Chapter III, Section C, Item 1.  The “Renewable Energy” Misnomer and Fallacy

The label “renewable energy” is perhaps the worst misnomer in terms of the denial of the second law: the energy is not “renewed” or “cycled”, but rather is continuously sourced, usually, though not always, ultimately from the Sun. Though the difference may seem nit-picky, any concept of “renewed” or “recycled” energy is a direct denial of the second law, a denial that energy is dissipated, one way, permanently, and a denial that the removal of energy from a system promotes its greater disorder, a disorder greater in energy terms than the other system receiving the continuously sourced energy. The disorder in the system supplying energy may be far in excess of the benefit derived in the ordered system, at least in terms of energy.  The fallacy then, stemming from the misnomer, is that there are no consequences in using “renewable energy.” Nowhere is this more apparent than in the ludicrous assumptions and beliefs surrounding agricultural biofuels:  the most dangerous, irresponsible, and environmentally destructive proposal to ever arise from ignorance, however well-intentioned the proposal.