...Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the pro-nuclear and the pro-renewable energy lobbies. There are many doubts as to the reliability of fossil fuels and their ability to keep up with the rapid world population growth. This second concern arises as the availability of fossil fuels is declining and many other sources are being suggested as time advances. Moreover, people agree that fossil fuels contribute to global warming as it releases many greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, enhancing the greenhouse effect. Nuclear and renewable energy lobbies are these alternatives, which seem appealing due to their numerous advantages. Nonetheless, there have some weaknesses to consider. Regarding pro-renewable lobbies, environmentally they are the best solution without doubt. Renewable energy is helpful for the environment as it seeks to tackle the enhanced greenhouse effect. As the greenhouse gases released by this form of energy are low, people support these lobbies. Not only do locals support these initiatives, but also tourism would grow, as the ‘clean environment’ would attract foreigners. Furthermore, these lobbies approach the future in a sustainable manor. Sustainability is meeting the today needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Renewables are those capable of natural regeneration over a human timescale, and are infinite in human terms. Nevertheless, there are some weaknesses such as the efficiency of these energy sources, as...
Words: 1580 - Pages: 7
...observation of every individual in a group. It is one way of showing the outputs of every member in order to create great research with a knowledgeable content. The possible outcome of a research reflects the ability of every student on how to observe particular problem. The topic that we have chosen is burning of fossil fuels (effects, causes and prevention). It opens our hearts and minds on the possible effects or outcomes that may happen in our environment if these thing will continuously arise. The damaged has been done in several parts of the world. The only thing we must do is to initiate other ideas that may convert the effects of burning of fossil fuel into a suitable one. The next pages of this research will explain other alternative ways to get energy or electricity without using or burning fossil fuels. As we continue to understand these things in this world, let’s put in our mind first that the imbalance of our nature can affects great percentage of our life not just here in the present but also to the next generation to come. OBJECTIVES: Investigate the cause, and effects of burning of fossil fuels in the lives of human, animals and to the world. II. FOCUS QUESTION 1. What are the causes of burning of fossil fuels? 2. What are the effects of this in carbon dioxide cycle? 3. Why is it that the human being and animals are greatly affected in this problem? III. DATA COLLECTION AND...
Words: 1539 - Pages: 7
...Should the world use biofuels? In our rapidly changing world we have petroleum fuel that gives life to our whole society. We have two main options for fuel. On one hand, we have fossil fuels, which causes a great deal of pollution our planet and although we have plenty of fuel reserves now, this fuel is not renewable and will therefore be exhausted in the future. On the other hand，we have biofuels, renewable fuel that do not cause as much pollution; however, biofuels would require research, development and other changes in the established system. Biofuels would be a good alternative to fossil fuels, but require research and development. One reason biofuels should be used is that they are made from renewable plant material. Two examples of good possible sources of biofuel are kudzu and algae both of which can grow very quickly and are not used for the food of the human population. These two plants yield a great deal of renewable fuel that can replace the fossil fuels in use today. The ability to produce renewable fuel is an important faction into the why the world should use of biofuel as opposed to fossil fuel. The second reason that the world should use biofuel as opposed to fossil fuel is that they produce much less pollution in comparison to their fossil fuels counterparts. Fossil fuels release gases that have been formally trapped in the Earths crust; therefore, they cause much more pollution then biofuels, which do not release formally trapped gases but gases that were...
Words: 356 - Pages: 2
...Definition and Explanation of the Problem Fossil fuels are a source of non-renewable energy that is quickly being depleted. The discussion of the use of fossil fuels brings to attention many different views and opinions, many of which are incorporated into environmental issues and concerns. Scientists and environmentalists have had an increased interest involving the usage and reduction of fossil fuels. Fossil Fuels take thousands, if not millions, of years to form. The rate of consumer consumption versus the rate of production is so increasingly unbalanced, that fossil fuels are no longer a viable source of energy. The topic has become a recent concern; the more fossil fuels that are expended, the greater the depletion of non-renewable resources there is. The two are directly related; as the consumption of these fuels increases, the amount of fossil fuels declines at an even greater percentage. With the modernization of society comes an increased demand for energy. The only way to satisfy this demand is to create more energy, most of this energy resulting from the expense of fossil fuels. With this increase in the usage of energy from fossil fuels, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased as well, approximately thirty-one percent since 1870. Furthermore, these fuels are detrimental to the planet. In fact, they are the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. The burning of fossil fuels adds up to six gigatons (one billion tons) of carbon to the atmosphere...
