...dependent humans are on electricity. The production of electricity comes from so many different resources, but primarily from non-renewable resources such as coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear power plants (Starr, 2004). As electricity is produced this way our planet is depleted further of fossil fuels as well as the planet being pumped full of more Carbon Dioxide (CO²) than the planet can handle. Imagine nothing changing when it comes to energy production and take a look at our planet in 100 years. Do you see a planet that is inhabited, or do you in fact see a planet that is something akin to the movie Wall-e? It is a scary thought, but alternative energy resources are out there, and these alternative energy resources will enable mankind to inhabit Earth for many more years and even centuries to come. Since the year 1900 tests on world temperature have been documented and studied showing that the planet temperature is raising by approximately 1.1 degrees per century (Phillips, 2008). The reason for this rise in temperature is clearly due in part to the rising of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The process of producing electricity is a major contributing factor to carbon dioxide as fossil fuels are burned to produce the electricity. Currently, fossil fuels used for electricity emit approximately 6,000,000,000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per year. With this said, not only is electricity being limited by the limited sources of fossil fuels, but our planet is also...
Words: 1958 - Pages: 8
...to be realized through careful design and consultation. Additionally, it also provides a profile of a major wind power company in Canada. Problem Electricity generation produces more pollution than virtually any other single industry in Canada. Pollution, air quality, acid rain, nuclear waste and global warming are the unwanted side effects of traditional power production that endanger the environment. Every day, many fossil fuel consuming contraptions spew out gases that pollute the environment. However, when the fuel supplies for these devices run out, they will grind to a halt. To prevent this, Canada needs to find an alternative to unstable and polluting energy sources. Purpose The purpose of this report is to examine wind energy as alternative energy source and effectiveness at reducing emissions by replacing power generated from fossil fuels. Scope The report will examine wind power as an alternative energy source and nonmarket issues. Wind power usage in Canada has been growing at a significant rate in the past few years and has generated considerable interest in industry, government and the public. Introduction As a renewable energy source, wind power is gaining popularity as an alternative to fossil fuel, nuclear and hydro power generation. In Canada, provinces are required to achieve 15% of their energy consumption from wind by 2012 as provinces...
Words: 1781 - Pages: 8
...Natural gas is a fossil fuel. Like oil and coal, this means that it is, essentially, the remains of plants and animals and microorganisms that lived millions and millions of years ago. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, natural gas was used primarily for street and building lighting, providing what was known as gaslight. Today, improved distribution of gas has made possible a wide variety of uses in homes, businesses, factories, and power plants. The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects a 50 percent rise in global natural gas consumption between 2010 and 2035, with growth in Brazil and China driving increased demand. One of the main reasons for this increase is due to electric power. Natural gas power plants usually generate electricity in gas turbines, directly using the hot exhaust gases of fuel combustion. There are numerous reasons why natural gas is becoming more reliant for generating electricity than other fossil fuels. While coal is the cheapest fossil fuel for generating electricity, it is also produces more pollution. The electric generation industry, in fact, has traditionally been one of the most polluting industries in the United States. Regulations surrounding the emissions of power plants have forced these electric generators to come up with new methods of generating power, while lessening environmental damage. New technology has allowed natural gas to play an increasingly important role in the clean generation of electricity. There are several...
Words: 463 - Pages: 2
...The Future of Energy Unit 4 Assignment Kaplan University Cleaster McConnell SC300: Big Ideas in Science: From Methods to Mutation Professor Michael Allen October 16, 2012 According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the fuels Iowans use fall into two main categories: nonrenewable in the form of fossil (coal, petroleum, and natural gas) and nuclear fuels and renewable energy resources (water for hydroelectricity, biomass, wind, and solar). The use of energy is divided into four sectors: Commercial usage is 15%, Residential usage is 22%, Transportation 22%, Industrial 41% Energy, in all its varied forms, is an essential part of every aspect of our lives. It’s the foundation for our economy and our lifestyles. In my home, most of my energy dollars goes to heat my home in the winter and make hot water. During the summer months the dollars spent on heating the home is switched to cooling the home. A small percentage goes to powering appliances and electronics. We use natural gas as a single heat source and all of my appliances are electric including the stove, washer, and dryer. I am very conscious about energy conservation in the home. We adjust the thermostat by lowering it in the winter to 68 and raising it in the summer to 78 by day and 60 and 82 during the evening. We change the furnace filter every 3 months and unplug TV’s, cell phone...
