Over sixty per cent of the UK's electricity comes from coal and gas fueled power stations. As a by product millions of tons of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere.
Greenhouse gases are known to contribute to climate change. The rest of the electricity used in the UK comes mostly from nuclear power stations. These do not pollute the atmosphere, but there are hazardous waste products that are difficult to dispose of safely.
With the decreasing stocks and rising prices of fossil fuels like gas an oil, environmentalists fear that even more nuclear power stations will be built, and so the race is on to find safer, more sustainable ways to generate electricity.
Green electricity is electricity that comes from sources which have only minimal impacts on the environment. Constant sources of energy like the wind, sun and waves are known as renewable energy. Renewable energy sources can be used to produce green electricity.
Wind turbines are growing more popular in the UK, and wind turbines now supply some of the electricity for the national grid. Modern turbines are quieter and more efficient than early models as more research has led to improvements in their design.
The placement of so called windfarms in the countryside has been controversial because some people don't like the way they look and have concerns about how wildlife could be affected. One possible solution is to build windfarms out at sea.
If this can be achieved without it costing too much, wind could become the main source of the UK's electricity in the future. Solar power is an energy source that we could make more use of to generate electricity, even in the UK. Currently, solar panels are so expensive they are not widely used, but as demand increases and more are produced, the prices will hopefully come down. Solar power could one day be the world's number one source of electricity.
A big advantage of solar panels is that they can be used even in remote locations which are not on the national grid. Hydroelectric plants harness the natural energy of water running downhill to power turbines which generate electricity.
There are a number of large hydroelectric plants in the UK, but there are opportunities for low impact, small scale hydroelectric turbines in many locations up and down the country. The holy grail of green electricity in the UK is wave power. Researchers are trying to find ways to harness the abundant energy that is in the waves all around our coastline.
Wave power would be a fantastic source of green electricity in the future if a cost effective way of producing electricity could be implemented. As consumers' interest in green electricity grows, energy providers are looking for ways to make energy production more environmentally friendly. Even big providers like British Gas, who supply massive amounts of electricity, are offering carbon neutral dual fuel deals.
This means that the carbon dioxide created as a by product of your electricity is offset by British Gas's investment in projects to develop green electricity. Choosing carbon neutral products like this is a great way to support green electricity production and prevent climate change.
