One of the most common talked about issues in the environmental community, these days, is global warming. The phrase has become a buzz word across businesses, campuses, and political campaigns; in fact, if the words ‘global warming’ are entered into an online search engine, ninety million hits are returned within seconds. It is apparent that, through this issue, everybody getting on the bandwagon of eco-awareness. However, although it is widely agreed upon that something must be done to stop the average rise in temperature, much less prominent is the discussion of the practical applications to aid in this issue.
The primary cause of global climate change is a result of the
presence of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gasses are gaseous particles that are
emitted on earth and travel up to the atmospheric level trapping heat within the
global sphere. One of the primary greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide. Some CO2
in the atmosphere occurs naturally; however, large quantities are being
released into the air through the burning of fossil fuels. According to the U.S.
Department of Energy, fossil fuels supply more than 85% of the energy for the
entire
If these detrimental effects are not enough, yet another problem exists with our dependency on coal, oil, and natural gas, and that is the issue of sustainability. 85% of our homes, businesses, and means of transportation are powered by fossil fuels; at current levels of consumption the fuel will only be available for a few more decades. With the end in such plain view, we must take this opportunity, now, to explore other options before we reach a technological overshoot and have no way to power our lavish lifestyles. The solution to this possibly devastating circumstance is the research and application of clean energy from renewable resources. Some of the most popular alternative energy sources are geothermal energy, hydrogen fuel cells, solar energy, and wind energy.
Geothermal energy is, possibly, the cleanest source of energy,
not producing greenhouse gasses or releasing any other toxic fumes into the
atmosphere.
One source of energy that is receiving a lot of attention and energy is Hydrogen energy. It is thought of as a potential solution for the problem of waning fossil fuel resources. Fuel cells of H2 are collected and can be used as stationary and portable power for buildings, transportation and industrial power. This flexibility of storage and use makes this a very desirable source of energy. However, the creating of fuel cells of pure hydrogen is very expensive as well as dangerous.
The two most realistic and functional sources of renewable energy are solar and wind energy. Solar power is a popular up-and-coming source of energy. Mirrors or photovoltaic cells are used to focus the sun’s energy, turning it into heat. The heat is then channeled through a generator to create energy. This energy is clean and sustainable; however, it is not dependable or consistent because it can only work with direct sunlight. The sun does not shine as energy is needed and storage is very difficult so this form of energy is often used in conjunction with another source.
Wind energy is, also, a clean renewable resource supplied entirely by the processes of the earth. The wind turns the blades of set-up turbines; these turbines send the kinetic energy to a turbine, converting it to mechanical energy. Wind energy is a fast-growing resource because it is low-priced and readily available. However, similarly to solar energy, it is inconsistent and there are problems with storage and transportation of the power. Both wind and solar energy take up a lot of space that could be dedicated to other, more efficient, uses.
All of these forms of energy have benefits as well as disadvantages. Although it may seem more convenient to stick with the reliable, unwavering system of fossil fuels, our ecological conscious as well as our concern for future generations must compel us to investigate these alternate sources of energy. The U.S. Department of Energy has proposed programs for developing each of these resources and research continues the problems and disadvantages associated with these plans decrease and the potential for a future of clean power becomes closer to a reality.