Words: 795 - Pages: 4
...practical use? There are numerous ways to do this; many of which are commonplace around the world today. Acquiring certain forms of energy for use may require mining, drilling, combustion technology, photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, and other technologies. In the following paragraphs we will explore the vast world of energy by looking at the disadvantages to nonrenewable energy and taking an in-depth look at renewable energy sources and exploring the challenges associated with employing these types of sources in an effort to create energy sustainability in our world. We will also seek to discover which sources are best in order to enhance social progress, economic growth, and environmental improvement for a sustainable future for generations to come. Why exactly do we want to use renewable sources and why do we want energy sustainability? Currently possessing 9.7 million civilians, Haiti is the most populated full-member state of the Caribbean Community. It is the...
Words: 3779 - Pages: 16
...executing the system of transport. Now a days there has been a massive change in the energy insistence because of industrial progress, increase in population,casting of households and enrichment of living patterns. Accordingly the need of potentiality is briskly budding in the form of electricity,gasoline,fossil fuel etc.. During the time we do know that Pakistan’s energy affairs are ascending due to inadequate production of energy which lacks to accomodate the increasing energy demands of Pakistan...
Words: 1437 - Pages: 6
...Introduction: The planet that is home to all known life in the universe has been facing hardships since its formation almost five billion years ago. However, the rapid evolution and advancement of the human race has put the Earth through its greatest challenge yet. The last few centuries saw the Earth undergo massive irreversible damage at the hands of the human race. Although previous attempts were made at dealing with the problem of environmental damage and the non-sustainable use of resources, none were as clear-cut and globally united as the Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium Development Goals, hereafter referred to as the MDG, was signed by all 193 members of the United Nations. The MDG focuses on a wide range of human problems; from poverty and health to environmental damage and the non-sustainability of the current resource usage (Nations, 2010). This was so important because it was the first time that so many nations united together to attempt to solve the world’s biggest problems. Although a lot of the set targets were very ambitious, they were certainly within the realm of reality with proper funding and planning. The following report proposes a plan to carry out a sub-section of one of the goals in one region of the world. Although it would be a very small scale when considering all the goals of the MDG and all the regions of the world, it would provide a morale booster that shows that these goals can actually be achieved with sufficient funding and planning. The...
Words: 7819 - Pages: 32
...production and consumption beginning in the 1970s. The world's largest oil discoveries in recent years have come from Brazil's offshore, presalt basins. Brazil has the third-largest electricity sector in the Americas, behind the United States and Canada. Brazil is currently experiencing its worst drought in 40 years, which has contributed to electricity blackouts in many Brazilian regions. Brazil has spent more than $5 billion to subsidize electric utilities replacing lost hydroelectric generation with fossil fuel-fired generation, including large amounts of liquefied natural gas. (which is shown in the graph in the recent increase in fossil fuels) Brazil was the largest producer of petroleum and other liquids in South America in 2013. Brazil is the second-largest producer of hydroelectric power in the world, trailing only China, and the country depends on hydroelectricity for more than 75% of its electric power supply. (shown in the graph below. Brazil is the 8th largest total energy consumer and 10th largest producer in the world. To address the country's dependence on oil imports and surplus of sugar cane, the government implemented policies to encourage ethanol production and consumption beginning in the 1970s. The world's largest oil discoveries in recent years have come from Brazil's offshore, presalt basins. Brazil has the third-largest electricity sector in the Americas, behind the United States and Canada....
