around the world many of us agree on one thing: it is very likely that there will be an energy change in the future. We all know energy is a big issue in the contemporary world, and we have been convinced
that humanity is at a crucial crossroads in its history because we face an energy shortage. Many
experts believe this problem can only be solved by the use of alternative energy solutions.
By energy, I mean the fuel that drive our cars, give us electricity and enables us to enjoy
modern amenities we feel so vulnerable without. Fossil fuels have been the prime source of energy
for human society since the beginning of the industrial revolution. These fossil fuels have
been the muscles, which have enabled us to progress and develop to such dizzying heights. We
face a problem in the 21st century because our stocks and reserves of these fossil fuels are
running low; this news is worsened by the fact that these reserves cannot be renewed. Many
governments and private agencies have started promoting Alternative Energy Solutions to
overcome the looming energy crisis caused by the depletion of the non renewal's sources of energy
that all fossil fuels - coal, all oil and natural gas - represent.
Alternative Energy Solutions include all prime movers that can use a renewable natural resource to produce energy. This may be wind, thermal energy from the earth, and wave action in the shores and solar energy from the sun. Alternative energy resources can also include new technology like fuel cells. However the primary fuel
humanity has long depended on has been oil. We now know from our own projections that the oil
reserves in the world are slated to be nonviable by 2050. Simply put, the world is running out of gas! In addition, not to mention, time.
The utilization of other forms of energy is therefore very important. When we speak of alternative energy, it usually means the production of electricity via the use of some natural and renewable resource. What are these renewable, one may ask. Someone else may extend this line of questioning and say: Are these
renewable resources as efficient as the fossil fuels? Below are some answers.
Wind energy is the word that comes to mind whenever people talk of renewable energy sources.
Humans have harnessed the wind to drive machines since medieval times. In the 21st century we use
wind turbines to produce electricity. As a source of power, wind is an excellent option. Wind
turbines generate electricity by rotary motion that is caused by the airflow.
Some of the negatives associated with wind energy and wind turbines lie in the unpredictability of
wind. For example, no wind means the turbine does not rotate and electricity is not generated.
Sites are another problem; rows and rows of wind turbines are just not feasible in a city of a few
million people. The most important issue however lies in cost effectiveness, most power companies
are still reluctant to invest in or buy their power from companies that use wind turbines. This
is changing as governments around the world have started subsidizing power generation through
alternative sources like wind.
There are other possible sources of renewable energy; tidal energy uses the energy of the ocean
and is an effective though rather geographically limited source of power, thermal energy from the
earth taps geysers and other underground sources of heat. This is a very important source of
energy in places like Iceland - it is also geographically limited in its suitability.
Nuclear energy can be considered a potentially inexhaustible source of power. However, it could
have many dangerous complications and most environmentalists fear its use.
New technological innovations like fuel cells are still a long way off from truly becoming
substitutes to the fossil fuel powered internal combustion engines that have driven us all this
far down the road. Indeed looking at all the possible sources of alternate energy and
especially renewable, wind and hydroelectric projects are the only two viable long term
sources, solar power is a potentially huge alternative source of energy but it has a
technological handicap-we do not posses the engineering expertise to make better solar cells.
Solar cells are also very costly to produce and are not cost effective - even less so than wind.
Given all the setbacks we currently are unable to overcome, it will still be some time yet before
we can throw away the polluting but efficient, fossil fuel guzzling machines that we so fondly
know as cars. The use of alternative energy sources is a very important area of research and
demands humanity's attention.
As soon as fuel supplies run out on us, we may have to go back to that ultimate transport
machine to take us places: our legs.
that humanity is at a crucial crossroads in its history because we face an energy shortage. Many
experts believe this problem can only be solved by the use of alternative energy solutions.
By energy, I mean the fuel that drive our cars, give us electricity and enables us to enjoy
modern amenities we feel so vulnerable without. Fossil fuels have been the prime source of energy
for human society since the beginning of the industrial revolution. These fossil fuels have
been the muscles, which have enabled us to progress and develop to such dizzying heights. We
face a problem in the 21st century because our stocks and reserves of these fossil fuels are
running low; this news is worsened by the fact that these reserves cannot be renewed. Many
governments and private agencies have started promoting Alternative Energy Solutions to
overcome the looming energy crisis caused by the depletion of the non renewal's sources of energy
that all fossil fuels - coal, all oil and natural gas - represent.
Alternative Energy Solutions include all prime movers that can use a renewable natural resource to produce energy. This may be wind, thermal energy from the earth, and wave action in the shores and solar energy from the sun. Alternative energy resources can also include new technology like fuel cells. However the primary fuel
humanity has long depended on has been oil. We now know from our own projections that the oil
reserves in the world are slated to be nonviable by 2050. Simply put, the world is running out of gas! In addition, not to mention, time.
The utilization of other forms of energy is therefore very important. When we speak of alternative energy, it usually means the production of electricity via the use of some natural and renewable resource. What are these renewable, one may ask. Someone else may extend this line of questioning and say: Are these
renewable resources as efficient as the fossil fuels? Below are some answers.
Wind energy is the word that comes to mind whenever people talk of renewable energy sources.
Humans have harnessed the wind to drive machines since medieval times. In the 21st century we use
wind turbines to produce electricity. As a source of power, wind is an excellent option. Wind
turbines generate electricity by rotary motion that is caused by the airflow.
Some of the negatives associated with wind energy and wind turbines lie in the unpredictability of
wind. For example, no wind means the turbine does not rotate and electricity is not generated.
Sites are another problem; rows and rows of wind turbines are just not feasible in a city of a few
million people. The most important issue however lies in cost effectiveness, most power companies
are still reluctant to invest in or buy their power from companies that use wind turbines. This
is changing as governments around the world have started subsidizing power generation through
alternative sources like wind.
There are other possible sources of renewable energy; tidal energy uses the energy of the ocean
and is an effective though rather geographically limited source of power, thermal energy from the
earth taps geysers and other underground sources of heat. This is a very important source of
energy in places like Iceland - it is also geographically limited in its suitability.
Nuclear energy can be considered a potentially inexhaustible source of power. However, it could
have many dangerous complications and most environmentalists fear its use.
New technological innovations like fuel cells are still a long way off from truly becoming
substitutes to the fossil fuel powered internal combustion engines that have driven us all this
far down the road. Indeed looking at all the possible sources of alternate energy and
especially renewable, wind and hydroelectric projects are the only two viable long term
sources, solar power is a potentially huge alternative source of energy but it has a
technological handicap-we do not posses the engineering expertise to make better solar cells.
Solar cells are also very costly to produce and are not cost effective - even less so than wind.
Given all the setbacks we currently are unable to overcome, it will still be some time yet before
we can throw away the polluting but efficient, fossil fuel guzzling machines that we so fondly
know as cars. The use of alternative energy sources is a very important area of research and
demands humanity's attention.
As soon as fuel supplies run out on us, we may have to go back to that ultimate transport
machine to take us places: our legs.
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