Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Advantages and disadvantages of solar power essay
Benefits of solar energy essay
Alternative source of energy
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Advantages and disadvantages of solar power essay
In order to understand alternative energy sources we must first know what they are. Alternative energy sources can be described as energy that actually won’t pollute as much fossil fuel, in addition to being less harmful to the environment as well as humans, lower in cost, lastly, comes from sources of which we won’t run out of. Alternative energy is not to be confused with renewable energy. Alternative energy is deemed “renewable”, the reason being it comes from energy that is refillable by natural processes upon usage. Examples of alternative energy are nuclear, solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. As you might have guessed the sun is the biggest alternative energy source because the sun is a necessary component in the natural processes. How can alternative energy sources be beneficial for the environment without being costly? “Studies indicate that energy efficiency technologies cost substantially less than building or purchasing new energy supply.” ("The benefits," 2009) In addition, “Energy efficiency also helps minimize the need to build new and expensive power plants.” ("The benefits," 2009) As well as, “Reducing usage lowers operating costs and can help make industry, farms, and merchants more economically competitive. Energy efficiency investments start saving energy immediately and have short paybacks.” ("The benefits," 2009) Alternative energy as you might have guessed is beneficial to the environment. “Solar and wind technologies are emissions-free at the point of use; emissions from biomass are lower than comparable conventional fuels; and energy efficiency, by definition, reduces energy consumption, which results in fewer emissions.” ("The benefits," 2009) Alternative sources can significantly minimize and eve... ... middle of paper ... ...gy.shtm Nuclear energy. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/Disadvantages_NuclearEnergy.php Advantages and disadvantages of solar power. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.technologystudent.com/energy1/solar7.htm Environmental impacts of solar power. (2013, March 05). Retrieved from http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/renewable-energy/environmental-impacts-solar-power.html Distributed solar. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.seia.org/policy/distributed-solar Wind 101: the basics of wind energy. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.awea.org/Resources/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=900 Advantages and disadvantages of wind power. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.technologystudent.com/energy1/wind8.htm Hydro power. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/Disadvantages_HydroPower.php
In contrast, most renewable energy sources produce little to no global warming emissions (“Benefits of Renewable Energy Use”). Coal mining and lumber harvesting would also be reduced by the switch, which in turn would improve the forest and ecosystem surrounding these power plants. Animals will also benefit from the change to clean energy. It is often reported that animals are constantly displaced and injured by the different forms of energy we are currently using. Andrew B. Gill performed a study and wrote a journal article on the conservation of wildlife and their habitats; the results of his study were conclusive that something needs to be done to change the current state of our energy resources.
Alternative energy is the world’s race as of now. As the space race concluded and the nuclear arms race died down, alternative energy became the race of the ages. In today’s society, with today’s technology there are all sorts of forms of alternative energies. These energies include hydro power, geothermal, biomass, nuclear power, and so much more. With all of these variations of alternative energy the question now becomes, which form is the best to use? Are any of them safe? Which ones would effectively solve the world’s depleting energy crisis? Of course, the country that is able to produce clean efficient energy; that country would become the new world power virtually overnight. With today’s technology, should we resort to food/corn as our primary source of energy?
With every passing day our planet is slowly becoming contaminated by the fuels we use and the green house gases they emit. This damage can never be reversed and will continue to harm our planet; however there are many systems of alternative energy that could be implemented in order to reduce this damage. This is why I believe that our government should endorse alternative energy and set regulations in order to promote the use of alternative energy.
Solar energy’s largest substitutes are nuclear power and fossil fuels - coal, oil and natural gas. Even though these are not renewable energy sources they are considered substitutes for electricity production.
In addition to the fact that solar, wind, and hydro power are local resources, they are also emission free resources. Emissions and pollution are a key concern with traditional power sources. The coal-fired plants that dominate U.S. energy production also produce more emissions than any other energy source. “Em...
Alternative energy sources are renewable, and are most commonly referred to as free energy sources. There are many alternative energy sources such as hydro power, solar power, wind, biomass, and geothermal. Using alternative sources is more expensive in the long run, but it is the much safer option for our environment compared to fossil fuels. Although everything used is completely free, such as water and wind, the equipment used to generate these things is expensive. There are several pros and cons that come with the utilization of alternative energy sources.
ways. The use of electricity will reduces the usage of the earth’s resources such as gas and oil.
