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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

July 22, 2026

Ancient sediment reveals that some of K’gari’s deepest lakes vanished around 7,500 years ago, despite unusually heavy rainfall. The surprising discovery suggests changing winds and future climate ...
China’s Chang’e-6 samples have uncovered a surprising difference between the Moon’s two hemispheres. Solar wind particles penetrated deeper into the far-side soil because Earth’s ...
Oxygen is disappearing from oceans, lakes, rivers, and coastal waters at an alarming rate, threatening aquatic life and weakening the natural processes that help regulate Earth’s climate. Scientists warn that this widespread deoxygenation is ...
The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs was likely an exceptionally rare CO chondrite from a distant region of the solar system. Its unusual chemistry suggests that planet-cooling dust and debris, ...
Scientists have found evidence that a major Cascadia earthquake could trigger a second quake on the San Andreas Fault. The discovery came from unusual sediment layers formed by underwater landslides ...
A catastrophic asteroid breakup may have triggered a huge wave of impacts across the inner solar system about 800 million years ago. The debris was launched from near a gravitational gateway controlled by Jupiter, sending fragments toward Earth, the ...
Seismic waves have revealed that the oceanic plate beneath the Ontong Java Plateau was dramatically transformed by the colossal volcanic activity that created it more than 100 million years ago. Researchers found a complex structure of horizontal ...
Tiny plastic particles in drinking water may be doing more than contaminating the environment. New research suggests nanoplastics can actually help harmful bacteria survive by strengthening the slimy biofilms they form inside water systems. These ...
A major DNA study has rewritten the koala's evolutionary story, revealing that the species suffered a dramatic population collapse about 100,000 years ago, long before humans arrived in Australia. By calculating the koala's mutation rate for the ...
Researchers have created self-destructing living plastic that uses engineered bacteria to completely break itself down when activated. The material degrades in just six days without creating ...
Scientists have identified a hidden feedback loop that may explain how Earth has regulated its climate for tens of millions of years. As sea levels rose and fell, they changed how much phosphate reached the open ocean, affecting marine life and the ...
NASA's PACE satellite captured the Black Sea glowing turquoise during its annual phytoplankton bloom. The vivid color comes from massive numbers of coccolithophores, microscopic organisms whose reflective shells brighten the water enough to be seen ...

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