Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Sustainable Development01:43

Sustainable Development

15.3K
As the human population continues to grow and use resources, we must be mindful of our planet’s natural limits. Sustainable development provides a pathway to maintain and improve human life now while also ensuring that future generations will have the resources that they need. The long-term success of sustainability efforts rests on understanding the interplay between human actions and ecological systems.
15.3K
Environmental Applications of Microorganisms01:30

Environmental Applications of Microorganisms

1.2K
Microorganisms play a pivotal role in maintaining ecosystem balance by recycling essential elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, as well as supporting processes like bioremediation, wastewater treatment, and biofuel production.Microbes in Elemental CyclesIn the carbon cycle, microorganisms decompose organic matter, releasing carbon dioxide via aerobic respiration. This carbon dioxide is subsequently used by photosynthetic organisms to synthesize organic compounds, closing the...
1.2K
Design Example: Sustainability in Concrete Building01:26

Design Example: Sustainability in Concrete Building

430
As the construction industry moves towards more eco-friendly practices, concrete's adaptability and its ability to incorporate sustainable features make it a key material in the drive towards greener building solutions.
There are multiple approaches to achieve sustainability in a commercial concrete building. For instance, construct a concrete parking area under the building, utilizing pervious concrete paver blocks in open areas to facilitate rainwater collection through an underground...
430
Global Climate Change01:50

Global Climate Change

29.1K
Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
29.1K
Dimensions of Health and Illness01:21

Dimensions of Health and Illness

11.6K
The factors influencing the health-illness continuum can be internal or external and may or may not be under conscious control. They are related to the following eight human dimensions, and each dimension is interrelated to one other.
11.6K
Threats to Biodiversity01:50

Threats to Biodiversity

27.3K
There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...
27.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The safety margin of small-scale tree cover loss in global fragmented forests.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Analogous environments across the tropics have similar levels of tree species alpha diversity.

National science review·2026
Same author

Road expansion risk predicts future hotspots of tropical deforestation.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

Centuries of compounding human influence on Amazonian forests.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

EU's global investments put biodiversity at risk.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2025
Same author

Six actions for ecologists in times of planetary crisis.

Nature ecology & evolution·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 20, 2026

Solar-Driven Electrochemical Green Fuel Production from CO2 and Water Using Ti3C2Tx MXene-Supported CuZn and NiCo Catalysts
10:15

Solar-Driven Electrochemical Green Fuel Production from CO2 and Water Using Ti3C2Tx MXene-Supported CuZn and NiCo Catalysts

Published on: November 7, 2025

879

How Green is 'Green' Energy?

Luke Gibson1, Elspeth N Wilman2, William F Laurance3

  • 1School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China; School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|October 28, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Renewable energy sources like hydropower, solar, and wind have ecological impacts. Hydropower poses the greatest risks, while wind and solar energy impacts are fewer and more manageable.

Keywords:
biodiversityhydropowerinfrastructurerenewable energysolar energywind power

More Related Videos

Evaluation of Integrated Anaerobic Digestion and Hydrothermal Carbonization for Bioenergy Production
07:34

Evaluation of Integrated Anaerobic Digestion and Hydrothermal Carbonization for Bioenergy Production

Published on: June 15, 2014

26.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 20, 2026

Solar-Driven Electrochemical Green Fuel Production from CO2 and Water Using Ti3C2Tx MXene-Supported CuZn and NiCo Catalysts
10:15

Solar-Driven Electrochemical Green Fuel Production from CO2 and Water Using Ti3C2Tx MXene-Supported CuZn and NiCo Catalysts

Published on: November 7, 2025

879
Evaluation of Integrated Anaerobic Digestion and Hydrothermal Carbonization for Bioenergy Production
07:34

Evaluation of Integrated Anaerobic Digestion and Hydrothermal Carbonization for Bioenergy Production

Published on: June 15, 2014

26.2K

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Ecology
  • Renewable Energy

Background:

  • Growing global energy demands and climate change necessitate renewable energy solutions.
  • The ecological consequences of renewable energy technologies are often underestimated.
  • Climate and ecology are interconnected, requiring a holistic assessment of energy technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the ecological impacts of major renewable energy types: hydropower, solar, and wind.
  • To identify strategies for mitigating the negative environmental effects of these technologies.
  • To highlight the need for further research into the environmental footprint of expanding green energy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of ecological impacts associated with hydropower, solar, and wind energy.
  • Comparative analysis of environmental consequences across different renewable energy sources.
  • Identification of mitigation strategies for adverse ecological effects.

Main Results:

  • All three renewable energy types (hydropower, solar, wind) can cause significant environmental harm.
  • Wind power exhibits the fewest and most easily mitigated ecological impacts.
  • Solar energy has comparatively benign impacts when carefully designed and managed.
  • Hydropower presents the most substantial ecological risks, especially in specific environments.

Conclusions:

  • Renewable energy technologies, despite being 'green,' have notable ecological footprints.
  • Hydropower carries the highest ecological risks, necessitating careful consideration of location and design.
  • Further research is crucial to fully understand and address the environmental impacts of rapidly growing renewable energy sectors.