The United States currently relies heavily on coal, oil, and natural gas for its energy. While the price of natural gas per barrel continues to plummet, the United States is constantly seeking new sources of renewable energy. Renewable energy consists of any type of natural resource (solar power, ocean power, wind power, rain, snow, etc.). that naturally and automatically replenishes itself. Renewable energy is important because it is infinite and everlasting, meaning our children and our children’s children will be able to utilize these resources long after we are gone.
Fossil fuels are an important part of life. When you turn on the lights, watch TV, or take a shower, the electricity that you are using is being generated by fossil fuels. The three types of fossil fuels are coal, crude oil, and natural gas. They all take millions of years to form, so they are considered to be “non-renewable”- eventually, the fossil fuels will all be used up. One dangerous biological effect of using fossil fuels is ocean acidification. Extracting and transporting fossil fuels can also be very dangerous. Environmentally damaging accidents such as groundwater contamination, land subsidence, and oil spills occur frequently. Global warming is another possible environmental effect. Fossil fuels have a crucial role in modern society, but since they are non-renewable and dangerous, we should reduce our dependence on them and explore alternative energy sources. Wind energy, hydroelectricity, and solar energy are some examples of renewable fuel sources. There are also many things that people can do everyday to save energy (and, in turn, conserve fossil fuels).
Energy can be put into two broad categories Renewable energy and none renewable energy. Renewable energy sources can be reused continually as they are abundantly found in nature. All of them are non-polluting but devices used to collect the energy may impact the environment adversely. They are free but producing storage equipment or converting them into another form of energy may be costly.
In the search for alternatives to fossil fuels, scientists and policy makers have focused on three options: nuclear power, energy from biomass; and a combination of wind, water, and solar power. Nuclear power, however, is much more costly and runs the risk of having it fall into the wrong hands where it could be turned into a weapon of mass destruction. The third option entails wind turbines, photovoltaic power plants and rooftop systems, concentrated solar thermal power plants,...
There are different kinds of resources that we can use in order to produce renewable energy. Solar power, wind power, hydroelectric power are just some of the kinds of renewable energy that might be the best options to obtain energy because they come from natural resources. Although renewable energy can be expensive to build, it has less environmental damage in comparison to non-renewable energy. Besides the natural resources such as sun, wind, water and hydrogen, we also have geothermal power, and biofuels as renewable sources.
In chapter thirteen of our book, Environment by Raven and Berg, it shows us just how important renewable energy sources are. Currently the United States of America thrives on the use of fossil fuels and nuclear power. The main problems with these types of fuel are that they are both limited and can be extremely harmful to our environment. They cause global warming, air pollution, acid rain, and oil spills (Environment), and not only that, but in the grand scheme of things, these sources really aren’t even that cheap of a fuel source. There are many alternatives to these all but outdated fuel sources.
With the depletion of fossil fuel resources comes speculations and debates about alternative energy sources. The world, including the Philippines, is practically dependent on a dwindling non-renewable source of energy. Today, experts are debating about and considering three options: Nuclear, Solar, or Wind Energy. Everyone has been accustomed to the bad image of nuclear energy as a result of the Chernobyl and Fukushima incidents above all others. The popular belief is that radiation from a nuclear meltdown is very harmful to humans and other living things—which is true—and that nuclear power plants are very dangerous and not ideal—which is not. According to Smith, et. al (n.d), all the nuclear disasters that ever occurred were caused by human error and natural disasters like tsunamis, not one because of system failure. Putting the false beliefs aside, with proper engineering and adequate maintenance by experts, a nuclear power plant is a very ideal and viable source of energy for the following reasons:
The world that we live into today affords us the expectation that the flip a switch will turn the lights on. As populations increase and developing nations undergo dramatic economic growth, this energy demand will only continue to grow. The International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that “the world’s energy needs could be 50% higher in 2030 than they are today” (ElBaradei). Given this projected growth, it is necessary for world leaders must take action to secure the energy supply. Meaning that world leaders need to start seriously considering an alternative to non-renewable energy sources. “In 2012, the United States generated about 4,054 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. About 68% of the electricity generated was from fossil fuel (coal, natural gas, and petroleum), with 37% attributed from coal” (U.S. Energy Information Administration). The fossil fuels that are used to supply over half of our country’s energy are in finite supply and are increasing in price to astronomical heights.