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Renewable Energy and Climate Change

Learn about the differences between renewable and nonrenewable sources of energy as well as international climate-change treaties and energy justice.

Transcript

I. Nonrenewable Energy Sources

Oil is commonly referred to as a fossil fuel because it is made of hydrocarbons formed by fossilized animals, plants, and algae. The natural process that creates oil doesn’t happen quickly; for example, most of the oil deposits that produce oil today were formed in the Mesozoic Age between 250 to 66 million years ago. Because humans use oil for energy at a faster rate than oil can be replenished in its natural process, oil and other fossil fuels are considered ...

Lessons

1. Welcome to Energy Law
  • Welcome to Energy Law
2. The Energy Industry and Electric Utilities
  • The Electric System
  • Renewable Energy and Climate Change
  • Utility Regulatory Compact
  • Public-Utility Commissions
  • Wholesale Electricity Markets
  • Federal Electricity Regulation
3. Coal-Fired Electricity
  • Property Rights in Coal
  • Coal Mining Regulations
  • Coal-Fired Power Plant Emissions
  • Coal’s Decline in Popularity
4. Oil and Natural Gas
  • Property Rights in Oil and Gas
  • Fracking and Offshore Drilling
  • Transporting Oil and Gas
  • Oil and Gas Markets
5. Nuclear Energy
  • History of Nuclear Power
  • Uranium Mining
  • Risks of Nuclear Power
  • Nuclear Waste
  • Federal Support for Nuclear Energy
6. Wind Energy
  • Benefits of Wind Energy
  • Intermittent Nature of Wind
  • Impacts on Wildlife and the Environment
  • Rights to Wind
  • Government Support for Wind Energy
7. Hydropower and Solar Energy
  • Hydropower Facilities and Regulation
  • Environmental Impacts of Hydropower
  • Solar Energy
  • Solar Access and Grid Issues
8. Other Energy Resources and Energy Issues
  • Waste-to-Energy Facilities and Biomass
  • Geothermal and Ocean Energy
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Transportation Energy Policies
  • Energy Storage and Electric Vehicles