Renewable Source of Energy:Solar Energy?

Question

Our latest lesson.All I know is that the Sun will not last forever.How can they say that its renewable?Did the take the "the Earth is toast when the Sun turns into a Red Super Giant or Blackhole" thing?

Answer 1

uhhhhhhhhh your not really ganna be around that long ... and solar energy is more long term fossial fuels.

Answer 2

[Please edit your last sentence (question) so it makes sense.]

Fossil fuel like coal and oil are not limitless and someday (sorry I don't have figures at hand) will be used up. To conserve its supply we have to conserve its use.

While it is true that the sun (or the earth for that matter as your quote says) will not last forever, the energy it supplies the earth continues to radiate the earth whether or not it is tapped. The energy it supplies the earth will not be lessened or used up if it is tapped, so leaving it untapped will not conserve its energy. On the other hand, the supplies of "nonrenewable" sources of energy are diminished when used.

It is true, "renewable" is a misnomer in the sense that we cannot renew or replenish solar energy which has already been released from the sun. Someday it will also run out. However, the existing supply will not be diminished by our using it.

Answer 3

Renewable energy are energy sources that is replenished faster than we use it

Non-renewable is energy sources that are made slower than we are using it

Answer 4

the sun is not going to blow up in the next million years and the sun is renewable cause its never goiog to run out of energy and the suns not large enough to go into a red giant or black hole

Answer 5

1. You do make an interesting point: our Sun will have a finite life. However, it's total lifetime is estimated to be 10 billion years.

2. The Sun is estimated to be about 5 billions years old. So it has about another 5 billion years to go in its life cycle. That gives us a lot of time to try to use it's energy for our needs here.

3. The big questions are technological and economic: can we find ways to make it more economical with better technology?