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In the 1700s, wood was burned in homes and used as a source of energy. Transportation relied on animals. Water powered mills were also used.
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From the early to mid-1800s, coal was starting to be used as a source of energy because it produced more heat per pound.
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The Industrial Revolution started in 1820 and was the beginning of a rise in demand for coal. New machinery was also invented that required power to use.
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Nikola Tesla invented alternating current, the form of electricity that we commonly use today. Without this invention, we would still use direct current, which is less environmentally friendly and far more costly.
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Oil and natural gas quickly grew to surpass coal as the most common source of energy in the early to mid-1900s. Oil and natural gas was used for space heating, transportation, and electric power generation.
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Nuclear power began to increase heavily in popularity across the U.S. as plants frequently came online.
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In Chernobyl, Russia, a nuclear plant broke down and leaked radiation into the surrounding area, causing massive environmental damage, death, and mutations. This, alongside the Three Mile Island accident, have caused rising fear and concerns over nuclear power which has limited the growth of the industry.
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Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, began to be commonly used to increase production of oil and natural gas from shale. It has been faced with heavy controversy by environmentalists.
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Since 1995, renewable energy (biomass, wind, solar, geothermal, hydro) has grown rapidly across the U.S. The most prevalent growth has been wind power, which has grown by over 2000%. Even with 15.9% overall growth of renewable energy since 1995, it still only accounts for 8% of energy consumption in the U.S.
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The Paris Agreement is an international agreement among almost all nations to increase use of renewable energy and decrease dependence on fossil fuels. The only three countries that have not signed the agreement are Syria, Nicaragua, and the United States.
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