Alternative Energy Sources

I. Introduction
A. Topic Overview

Carbon-intensive sources of energy (i.e. fossil fuels) are among the most used sources of energy to date. In fact, “more than 85% of all primary energy on earth comes from fossil fuels” (McGuigan, 2003). The rest are initiatives to use alternative energy sources.

It is an alarming rate since fossil fuels are non-renewable and that using fossil fuels increases the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere. Increased concentration of carbon in the atmosphere then leads to the greenhouse effect which traps the heat within the Earth. Furthermore, the burning of coal, natural gas and other types of fossil fuels also contributes to the global air pollution. With these three-pronged problems stemming from the use of carbon fuels, this paper will assess how the use of non-renewable sources must be replaced by renewable sources of energy (i.e. solar and wind energy).
B. Purpose, Relevance

The purpose of this study is to present a cost-benefit analysis of using carbon fuels and alternative sources of energy. This is an important undertaking given the fact that the world is facing global warming and widespread pollution issues. At the end of this paper, the author hopes to convince its readers that renewable sources of energy is the best way to curb carbon emissions, preserve the remaining fossil fuels, and prevent global warming and air pollution from worsening.
C. Questions

The following questions are to be answered in this paper:

1. What resources are primarily used and why?
2. What problems result from nuclear and carbon based fuels?
3. What renewable energy sources can reduce dependency on coal and oil?
4. What countries currently use clean energy resources and with what results?
5. What forces slow down the development and implementation of renewable energy?
6. How urgent is the need to expand solar, wind and water power technologies?
7. How can public awareness and political action be promoted to solve this global problem?

D. Research Methods

The researcher will make a quantitative research to come up with a risk and benefits study of using non-renewable and alternative energy sources.
II. Resources Used/Carbon Based Fuels
A. Coal

            Coal is among the worst pollutants when generating energy. According to Amalie Obusan of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, using coal not only leads to environmental destruction and health problems, the process of “burning coal also accelerates climate change” (Greenpeace Southeast Asia, 2010).

B. Oil

Natural oil also produces air pollution when being burned for energy production. There is also an inherent danger in polluting water bodies in case of oil spills such as the BP oil spill controversy earlier this year. In addition to this, the price of oil fluctuates every so often because of the decreased supply of oil.
C. Nuclear

To date, 31 countries are using nuclear power all over the world. Approximately 438 nuclear power plants in the world are fully operational and an additional 61 are currently under construction (Westinghouse Electric Company, 2010). This growing popularity of using nuclear energy is attributed to stability of energy production in nuclear power plants. A usual power plant runs for more than a year before it needs refueling. However, given the danger of handling nuclear elements and the problems in disposing radioactive materials, nuclear energy use is still being banned in a lot of countries.
III. Problems
A. Global Warming

As mentioned above, the increased concentration of carbon in the atmosphere contributes to greenhouse effect and thus the global warming phenomenon. Global warming can have a number of effects—particularly that of changes in the earth’s geomorphology. The higher temperatures will cause the glaciers in the northern and southern poles to melt. The erratic weather will also cause more violent tropical storms which “could increase flooding and exacerbate erosion of both inland and coastal areas” (Jones, 1993).
B. Environmental Pollution

Environment pollution is mostly attributed to the burning of fossil fuels. Greenhouse gasses are released from burning these fossil fuels which then contribute to the occurrence of acid rain and air pollution.

C. Depletion of Non-renewable sources

Lastly, non-renewable resources are limited in number. Once the fossil fuel reserves are completely depleted, humanity can only wait for another batch of fossil fuels to be created under the earth’s crust. In fact, the carbonization process of fossil fuels take decades to complete.
IV. Types of Clean Energy
A. Solar Panels

Solar panels are among the most popular forms of alternative energy. They can be used anywhere that there is generous source of sunlight.
B. Wind Farms

Wind farms are quite expensive and needs very strong winds to be able to generate much energy. But the process of converting mechanical energy into electricity does not produce any pollution at all.
C. Dams, Tidal Generating Stations

The downside of building dams is that it can only operate when there is enough water within the dam. Otherwise, dams are deemed non-functional.
D. Biomass/ Algae Ponds

Algae fuel from algae ponds are very environment friendly. Furthermore, the operational cost of maintaining an algae pond is very low.
E. Geothermal

Another alternative energy source, geothermal power plants can be very efficient in places where there are active volcanoes. However, since volcanoes have the tendency of becoming dormant, this may not be the best and most reliable source of energy.

F. Hydrogen and Fuel Cells

Fuel cells use hydrogen as its fuel. Electricity is produced after oxygen reacts with hydrogen inside a fuel cell. It can be further developed to supply large scale power needs.
V. Conclusion

From these findings, the author concludes that it is best if countries will gradually shift to using renewable sources of energy. Not only will this save the remaining fossil fuels reserves, there will also be less or no pollution produced while generating electricity from renewable sources of energy.

While building solar panels or wind mills requires a high amount of investment, countries can expect a return of investment in a few decades. Afterwards, they can use the facilities with less operational expenses compared to continuously importing coal or natural gas.

