs have fallen by over 99% since the 1990s, while onshore and offshore wind energy costs have dropped by 68% and 60%, respectively, since 2010. More than 65% of the world now draws its cheapest energy from wind and solar, and renewables have been instrumental in bridging the energy gap in numerous communities in emerging and developing nations.
Renewables cannot replace fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are so entrenched in human history that it’s almost impossible to see how we could survive without them. However, renewables have proven many times over that they can easily replace fossil fuels. Burlington, Vermont, for instance, uses clean energy from wind and hydropower to cover 100% of its electricity needs, while over 100 cities draw more than 70% of their electricity from renewables.
Scandinavian nations like Norway and Sweden have also proven that mass green energy adoption is entirely possible, while China has shown that with targeted investments and policy support, even large nations can make significant headway in the green transition.
As these myths and misconceptions are debunked through education campaigns, the clean energy transition is likely to require a lot more of the renewable energy metals focused upon by enterprises like First Tellurium Corp. (CSE: FTEL) (OTCQB: FSTTF) over the coming years as the uptake of renewable energy accelerates.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to First Tellurium Corp. (CSE: FTEL) (OTCQB: FSTTF) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/FSTTF
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