Energy is essential and a defining element of our lifestyle. Everything we use needs energy and after each product there is a long way to how it got produced, using different kinds of energy in each stage of the production. The textile industry, the food industry, transport, technology, everything is related to energy.

The sources of energy are classified in two main groups: renewable and non- renewable. Renewable energies refer to sources of energies which are infinite like the sun, wind, rain, tides etc. These forms of energy are also the cleanest energy sources available on this planet.

Non- renewable forms of energy refer to sources which are available on the earth in limited quantity. Furthermore, the production of energy from these sources is not environmentally friendly and causes a lot of impacts on the environment, the species and humans. Non-renewable sources exist in the form of fossil fuels, natural gas, oil and coal. Both types of energy have impacts on the environment, but fossil fuels are considered dirty energy mainly because of their CO2 emissions, which are causing the greenhouse effect. In the last years there has been a struggle for shifting our energy production to renewable sources of energy. In this section you can find some materials which tackle the environmental impacts caused by the production of energy by means of fossil fuels, nuclear etc. Source of information.

Some facts about energy:

• Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking", is the process of drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at a high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks to release natural gas inside. Up to 600 chemicals are used in fracking fluid, including known carcinogens and toxins. It takes 1-8 million gallons of water to complete each fracturing job.

• European Union has agreed in the „2030 framework for climate and energy policies" to cut CO2 emissions by 40%, increase renewable energy at least 27%, and increase energy efficiency by at least 27%. Source of information.

• Thermal power plants (coal, natural gas, oil and nuclear) are responsible for roughly 80% of global electricity production.

• Globally, renewables (including hydropower) account for 13% of the primary energy used in the world.

• The food production and supply chain accounts for about 30% of total global energy consumption (FAO, 2011b).

• Energy issues
• Non renewable energy
• Fracking
• Hydraulic fracturing step by step
• Risks and impacts of fracking
• Nuclear energy, basic concepts
• Nuclear energy problems
• The story of energy