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Environmental preservation -

There are a few obvious advantages to going green and adopting conservation tactics. One of them is that green energy reduces pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, which benefits ecosystems and human health.

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Greenhouse gases -

Green energy significantly reduces CO2 emissions, ultimately mitigating climate change impact. One of the unseen downsides is that the production of renewable energy technologies, like batteries and solar panels, can generate toxic waste.

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Waste management -

Another unseen negative of going green is that there are currently insufficient protocols put in place to dispose of obsolete green energy technologies (such as solar panels and batteries). Landfills around the world are full of improperly recycled technologies that contribute to electronic waste.

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Lower energy costs -

In the long term, renewable energy can lower electricity costs around the world, especially as technology becomes more affordable and efficient.

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Costly investment -

Although long-term costs are reduced, the initial investments required in infrastructure and transitioning to green energy may result in higher short-term costs for consumers and governments.

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Biodiversity protection -

Green energy helps protect nature’s biodiversity by reducing habitat destruction that is often caused by the extraction of fossil fuels.

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Disruption -

While biodiversity in some places would be protected, large-scale renewable projects (such as hydroelectric dams) can still disrupt ecosystems.

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Land degradation -

The sheer scale of land that is required for renewable energy infrastructure, like solar farms, has the unseen side effect of leading to land-use conflicts, especially in densely populated or ecologically sensitive areas.

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Displacement -

Large renewable energy projects, such as dams and wind farms, can displace local communities, particularly indigenous peoples. This displacement leads to the irreparable loss of livelihoods, cultural heritage, and social ties.

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Power drain -

Some cities around the world have noticed an alarming uptick in the amount of electricity being used, which has been caused by an increase in the number of electric vehicles. The power grids for these cities are strained to keep up with the demand.

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Wasteful -

On the other hand, countries like Portugal have been known to sometimes generate too much electricity from clean energy methods (such as wind turbines), which means that much of the generated power cannot be absorbed by the grid and inevitably goes to waste.

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Innovation in agriculture -

Green energy isn’t only about producing electricity. It also promotes innovations like vertical farming and sustainable agriculture, which reduce carbon footprints.

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Food insecurity - On the downside, large-scale bioenergy production can compete with food crops for land and water, which has the potential to lead to higher food prices and food insecurity.

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Job creation -

The renewable energy sector has been known to create many jobs in manufacturing, installation, and maintenance. However, transitioning away from fossil fuels has also led to massive job displacement in traditional energy sectors.

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Urban planning -

Green energy encourages the development of sustainable cities with smart grids and green buildings. But this isn’t always a good thing, since integrating green energy into existing urban infrastructure can be challenging and incredibly costly.

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Consumer empowerment -

But people at home can also find personal advantages with green energy technologies. By installing small-scale assistants, like home solar panels, consumers would feel empowered to produce their own energy and reduce electricity bills.

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Global cooperation -

Green energy initiatives encourage nations around the world to work together on the shared goal of reducing carbon emissions. This has helped foster stronger diplomatic relations and global partnerships.

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New routes -

Many cities around the world have adopted policies to implement more bike lanes and pedestrian pathways by removing trees and areas of nature. While it has the benefit of reducing carbon emissions from vehicles, the degradation of nature is certainly a negative.

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Information overload -

An often overlooked and disregarded side effect of a world inching closer towards sustainability is that online information can be contradictory. People who are potentially interested in going green may be quickly dissuaded after being overwhelmed by ambiguous information on what it entails.

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Greenwashing -

Many companies around the globe have resorted to using false sustainability as a tactic to increase consumerism. This is known as “greenwashing,” and customers may unintentionally fall into this trap while trying their best to be eco-friendly.

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Overreliance on electricity -

As all sectors are driven by green energy and a shift to electrification, people may begin to rely too much on electricity. Society as a whole would be more vulnerable to power outages, which could wreak havoc and cause destabilization.

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Competition for resources -

The demand for materials used in renewable technologies (like lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements) increases competition for these resources. This can lead to environmental destruction in mining regions.

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Energy instability -

Renewable energy sources like solar and wind are intermittent since they depend heavily on weather conditions. If major weather events occur, power supply can be drastically disrupted and more backup systems or storage solutions would be needed.

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Visual pollution -

Wind turbines and solar farms have the added disadvantage of altering landscapes in a way that is often seen as visually unappealing. Additionally, while wind turbines generate relatively little noise per human standards, local wildlife may less inclined to agree.

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Wildlife -

Aside from noise, wind turbines have also been found to pose risks to birds and bats, since they fly too close to turbine blades and are killed.

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Social inequity -

The benefits of going green aren’t necessarily evenly distributed. Oftentimes, wealthier individuals and nations reap the rewards while poorer communities face the costs.

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Rural areas -

On a positive note, renewable energy projects that are built in remote locales can revitalize rural communities by providing new revenue streams for landowners and stimulating local economies.

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Energy conservation -

The emphasis on transitioning to green energy may lead many to overlook the importance of energy conservation. While renewable energy is cleaner, it is still crucial to reduce overall energy consumption in order to to minimize environmental impacts.

Sources: (Wired) (Rapid Finance) (Wiley Online Library) (Harvard Business Review) (World Economic Forum)

See also: Can reindeer help fight climate change?

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