Words: 370 - Pages: 2
...increase in population, an increase in the manufacturing of households and enhancement of living standards. Therefore the demand of power is rapidly growing in the form of electricity, diesel, petrol and coal. As we know the Pakistan’s energy issues are rising because the production of energy is insufficient to meet the growing energy demands of Pakistan, which causes power crisis or an energy crisis in Pakistan. Overview of Pakistan's electricity:- Pakistan’s electricity generation facilities are not precisely working well, they even thought to be underdeveloped and inadequately maintained. The regions of Pakistan could be going to face the critical energy problems, because of the weakening economy and rising of the rapidly increasing electricity demand in the course of the prior 10 years. Additionally we cannot see any considerable efforts to meet the demands of these energy problems. In addition, transmitting failures due to outdated facilities, electricity theft and seasonal shortage of hydropower makes the situation even worse. Therefore, as a result of strength shut down the load-shedding which is becoming a very popular phenomena is increasing rapidly, contrary to load-shedding the prices of electricity also increasing rapidly. Electricity Offered Per Capita:- At the time of 2009-10, Electricity offer per capita...
Words: 1770 - Pages: 8
...-Geothermal energy is simply power derived from the Earth's internal heat -Contained in the rock and fluids beneath Earth's crust Three Types of Geothermal Power Plants- -Dry Stream- takes stream out of fractures in the ground and uses it directly to drive turbine -Flash Plants- pull deep, high pressure hot water into cooler, low pressure water. the stream that results from this is used to drive turbine. -Binary Plants- the hot water is passed by a second fluid with a much lower boiling point than water. This causes the secondary fluid to vaporize which drives the turbine. Uses- -These underground reservoirs of streams and hot water can be tapped to generate electricity or to heat and cool buildings directly -Geothermal water can be used directly for heating homes and offices, or for growing plants in green houses -Some US cities pipe geothermal hot water under roads and sidewalks to melt snow -US is the world's largest producer of geothermal energy Advantages- -extracted without burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas -geothermal fields produce only about 1/6 of the carbon dioxide that a relatively clean natural-gas fueled power plant produces -binary plants release essentially no emissions -available 365 days a year -relatively inexpensive, saves almost 80% compared to how much fossil fuels cost Hydrothermal Energy: How It Works- -Hydrothermal energy is the process of obtaining heat or energy from a large body of water (the ocean) -The...
Words: 1555 - Pages: 7
...Energy Sources What will you do when your lights go out because there are no more fossil fuels to fuel the electricity needs of our nation? As many of us have dealt with power outages for one reason or another, they were usually for a very short period of time that may have seemed like forever. For the past few decades there has been a huge push for conserving and preserving energy. Many live lives from day-to-day without ever giving any thought as to where their electricity comes from. Believe it or not, the depletion of non-renewable energy sources poses growing concerns for future generations if energy conservation and preservation are not taken seriously. “Coal, oil and natural gas are called fossil fuels because of the way that they were formed, the end products of photosynthesis that formed millions of years ago in large deposits of carbon compounds” (Berg & Hager, 2007 p. 7 & 105). Fossil fuels are also referred to as nonrenewable energy sources because natural processes do not replenish these sources within a reasonable period of time in which to be reused, they take millions of years to form. Coal and natural gas are most widely used to provide our homes with heat and electricity, and to fuel industrial and manufacturing plants. Nearly every mode of transportation uses some form of crude oil or petroleum for fuel. Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in the United States and is also the home of the largest known coal reserves in the world...
Words: 2011 - Pages: 9
...industrial development, increase in population, an increase in the manufacturing of households and enhancement of living standards. Therefore the demand of power is rapidly growing in the form of electricity, diesel, petrol and coal. As we know the Pakistan’s energy issues are rising because the production of energy is insufficient to meet the growing energy demands of Pakistan, which causes power crisis or an energy crisis in Pakistan. Pin It See all 3 photos Overview of Pakistan's electricity:- Pakistan’s electricity generation facilities are not precisely working well, they even thought to be underdeveloped and inadequately maintained. The regions of Pakistan could be going to face the critical energy problems, because of the weakening economy and rising of the rapidly increasing electricity demand in the course of the prior 10 years. Additionally we cannot see any considerable efforts to meet the demands of these energy problems. In addition, transmitting failures due to outdated facilities, electricity theft and seasonal shortage of hydropower makes the situation even worse. Therefore, as a result of strength shut down the load-shedding which is becoming a very popular phenomena is increasing rapidly, contrary to load-shedding the prices of electricity also increasing rapidly. Electricity Offered Per Capita:- At the...
