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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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August 24, 2025

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Industrial forests, packed with evenly spaced trees, face nearly 50% higher odds of megafires than public lands. A lidar-powered study of California’s Sierra Nevada reveals how dense plantations feed fire severity, but also shows that proactive ...
Planting more trees can help cool the planet and reduce fire risk—but where they are planted matters. According to UC Riverside researchers, tropical regions provide the most powerful climate benefits because trees there grow year-round, absorb ...
Kelp forests bounce back faster from marine heatwaves when shielded inside Marine Protected Areas. UCLA researchers found that fishing restrictions and predator protection strengthen ecosystem resilience, though results vary by ...
Scientists found that Great Salt Lake’s chemistry and water balance were stable for thousands of years, until human settlement. Irrigation and farming in the 1800s and a railroad causeway in 1959 ...
NASA-backed simulations reveal that meltwater from Greenland’s Jakobshavn Glacier lifts deep-ocean nutrients to the surface, sparking large summer blooms of phytoplankton that feed the Arctic food ...
NASA and ISRO s NISAR satellite has just reached a major milestone: the successful deployment of its enormous 39-foot antenna reflector in orbit. Folded up like an umbrella during launch, the reflector is now fully extended and ready to support ...
With its two tiny CubeSats, NASA’s PREFIRE mission is capturing invisible heat escaping from Earth, offering clues to how ice, clouds, and storms influence the climate system. The insights could lead to better weather forecasts and a deeper ...
Roughly two-thirds of all atmospheric methane, a potent greenhouse gas, comes from methanogens. Tracking down which methanogens in which environment produce methane with a specific isotope signature is difficult, however. UC Berkeley researchers ...
Rising CO₂ levels will make the upper atmosphere colder and thinner, altering how geomagnetic storms impact satellites. Future storms could cause sharper density spikes despite lower overall density, increasing drag-related ...
When a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, NASA and CNES’s SWOT satellite captured a rare and detailed picture of the tsunami that followed. Recorded just ...

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