question:

Compare and contrast the various sources of energy.

answer:
There are various sources of energy, which modern industrial countries use to light cities, power cars and airplanes, and run computers and other electrical machines. The main energy sources for all these tasks are nonrenewable fossil fuels. Most modern countries depend heavily on fossil fuels, including the United States. However, only a handful of nations have sufficient supplies to meet their needs. Oil and natural gas are very unevenly scattered around the world and most of the world’s oil supply is located in only a few countries, mostly in Southwest Asia. Reserves of natural gas are also limited. Luckily, coal deposits are larger and more widely distributed than oil reserves and are thought to be enough for at least two hundred years. On the down side, coal also has its drawbacks such as the fact that burning coal can create air pollution such as acid rain.
The splitting of uranium atoms in a nuclear reactor to release their stored energy produces nuclear energy, now used by many countries. The drawbacks of nuclear energy are leaks, explosions, and the disposal of radioactive wastes that can remain toxic for thousands of years.
Other energy sources include waterpower, which is an ancient source of energy and uses the energy of falling water to move machinery to generate electricity. Geothermal energy, used in areas with volcanic activity, is energy that comes from earth’s internal heat. Lastly, solar energy is energy that is produced by the sun. Solar energy is potentially the greatest renewable energy source.

how is this answer?

http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/comparcontrast.html

Here's a very good explanation about how to write comparison/contrast papers.

Are you going to college or university next year? If so, you'd better get used to the idea that essay = minimum of 5 paragraphs. It also means you need to PLAN your thoughts before you write.

We've been over and over the writing process with you. Go back and find out what you need to do ... then do it. Please don't post again until you have a sufficient essay.

You were supposed to compare and contrast. I am not certain you did that, but rather, you seemed to describe some energy sources.

It seems to me that you would have looked at each one with the same criteria: Cost, availability, geographic locations of fuel, environmental considerations. This would given a reader the material to draw conclusions on one fuel vs another.

ok , sorry i just saw this.

my teacher said it's an essay question, but it doesn't really have to be as long as an essay. it can be upto 1-2 paragraphs.

and bobpursley i will try to go back and do what you said.
thanks

Y -- you can follow your "teacher's" advice -- but a one or two paragraph compare and contrast essay does not further your education or prepare you for any kind of college writing.

You're going to have to decide whether you're going to stick with the extremely mediocre advice of your homeschool "teacher" and forget college -- or -- follow the advice of Writeacher, Bobpursley, GuruBlue and other Jiskha tutors -- and work at becoming educated as well as you would have been in a regular school.

It's up to you! But frankly, we're discouraged with your writing skills.

well, honestly, for now i am going to follow my teacher's advice, since she's the one grading this. i think it's better if i stick to her directions.

OK. That's your choice. But please do not take our time by posting here if you intend to ignore our advice.

We're sorry you're just thinking of the easiest way to get a grade -- and not thinking ahead to the demands of college.

Ms. Sue sounds like she was having an off day... ^^^

The answer provides an overview of various sources of energy, including fossil fuels (such as oil, natural gas, and coal), nuclear energy, waterpower, geothermal energy, and solar energy. It highlights the fact that fossil fuels are the main sources of energy in many modern countries but are not evenly distributed around the world. It also mentions the drawbacks associated with each energy source, such as air pollution from burning coal and the challenges of nuclear waste disposal. Overall, the answer provides a good introduction to the topic and covers the main sources of energy, their availability, and some of their advantages and disadvantages.