Most of us rely on electricity to help us with our daily lives, and it is easy to take it for granted. After all, we simply flip a switch and the lights, radio, television, and any other number of other household conveniences turn on—and we seldom pay any further attention to where than electricity comes from. However, all electricity is not created equal. Sources of electricity can be roughly divided into two categories—renewable and nonrenewable, depending on whether more of it can be made in a short time.

The classic source of nonrenewable electricity is coal, which is mined out of the earth in “strip mines” or seams. Although the earth’s supply of coal can theoretically last for several centuries longer, extracting it is a dangerous process and using it as fuel produces large amounts of excess greenhouse gas. Nevertheless, coal was the first of the so-called “fossil fuels” to be widely used, and it continues to be the preferred fuel source for electricity-producing power plants.

Oil, on the other hand, is mainly drilled for at sea and is not used as often to fuel power plants. It is used as a base for automotive fuels such as gasoline. Like coal, the use of oil as a fuel results in the emission of deadly greenhouse gases that can drastically alter the climate of an area.

The cleanest fossil fuel—for a relative sense of the word “clean”—is natural gas. Natural gas is the fuel used on stoves and grills, and it is the fossil fuel that emits the smallest amount of greenhouse gas per amount burned. However, these advantages are largely offset by the manner in which it is obtained—hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” In this process, an underground seam of natural gas is filled with high-pressure water in order to force out the gas inside. When the water comes out it is often contaminated with chemical injected into it to force the gas out. This can poison groundwater supplies and make people and animals who drink it violently ill.

Renewable electricity includes such things as solar, wind, and hydroelectric (water) power. Davidson itself is built alongside a large hydroelectric power plant, the Cowans Ford Dam that forms Lake Norman. Although hydroelectric power plants are emission-free, renewable, and use only existing technology, they have downsides of their own. Every time a dam is built, it blocks the flow of a river and floods the underlying land, essentially destroying the local ecosystem.

The other forms of renewable energy, solar and wind power, do not have these disadvantages. They can be made and used anywhere, provided there is consistent wind or sun, and will continue to provide electricity for as long as that continues to be the case. However, there is a catch—so far, neither of these power sources is capable of providing the amount of energy necessary to replace fossil fuels in our society.

What, then, is there for a person conscious of their carbon footprint to do? A good first step is to use fewer fossil fuels. For example, here in Davidson, many people live only a half a mile from where they work. Can you walk or bike to work? If you must drive, make sure your car has the highest possible mile-per-gallon rating.