Words: 343 - Pages: 2
...Fossil Fuel Dependency and Americans SOC 120 The first Industrial Revolution began in the late 18th century; it began in the United Kingdom, and eventually spread through Europe and into the United States. It was never imagined that it could cause issues. The Industrial Revolution gave us the ability to change agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, technology, mining and how they were taken care of. When we replaced organic fuels, to the use of fossil fuels in the second Industrial Revolution, no one could have ever guessed the effects it would have on us in the future. What was left unknown was that the continual use of fossil fuels would cause danger to nature, wildlife, and the environment that we live in. What was also not thought about was what happens if we run out of these fuels? At this time a plan should be advised that will keep our engines going and other power working for our future. A little information about fossil fuels is that they are a non-renewable resource that can take millions of years to form. Currently what is happening is the assets are being used faster than expected and we are unable to produce new fuel fast enough. The fossil fuels that we depend on the most include; coal, natural gas, and petroleum. Throughout this paper we are going to discuss how our society would benefit from moving away from fossil fuels into cleaner resource energies which are beneficial to our earth, and our being. “Our food industry is a major factor into the usage...
Words: 1937 - Pages: 8
...Thermodynamics and Types of Energy Rhonda Montgomery American Intercontinental University Abstract The energy act 2005 addresses issues having to do with energy usage covering fossil fuels, nuclear power and the efficiency of energy and includes two major provisions, tax incentives for the advanced energy saving technologies with the second provision being to set standards for the minimum efficiency with a set of smaller efficiency provisions. The laws of thermodynamics are the study of energy and the ability of energy to be able to do work. Physicists were involved with studying the flow of heat from machines and the chemical changes that accompanied the work, obtaining its maximum efficiency, a machine that has the ability to run off of its own heat. The first law of thermodynamics states that energy and matter cannot be created or destroyed with the second law stating that it is impossible to take away heat from a reservoir and positive work with the energy moving away from the source not being able to flow from cold to hot. In order to have a continual flow of heat there must be energy present. In order to have a continual flow of heat there must be energy present. The third law of thermodynamics states that all processes will stop when the temperature reaches an absolute zero and with this the molecules will then not move and as a result the production of energy will be stopped. Scientific...
Words: 1113 - Pages: 5
...Killing and polluting a massive proportion of the ecosystem. That is only a small portion of what fossil fuels can do to animals and plants. Alternative energy is the solution to the problem, and that is what should be used in the stead of fossil fuels. They should be used because the burning of fossil fuels damage the atmosphere, damage the...
Words: 2143 - Pages: 9
...First discuss how energy can be converted from one form to another, giving specific examples. The ability to do work is how energy can be defined. “Energy is never created or destroyed. Energy can be converted from one form to another but the total energy remains constant” (Tillery, Enger, & Ross, 2009, p.65). There are various forms of energy and terms are used to distinguish one from the other. There are not different kinds of energy even though there are various forms. These five different forms of energy are categorized as mechanical, chemical, radiant, electrical and nuclear. Mechanical energy is a combination of potential and kinetic energy resulting from the force of gravity or the movement or release of a machine component. An example of mechanical energy would be bowling ball (kinetic energy) striking a pin and displacing it (potential energy). Chemical energy is a form of potential energy that is absorbed or released by chemical reactions. Dried wood stores chemical energy and when burned, releases chemical energy that converts to heat and light. Radiant energy is energy that travels through space. An example of radiant energy would be light. The light from the sun makes it possible for living things to live on earth by providing fuel and warmth. Electrical energy is a form of energy from electromagnetic interactions. Electrical energy is the presence and flow of an electric charge. Lightning or a light bulb would be examples of electrical energy. Nuclear energy is...