VI. References

Greenpeace Southeast Asia. (2010, Juky 5). Asian Communities Say Not to Coal. Retrieved

August 4,2010, from Greenpeace: http://www.greenpeace.org/seasia/en/news/asian-communities-say-no-to-co

Heiman, M. K., & Solomon, B. D. (2004). Power to the People: Electric Utility Restructuring

and the Commitment to Renewable Energy . Annals of the Association of American Geographers , 94-116.

Jones, D. K. (1993). Global Warming and Geomorphology . The Geographical Journal , 124-

130.

McGuigan, B. (2003). What are Some of the Most Common Energy Sources? Retrieved August

4, 2010, from Wise Geek: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-some-of-the-most-common-energy-sources.htm

Westinghouse Electric Company. (2010). Reliability. Retrieved August 4, 2010, from

Westinghouse: http://www.westinghousenuclear.com/Community/Reliability.shtm

The consumption of natural resources has come to dominate the minds of policy-makers and general public in the US, given the limited range of these resources and concerns associated with the burden the growing population places on the reserves.

The most obvious problem the US encounters in the realm of natural resources consumption is undeniably the consumption of energy resources.

In addition to increasing the efficiency of oil production, the nation will sooner or later have to turn to alternative energy sources. While these sources still remain too expensive to be operational, their technology is undergoing rapid transformations to make them more cost-efficient. Wind mills are already effectively used in Spain where the climate is characterized by strong winds.

Solar energy, geothermal power, tides, hydroelectric power plants – all these are ways to receive energy in a way that is less dangerous for the environment and can with time fully replace oil as a source of energy. Considering the dangers posed to the US society by the resource depletion, we will also try to look at alternative solutions that will enable us to replace the reserves.

Current State

Solar energy is attractive because the energy received by the earth annually exceeds the amount of energy used by humanity by 35,000 times, although “about 1/3 of this energy is either absorbed by the outer atmosphere or reflected back into space” (University of Utah).

Geothermal energy that stems from the inner heat of the earth is of lesser importance as it can be used only to replace a small amount of human needs. The temperatures of 100 degrees Celsius are located only three miles away from the surface, which gives man an opportunity to use geothermal energy.

Tidal facilities like the one operated by the former Soviet Union in Lumkara, use the power of the water “to fill reservoirs, which are then slowly discharged through electricity-producing turbines” (University of Utah).

The attraction of tidal power, in contrast to solar and wind energy is its predictability and rich supply that can be calculated since it comes on a regular basis. In contrast, in the case of solar and wind energy, the industry often has to wait for days until the sun comes out or the wind begins to blow. However, the Survey of Energy Resources published by the World Energy Council in 2001 points to “long construction times, high capital intensity and low load factors” as preventing economic efficiency of this type of energy (World Energy Council).

The move to alternative energy sources is inevitable for most of the modern world. Reasons for the move include sheer economics, geopolitics and environmental protection.

Through the years, the world has gotten used to using fossil fuels for their energy needs. Products derived from fossil fuels are used in transportation, in electricity generation, in petrochemicals and even in road construction.

The primary reason for the move is the inadequacy of fossil fuels to meet future energy demands at an economically feasible price. Fossil fuels, due to their nature, are of finite supply. Even though no estimates show that the amount of fossil fuels in the Earth is not about to run out, economic forces will cut the fossil fuel supply even before it runs out.

As the amount of fossil fuels extracted decreases, the greater the demand for it becomes, particularly because of rising economies. Economics will thus dictate that the price of fossil fuels go up due to shifts in global supply and demand. Sooner or later, the price of energy will rise to unsustainable prices – prices which can cripple economies and cause great financial problems for the common man due to inflation.

Already, we have seen evidences of this scenario happening. The price of oil has risen continually over the years and has already sparked unrest in some countries.

Alternative energy sources, especially renewable energy sources are clearly better in the long run. Renewable energy sources will not face the problems faced by rising oil prices today simply because these energy sources are not finite.

Alternative energy sources like biomass, wind, hydro and solar energy will always be replenished. Moreover, these energy sources are also less polluting than fossil fuel sources. The use of fossil fuels has been linked to the phenomenon of anthropogenic global warming.

Carbon dioxide emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels are said to cause Earth’s temperature to rise abnormally – a situation which can have disastrous effects on a global scale if left unchecked. Renewable energy sources do not suffer from this drawback which makes them more attractive from an environmental perspective.

Nuclear energy is also another alternative energy form. While it is not exactly renewable due to the finiteness of the Earth’s Uranium deposits, the high yield of nuclear energy means that the accessible Uranium in the Earth can last us for centuries before running out.

Nuclear energy is clean, already available and can supply energy at a large scale. While there are concerns regarding its safety as well as what to do with spent nuclear waste, newer technologies have managed to reduce the dangers from these nuclear side effects. These make nuclear energy an attractive stopgap until the development of more advanced energy sources.

