ENVIRONMENTAL-IMPACT OF NONCONVENTIONAL ENERGY-SOURCES

Whereas the global attention has always been focused on the adverse environmental impacts of conventional energy sources, only a few studies have been conducted on the 'clean environment image' of the non-conventional energy sources, particularly the renewable ones. The question whether the non-conventional sources are really as benign as they are made out to be is addressed iii the present paper in the background of a classical paradigm which had postulated the hard (malignant) and soft (benign) energy concepts in the first place. It developed by Lovin(1) which had postulated the hard (malignant) and soft (benign) energy concepts in the first place. It then assesses the likely environmental impacts of several major non-conventional energy sources and comes up with the note of caution that in many cases the adverse impacts may not be insubstantial; indeed in some cases they can be as strongly negative as the impacts of the conventional energy sources.