Words: 763 - Pages: 4
...can be seen in day to day life. For example, in cars, the chemical energy of fuel is converted into the mechanical energy of the vehicle; in motor electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy, in hydro power plants the hydraulic energy of water is converted into electrical energy, in nuclear power plants the nuclear energy is converted into electrical energy etc. With the Green movement we are seeing increased use of solar energy, such as solar water heaters and solar cookers where solar energy is converted to heat energy (Kehmani, 2010). While mankind has learned to harness energy and convert it to useful forms, Thermodynamics is governed by scientific laws. The first law of Thermodynamics is that energy can’t be created or destroyed (Kehmani, 2010). The second law states that heat energy can only be transferred from a body of higher temperature to a body of lower temperature. The third law refers to the law of absolute zero on the Kelvin temperature scale, stating that entropy of the body at absolute zero is zero and it can never be negative (Kehmani, 2010). Last, is Zeroth’s Law, which states that if two bodies are in thermal equilibrium with a third body then they are also equal to each other. For example, if body A is the same temperature as body C and body B is the same temperature as body C, then A and B are the same temperature (Kehmani, 2010). Fossil fuels such...
Words: 1080 - Pages: 5
...Energy, Fossil Fuels & Alternative Energy 22 July 2012 In order to understand how energy is converted from one form to another we must first define energy as the ability to do work and “Energy can never be destroyed. Energy can be converted from one form to another but the total energy remains constant (Integrated Science)”. Now that we have defined energy we can go further as there are two types of energy. The first type of energy is Kinetic energy, and is related with motion. Examples of Kinetic energy would be wind, water, machines, and even thermal energy. Our second form of energy is potential energy or energy waiting to be used. To types of potential energy would be fossil fuels or nuclear. Within these two types of energy it can be converted into the same 5 different forms of energy: (1) Mechanical Energy: energy from machines; (2) Chemical Energy: energy produced through a chemical reaction (3) Radiant energy: energy in the form of radiation or in the absence of matter (4) Electrical energy: derived from electromagnetic interactions and (5) Nuclear: energy produced by a nuclear reaction. Energy can go from one type of energy to another through energy transfer and most energy becomes mechanical energy. An example of this would be a power plant. The plant first burns coal (Potential energy converted to kinetic energy) to boil water that in turn spins turbines that produces electricity. All the energy is transferred to the other but only 40% of the...
Words: 1177 - Pages: 5
...specific examples. Today there are many different forms of energy and they all have the ability to transform produce change and to do work. How energy is converted from to another is based on the law of conservation of energy. “The law of conservation of energy is that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transferred or transformed from one form to another including transformation into or from mass, as matter.” Examples of energy are those that follow: Mechanical energy stored or moving energy also referred to as potential or kinetic energy, electrical energy the movement of electrons, thermal energy heat of an object, and radiant energy light and warmth of the sun are all energies that can be converted to another form of energy. For example, the chemical energy stored in the muscles of our legs is converted to kinetic energy or mechanical energy when we pedal, a toaster oven plugged into an electrical socket takes electrical energy and converts it to heat/thermal energy, and radiant energy converted to heat energy provided by the sun that heats earth. Define what we mean by fossil fuels and explain why there are attractive sources of energy. Fossil fuels are also natural resources of energy that is a product of millions of years of decomposed plant and animal pressured by heat trapped underground. Natural gas, coal, and petroleum, are all examples of fossil fuels that are highly attractive due to the purpose that they serve in one way or another in how...
