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Renewable energy

Renewable energy refers to power generated from natural sources that are continuously replenished on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind, water, biomass, and geothermal heat. Unlike fossil fuels, which are finite and release carbon dioxide when burned, renewable energy sources are generally cleaner and more sustainable, offering a way to meet growing energy demands while reducing environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions.

Solar energy harnesses sunlight using photovoltaic panels or solar thermal systems to generate electricity or heat. Wind energy uses turbines driven by air currents to produce power, often on land or offshore. Hydropower captures the energy of moving water, typically from rivers or dams, to turn turbines and generate electricity. Biomass energy is produced by burning or converting organic materials like wood, crop waste, or algae. Geothermal energy taps into the Earth’s internal heat to produce electricity or provide direct heating.

The transition to renewable energy is a central goal in efforts to combat climate change, improve energy security, and reduce air and water pollution. Advances in technology, declining costs, and supportive policies have accelerated the growth of renewable energy worldwide, making it an increasingly competitive and reliable alternative to fossil fuels. Integrating renewable sources into power grids, developing energy storage solutions, and modernizing infrastructure are key challenges as countries seek to build more resilient and sustainable energy systems for the future.

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Earth & Climate News

August 20, 2026

The “Asian Water Tower” is losing roughly 24.2 billion tonnes of groundwater every year, with some of the worst declines hitting densely populated farming regions. Glacier melt may temporarily ...
A newly discovered Arctic process can dramatically boost the number of particles that help form clouds. Near melting sea ice, sunlight reacts with chemicals released by the ocean, algae, and ice, ...
Rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may be leaving a measurable imprint inside the human body. Researchers analyzing more than two decades of U.S. health data found that blood bicarbonate levels ...
Scientists have found that the AMOC may be far more vulnerable to rapid warming than to temperature alone. When warming happens slowly, the ocean can adapt, but at faster rates similar to today’s, ...
Researchers have found a clever new way to map a part of Earth’s upper atmosphere that is notoriously difficult to observe. Using orbital data from roughly 1,200 Starlink satellites, they ...
Scientists have created an unusually corrosion-resistant stainless steel that could replace costly titanium components used to produce green hydrogen. The breakthrough could reduce structural material costs by roughly 40 times and make ...
Marine heatwaves are emerging as a threat not just to coral reefs and fisheries, but to human health and well-being. Researchers warn that unusually hot oceans can fuel stronger storms, trigger harmful algal blooms, reduce seafood supplies, disrupt ...
Deep underground, bacteria may be capable of doing something remarkable: trapping toxic uranium before it spreads. When researchers fed microbes in uranium-contaminated mine water with glycerol, about 95% of the dissolved uranium disappeared within ...
Glyphosate was long thought to be safe for honeybees because they lack the enzyme the chemical targets in weeds. However, researchers found that exposed bees foraged 13 percent less after only three days and showed changes in brain chemicals linked ...
Ancient seafloor sediments have revealed a surprising twist in how the Atlantic’s massive circulation system works. During a cold period about 3.4 million years ago, the flow of warm, salty water ...
Historic wildfires scorched huge areas of Spain and France, with one Spanish blaze burning an area about the size of New York City and a French fire generating a rare, towering fire cloud. A dangerous combination of lush winter growth, severe heat, ...
Animal bones preserved in South Australia’s underwater caves reveal distinctive clues shaped by darkness, algae, bacteria, and other environmental conditions. The findings give scientists a powerful new way to reconstruct how ancient megafauna ...

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