Today almost two thirds of all of the energy supplied to the UK comesfrom climate-damaging, and finite, sources such as coal and gasburning, while the remaining third comes from nuclear power. Nuclearpower is much-criticized for its inefficiency and toxic waste products.In a world whose climate is changing for the worse, the search hasalready begun for cleaner, more reliable and sustainable energysources. So what other choices do we have?



Wind power - Thenext time you curse that blustering wind that's blown your brollyinside out, don't! That wind is a valuable energy resource, both cleanand renewable. Wind energy is one of the world's fastest growing energyindustries as it is relatively easy to harness wind power and turn itinto electricity with the aid of turbines. Improvements to wind powertechnology means that turbines now operate more efficiently, and morequietly than ever.

Solar power - Already in use around many ofthe rural areas of the UK, solar power is a fantastic energy source.Not only is it clean and renewable, but it enables these rural areas tobe powered with electricity without the need for electric cables andpower lines. Solar power can be converted directly into electricityusing semiconductors, or it can be used to directly heat water, usingcollectors.

Hydro power - Hydro power is nothing new and hasbeen used to provide electricity for more than a century now. Althoughall of the major hydro systems that could be developed within the UKhave been developed within the UK, there is still the potential forsmaller scale schemes, to provide energy to localised areas. These canbe in the form of small river dams, or by simply harnessing the 'run ofthe river' power of some rivers, all providing good clean electricity.

Wavepower - The UK, with its many surfing beaches, is famed for thestrength of its waves, and it's lucky for us that this wave power cannow be transformed into usable energy. Harnessing this huge energysource requires some clever engineering, and new designs are beingworked on every day to help us really make the most of this wonderfulnatural UK resource.

Tidal power - The great thing bout tidalpower is its reliability. There's no need to pray for sunny, or windyweather, as the tides come and go like clockwork. There are two ways toharness this power, one is to store water behind a barrage built acrossan estuary as the tide rises, releasing this water though turbines asthe tide drops. The other is to use specially designed marine turbineswhich act as wind turbines, only underwater.

Geothermal - Farfar below us are geothermal rocks - the kinds of rocks that produceenough heat to blast giant bursts of steam out through the earth'ssurface into the air. By capturing the steam thrown out by thesegeothermal rocks, steam turbines can be worked to directly produceelectricity turbines to produce electricity.

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