The likely adverse environmental impacts of renewable energy sources

The global attention has always been focussed on the adverse environmental impacts of conventional energy sources. In contrast nonconventional energy sources, particularly the renewable ones, have enjoyed a 'clean' image vis a vis environmental impacts. The only major exception to this general trend has been large hydropower projects; experience has taught us that they can be disastrous for the environment. The belief now is that minihydel and mi crohydel projects are harmless alternatives. But are renewable energy sourc es really as benign as is widely believed? The present essay addresses this question in the background of Lovin's classical paradigm, which had postul ated the hard (malignant) and soft (benign) energy concepts in the first pl ace. It critically evaluates the environmental impacts of major renewable e nergy sources. It then comes up with the broad conclusion that renewable en ergy sources are not the panacea they are popularly perceived to be; indeed in some cases their adverse environmental impacts can be as strongly negat ive as the impacts of conventional energy sources. The paper also dwells on the steps we need to take so that we can utilize renewable energy sources without facing environmental backlashes of the type we got from hydropower projects. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.