In the pipeline are also some more futuristic energy options. Hydrogen power is a promising alternative to using oil products in transportation. Unlike oil combustion which releases pollutants into the air, the by-product of Hydrogen consumption is harmless water vapor. Lastly, Helium-3 fusion is an attractive solution which can potentially end all of Earth’s energy problems. Helium-3 fusion is a form of nuclear energy which utilizes Helium instead of Uranium and has no radioactive by products.

References

National Renewable Energy Laboratory – www.nrel.gov

Schmitt, H. (October 2004). Mining The Moon. In Popular Mechanics. Retrieved August 26, 2008, from http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/1283056.html?page=4.

Whitlock, J. (2008). Uranium. In Canadian Nuclear FAQ. Retrieved August 26, 2008, from http://www.nuclearfaq.ca/cnf_sectionG.htm#uranium_supply.

It is undeniable that global warming has been one of the most pressing issues facing the world today. Global warming is due to the greenhouse effect wherein greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide trap the sun’s heat in our atmosphere and prevent it from radiating back into space. However the issue of global warming is not about global warming.

The greenhouse effect has been around for millions of years and is indeed responsible for the development of life as without it the earth would be too cold to support the variety of flora and fauna we see today. The issue of global warming has been accelerated global warming.

The issue is how the rate of heating by the earth’s surface is proceeding at a much faster rate than can adapt to. If the predictions are correct, this will result in a multitude of changes. Environmental changes such as the rise in global sea levels due to the melting of the ice caps, an increase in the frequency of extreme weather due to changing precipitation patterns, and massive rates of extinction.

These massive environmental effects also translate to massive economic effects especially in agriculture. Drought will affect the production of essential foodstuffs like grain especially in the equatorial regions. The retreat of glaciers will also affect farms which are dependent on glacier runoff for irrigation.

Global warming will also strain government pockets as the need for preventive infrastructure like floodgates as well as for repair and reconstruction of old infrastructure which is damaged by the increased temperature variation. Increased health costs will also be a burden on social services.

One of the key methods for mitigating the advance of global warming is by the reduction of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Some of the ways of reducing greenhouse gases include changing practices in agriculture, stopping deforestation, as well as restoring and conserving degraded land.

Another way for reducing greenhouse gases is by switching our energy production from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Some renewable energy sources include solar power, wind power, hydrogen, and nuclear power. This paper discusses these alternative energy sources and the prospects for their use.

Most of the energy needs of the United States comes from fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. The combustion of these fossil fuels drive generators which provide electricity as well as engines that power our transportation.

However, these fossil fuels are considered nonrenewable energy sources simply because these fossil fuels are of limited supply. Sooner or later, the world’s fossil fuel deposits will reach a point such that their extraction would not be economically feasible. Already, the huge demand for oil is pushing its price to record levels with each  passing year.

As opposed to fossil fuel based energy sources, renewable energy comes from sources that wont run out in any anthropological time frame. Renewable sources such as wind or solar power come from sources which are constantly replenished, and will be constantly replenished barring major changes of geological or astronomical scale.

As such, investments in renewable power is much more future proof. Because these renewable sources of energy wont run out, we can be sure that succeeding generations will be able to benefit from renewable energy sources we develop today. That much cannot be said for sources of energy from oil, gas and coal.

The depletion of conventional and non-renewable sources of energy i. e. fossil fuels, which include coal, gasoline and natural gas, has caused concern among the policy makers and the consumers. Moreover, the recent increase in oil prices has caused inflation due to higher transportation costs of the commodities. However, the biggest drawback of using the non-renewable sources of energy has been an increase in environmental pollution, and the phenomenon of global warming.

When the fossil fuels are burnt by millions of vehicles on road, ships on water, and by aeroplanes in air, toxic emissions including deadly hydrocarbons, and lethal carbon monoxide are released into the atmosphere. These poisonous gases cause severe respiratory diseases, and cancer in the most vulnerable human population i. e. children and elderly. Is it beneficial to continue the use of fossil fuels whose emissions cause deadly diseases in humans?

Also, one of the emissions is carbon dioxide, which is the main cause of global warming. Since the fossil fuels are limited in supply, scientists, environmentalists and policy makers have been striving to find the alternative sources of energy, which are replenishable, easily available, non-polluting, non-detrimental to the health of humans, environmental friendly and do not cause global warming. Isn’t it beneficial for us to explore and deploy the alternative energy sources?

I strongly feel that we must develop technology to commercially exploit the alternative energy sources. Some of the types of alternative energy sources along with their utility to humanity are highlighted in the following discussion. Discussion Different definitions of alternative energy have been given by different thinkers and organizations. Economy Watch reported that Material Management Services defined it “as an alternative for the renewable energy forms,” which has “not been extracted from fossil fuels.

” Further, as defined by Natural Resources Defense Council, Economy Watch stated that alternative energy is peripheral and environmental-friendly. According to Economy Watch, Responding to Climate Change 2007 has defined alternative energy as the one “that is drawn from the untraditional sources of energy like winds, compressed natural gases, hydroelectricity and solar sources. ” When different definitions are merged, the complete meaning of alternative energy sources becomes evident.