Words: 666 - Pages: 3
...BURNING OF FOSSIL FUELS NAME:- NAME OF PROFESSOR:- DATE:- BURNING OF FOSSIL FUELS The burning of fossil fuels is the major contributor to human caused climate change. Once taken out of the ground and burned , coal, oil and gas add to the amount of carbon cycling between the atmosphere and the oceans, soil, rock and vegetation. On human time scales, this transfer is irrevocable, once mined and burned, fossil carbon cannot be locked away safely underground again in the form of new deposits of coal, oil and gas, or in the form of carbonate rock, for millions of years. The transfer is also unsustainable: there is simply not enough “space” in above-ground biological and geological systems to park safely the huge mass of carbon coming out of the ground without carbon dioxide building up catastrophically in both the air and the oceans. At the most fundamental level, therefore, the climate solution revolves around initiating a new pathway away from fossil fuel dependence. Industrialized societies locked in to fossil fuels need to turn to structurally different, non-fossil energy, transport, agricultural and consumption regimes within a few decades to minimize future dangers and costs. Infrastructure, trade, even community structure will have to be reorganized, and state support shifted from fossil-fuelled development toward popular movements constructing or defending low-carbon means of livelihood and social...
Words: 1696 - Pages: 7
... Argosy University July 12, 2014 Abstract Hybrid vehicles are known for having more than one battery and two engines (electric and gas) that help alternate the energy needed to run. While a majority of hybrid vehicles are designed not to burn as much fossil fuel, some hybrid vehicles may be designed to use other alternative fuels (such as hydrogen, biodiesel, flex-fuel, etc.). This not only makes them fuel efficient, but friendly to the environment as well. Conscious that carbon dioxide released from the burning of fossil fuels is driving global warming, many drivers have opted for hybrids because their fuel efficiency makes them relatively environmentally friendly (Hewitt, et al., 2006). There is a huge difference between non-hybrid vehicles and hybrid vehicles. Unlike the hybrid vehicles, a non-hybrid vehicle only burns fossil fuels that causes smog and a variety of harmful gases (such as nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide) into the atmosphere, which may be responsible for global warming. Because of the harmful gases in the atmosphere, they are not friendly nor healthy; which actually harms our environment. Renewable energy technologies are being explored to meet the challenges of energy security and climate change, as well as to boost regional economic development (Zhang &...
Words: 2210 - Pages: 9
...BURNING OF FOSSIL FUELS NAME:- NAME OF PROFESSOR:- DATE:- BURNING OF FOSSIL FUELS The burning of fossil fuels is the major contributor to human caused climate change. Once taken out of the ground and burned , coal, oil and gas add to the amount of carbon cycling between the atmosphere and the oceans, soil, rock and vegetation. On human time scales, this transfer is irrevocable, once mined and burned, fossil carbon cannot be locked away safely underground again in the form of new deposits of coal, oil and gas, or in the form of carbonate rock, for millions of years. The transfer is also unsustainable: there is simply not enough “space” in above-ground biological and geological systems to park safely the huge mass of carbon coming out of the ground without carbon dioxide building up catastrophically in both the air and the oceans. At the most fundamental level, therefore, the climate solution revolves around initiating a new pathway away from fossil fuel dependence. Industrialized societies locked in to fossil fuels need to turn to structurally different, non-fossil energy, transport, agricultural and consumption regimes within a few decades to minimize future dangers and costs. Infrastructure, trade, even community structure will have to be reorganized, and state support shifted from fossil-fuelled development toward popular movements constructing or defending low-carbon...
Words: 1695 - Pages: 7
...Global Warming Projections and Fossil Fuel Use By _______ Date: Course: Econ - 382 The belief that global warming has been caused by fossil fuels is a safe assumption simply because of the link that the two share. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that is released when fossil fuels are burnt. Every time a car gets started or coal gets burnt there is carbon dioxide released into the air and it becomes a part of the atmosphere. When this happens energy gets trapped in the atmosphere and that energy causes more heat to remain inside the earth than escape. As the heat is stuck inside the earth the temperature starts to raise slowly a slow rise that has led scientists to believe that global warming exists. The warming of the globe is steady, but its effects could be drastic enough to cause the world to undergo a great deal of change. Everything from the sea levels to the ice caps to even the weather can be affected by global warming and it can cause problems of both extremes, which could damage the earth beyond repair. The key aspect of all of this is that human activity is directly involved in just how much fossil fuels impact global warming and how it can have a larger impact on the earth and its temperature of a very small impact on it (“Climate Change Basics” 1). It can be safe to assume that there is a change in our climate which is referred to as global warming. The cause of this change has been under a great deal of debate...
Words: 1850 - Pages: 8
