Green energy is energy captured with minimal impact to the environment. Green energy includes wind power, hydro power (small scale), solar energy, biomass, bio fuel, and geothermal energy[1].
Sustainable energy is energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable energy includes hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind energy, wave power, geothermal energy, and tidal power[2].
Renewable energy sources such as ethanol and solar power deplete land and water resources. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to grow enough corn to refine a single gallon of ethanol. Solar companies use a technology known as “concentrating solar thermal” (CST) to generate electricity. CST is an old-fashioned thermal power plant that consumes vast quantities of water[3].
Green energy is always renewable but is it always sustainable?
Current technologies in the production of green energy has very low efficiency making them very expensive. It was predicted by experts that despite the climate change phenomena, green energy will not be sustainable and will be ultimately abandoned. Unless new technologies will emerge in green energy production, green energy will just be a small percentage in the total energy mix. Without government subsidy, nobody will even think about it.
References:
- Greenlink Energy
- Wikipedia – Sustainable energy
- When Renewable Is Not Sustainable