Which form of energy production – solar, hydro, nuclear, gas, or oil – is least harmful to the environment?
No form of energy production is 100% environmentally friendly. However, some methods of energy production are less damaging to the environment by being renewable, by causing less damage to the ecosystem, and by producing less-damaging waste. Solar and wind generation are both relatively clean and are renewable, but are not yet practical for large-scale production. Hydroelectricity is also renewable and relatively clean, but if a large dam is built, wildlife habitat, farmland, forests, and town sites can be lost; social alienation can occur; and heavy metals such as mercury can be released into the water. Hydroelectricity forms the most important source of renewable energy for Canadians. Of the combustible fuels, hydrogen is the cleanest burning, followed by natural gas and light fuel oil. The combustion of all fossil fuels, however, produces carbon dioxide — a greenhouse gas. Even though nuclear energy (fission) is a form of energy production that is not based on combustion, the dispo
