Nuclear plants are a topic of debate among scientists.
People search constantly for energy sources. The level of industrialization of human societies and their reliance on energy from natural resources force people to keep looking for new locations of energy resources. Some of these sources must be dug from the ground, while others appear on the Earth's surface.
Renewable Resources
Renewable resources consist of energy sources such as wind, solar power, biomass and water power. These materials are naturally generated at a quick enough rate for humans to harvest them for energy. Wind energy is only possible in areas with constant or high enough wind power. Anywhere with flowing water can generate hydropower with the use of hydroelectric dams. Biomass comes from organic material, like wood and shrubs. Geothermal energy comes from below the Earth's surface and must be transported with pipes.
Nuclear
Nuclear power is harnessed from a specific uranium isotope, U-235. Uranium is nonrenewable and is only found in small amounts throughout nature. It is an efficient fuel, however, that releases energy during nuclear fission. Some uranium comes from the United States, but more is delivered from Australia, Canada, Kazakhstan, Russia and Uzbekistan. While uranium is "about 100 times more common than silver, U-235 is relatively rare," the U.S. Energy Information Administration says.
Coal
Coal is mostly found in the United States. In fact, 25 percent of the world's coal reserves are in U.S. locations. The United States relies heavily on coal. According to the Department of Energy, coal energy supplies "more than half the electricity consumed by Americans." Methods of obtaining coal are usually not environmentally friendly, and some natural destruction can be seen in coal-mining states such as West Virginia and Pennsylvania. China is another country that produces and relies heavily on coal energy.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen energy is a relatively new form of energy that can reduce dependence on coal energy and is a much cleaner energy option than fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas. Hydrogen energy can be generated from domestic feed stocks, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Hydrogen can be harnessed from natural gas, coal, nuclear power and renewable resources. Processes to obtain hydrogen include thermochemical and electrolytical systems. Sunlight can also generate photolytic production of hydrogen from water.
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