Renewable forms of energy such as wind and solar are better for public health and the planet, but sometimes discussions about their merits land on a slippery slope.
However, asking good-faith questions about renewable energy can also lead to a better understanding of what it can do.
In this case, a Reddit user wanted to know if renewable energy is truly renewable. "I know this is a little bit of a weird question, but hear me out," they wrote in r/conspiracytheories.
The Department of Energy defines renewable energy as coming from "naturally occurring resources that are continuously replenished."
For as long as the wind blows and the sun burns, we'll have renewable energy. These forms clearly meet the definition of "renewable."
"Renewable resources are virtually inexhaustible, but they are limited by the availability of the resources," the Energy Information Administration writes.
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While one study found that extreme weather could threaten the energy supply chain, including renewables, battery storage solutions can help ensure clean power is available even when weather turns — not to mention that wind and solar don't generate the heat-trapping pollution that exacerbates extreme weather.
The OP was mostly concerned about the physics of it all, though. They wondered whether by using more wind energy, we would be taking energy out of the atmosphere. They didn't want wind or other forms of renewable energy to negatively affect the weather or the environment in general.
"I'm just trying to get some clarity regarding the complex nature of renewables compared to their promise of unlimited energy when considering the basic laws of physics that seem to pose some issues, especially at scale," the OP said.
One person jumped in to provide clarification.
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"Renewables don't require a supply chain to provide their input," they responded. "You build the machine, and then it continues producing until the machine is no longer maintained and fails. With other forms of energy production, you have to constantly provide fuel."
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