Energy is so important in our world today. Energy use increased dramatically aft

Question

Energy is so important in our world today. Energy use increased dramatically after the Industrial Revolution, and our need for energy continues to rise. Our major source of energy is fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas), and we are currently searching for alternative energy sources to meet our future needs. What are two major problems created by this dependence on fossil fuels? What sources of alternative energy look promising for meeting future needs? And, what is meant by energy security?

Explanation / Answer

Fossil fuels are derived from the remnants of plant and animal fossils which are millions of years old. These are mainly created from the remains of the decayed plants and animals of the carboniferous era. The three main fuel sources -coal, natural gas and oil/petroleum help to manage the energy and electricity needs of the world today. But over-consumption of these can cause serious environmental problems such as environmental pollution. During burning of these l fuels, it release harmful gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide etc. and these can cause severe hazards on the habitats. Also they are non-renewable sources of energy, it means that once they are fully used they can’t be re-available. Their sources are depleting at a faster rate.

Problems with Fossil Fuels

1. Environmental Hazards: Environmental pollution is the major issues of fossil fuels. The carbon dioxide gases released when fossil fuels are burnt are the primary gas answerable for global warming. Global warming can cause severe climate change in the planet; it can cause melting of the polar ice, flooding of low lying areas and rise in sea levels. When these conditions continue, our planet Earth might undergo some serious consequences in near future. Sulphur dioxide is another major pollutant of fossil fuel burning and it is the main cause of Acid rain. Acid rain can lead to damage of monuments which are made up of brickwork or marbles. Crops can also affect due to acidification of loams. Mining of coal can also cause destruction of ecosystems. According to the Environmental Protection Agency in U.S, the burning of fossil fuels causes 79 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2010. These gases cause potentially disastrous changes in the earth’s climate.

2. Hazards to Human Health: Pollution from vehicles and coal power plants can cause serious environmental hazards and it may cause diseases ranges from mild to severe, it may significantly affect one’s quality of life. Air pollution can cause asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and lung cancer. Children and the elderly are most vulnerable to fine particulate matter and other airborne toxicants.

Technologies such as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) may help to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. There are several alternative resources which can provide clean, pollution free, renewable energy to replace fossil fuels. Some of these are solar energy, wind and geothermal energy.

Solar Energy

Solar is the first energy source in the world. All living things are dependent on solar energy. The solar is mainly used to generate light and heat. The solar energy reaching the planet is affected by the orbital path of the sun and its variations within the galaxy. This is one the alternative energy source which is used widely. Around 70% of the sunlight gets reflected/scattered back into the space and Earth get only 30% of sunlight for our energy needs. Solar energy can be taken out by using Solar Thermal or Photovoltaic (PV) Cells.

There are two types of solar energy -the active solar energy and the passive solar energy. Passive solar energy mainly depends on the duration, position and intensity of sun’s rays. Active solar energy uses electrical and mechanical technology such as collection panels in capturing, converting and storing of energy for future use.

This energy does not create any pollution. It is a renewable source of power because sun will continue to emit sunlight all the years. Solar panels, which are required to take out this energy, can be used for long time and it does not require any maintenance. But these are ineffective in colder regions which don’t receive good sunlight.

Wind Energy

This is another source of energy that has been in use for a very long time. A single windmill can power the crop irrigation, the family energy needs, water pumping and electric lights. Several windmills are used to produce required energy for industrial uses. Wind turbines can take huge power at a time before feeding it to the power grid. It is generally known as wind farms. It also does not produce any environmental pollution and also have created several jobs in last few decades.

The definition of energy security by International Energy Agency is “the continuous availability of energy sources at a reasonable price”. Energy security has many magnitudes: long-term energy security mainly focuses with timely investments to provide energy in line with economic developments and sustainable environmental needs. Short-term energy security focuses on the capacity of the energy system to react rapidly to sudden changes within the supply-demand balance. Lack of energy security is connected to the negative economic and social crashes of either physical unavailability of energy, or prices that are not competitive or are overly unstable.

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