Words: 1814 - Pages: 8
...hotmail2008 Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 3 Wind Energy Data 5 Analysis 6 Conclusion 8 Bibliography 9 Executive Summary The majority of our nation’s energy is highly dependent on finite fossil energy sources, like coal and oil. Using fossil fuels to create electricity creates emissions that are both harmful to the environment and our health. Renewable energy sources provide a clean and viable long term alternative to fossil fuels. Renewable energy is energy generated by natural resources in the form of solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, and tidal waves. Among the diversity of renewable energy, wind energy is the fastest growing power technology in the world. According to the U.S. government Energy Information Administration, the production of wind energy will be at least 20% by the year 2030. This report will prove the validity of this statement by using hypothesis analysis. Hypothesis analysis will reject the null hypothesis that wind energy production will be less then 20% in favor of the alternate hypothesis that states wind energy production will be at least 20% or greater. Introduction The majority of our nation’s energy is produced from the burning of fossil fuels, like coal, oil, and natural gas. Life as we know it and our economy revolves around these finite resources. Unfortunately, with our great demand for energy, especially gasoline, world production of oil has already reached its maximum capacity and seems to...
Words: 1694 - Pages: 7
...Research suggests that solar energy is the best option for sustainable energy in this country because it generates clean, reliable electricity, it helps the economy, and it contributes to reducing the environmental impact generated by other energy sources Ricardo Araujo Westerns Governors University Energy production and usage continue to pose significant environmental challenges. Various administrative organizations have established various mechanisms through which environmental protection can get achieved (Growing Significance of Renewable Energy (Presentation), 2007). The threat emerges from the continuous usage of fossil fuels such as petrol and diesel that produce large amounts of emissions. Factories, households, transportation and offices continue to depend on fossil fuels as their primary source of energy for heating, lighting and other uses. The practice carries on despite the fact that they individual have the knowledge of the effects of the emissions that come from the fossil fuels. On the contrary, Craddock (2008) points out that individual choose to ignore the campaigns carried out by environmental safeguard activists across the world. As a result, the mitigation processes have had a slow but progressive response in the adoption of clean energy by various institutions across the globe. One of the focuses of the source of clean energy is solar power. The adoption of source of energy would significantly decrease the levels of global warming and ultimately,...
Words: 3136 - Pages: 13
...#1 Energy can be converted from one form to another by one form of energy decreases, other forms increasing, because the total energy has to stay constant and that’s only if you're looking at an isolated object. Potential energy can be converted to Kinetic and kinetic can be converted to potential. (Tillery, Enger, & Ross, 2009, p. 67). Energy can be converted in three basic ways through 3 actions of forces. Gravitational Forces is when gravity accelerates a falling object, its converts its potential energy to kinetic energy. Electric and Magnetic Force Fields can convert charged particles, which electrical fields use forces, possess potential energy of an electric field in a way similar to that of an object in a gravitational field. Frictional Forces can be converted into thermal energy, which is heat, whenever the object slides against another object. An example of an energy being converted from one form to another is a lightbulb. It converts electrical energy to radiant energy. A car can covert chemical energy to mechanical energy. A solar cell converts radiant energy to electrical energy to mechanical energy. A fuel converts to chemical energy to heat energy. What we mean by fossil fuels is that Fossil fuels are energy resources that come from the remains of plants and animals. These remains are millions of years old. Fossil fuels, like coal, oil, and natural gas, provide the energy that powers our lifestyles and our economy. Fossil fuels are a finite, non-renewable...
Words: 658 - Pages: 3
