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renewable sources of energy essay
renewable sources of energy essay
renewable sources of energy essay
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After the Industrial Revolution with the massive human activity the demand for energy; that is the ability to do work or in other words move the machinery, become intense. Driven by the profit, and with little or no knowledge about the damage caused by the combustion of the fossil fuels the humans started to use massively this nonrenewable source of energy, mainly the coal. Nowadays we are suffering from climatic changes caused by intense burning of fossil fuel, however this scenario can change with the growth of the usage of energy generated by renewable energy resources (McLamb 2011 6).
Renewable energy resources are resources that can be naturally replenished however with a limited flow. This resources are inexhaustible in duration however
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The most important advantage of this separation of reactors is the possibility of applying the "products" of processes in heat engines of internal combustion, such as internal combustion engines and gas turbines, which require liquid or gaseous fuels, and provide higher efficiency in power generation. (REF 10)
The biochemical conversion of biomass is one that uses biochemical processes, including anaerobic digestion, fermentation / distillation and hydrolysis for production of biofuel. The anaerobic digestion is the process of using various organic waste to produces methane (CH4) as fuel gas with no oxygen, and the fermentation / distillation and hydrolysis are used in the production of ethanol.
The physicochemical conversion of biomass is one that utilizes compression techniques and vegetable oil extraction of oilseeds for subsequent chemical modification using esterification. The esterified oils can be used in internal combustion
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United States’ primary source of energy is the fossil fuels (coal, natural gas and petroleum), about 67% of all the US electricity comes from it, the coal is responsible for 33% of the energy generation, Natural gas 33%, Nuclear 20%, Renewable energy 13%, petroleum 1% and other gases 1% (EIA 2015). Renewable energy is just responsible for a little more than 13% of the US energy being 6% hydro, 4.7% wind, 1.6% biomass, 0.6% solar, and 0.4% geothermal according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration
The Industrial Revolution was not only a turning point in the progress of human history, but the start of a great change in the Earth’s environment. Technological advances in industry and mass migration into urban areas led to a rising demand for energy sources, a demand met by fossil fuels. Casper, J. (2010) describes coal as ‘symbolic of the beginning of the Industrial Revolution’, the increased combustion of these ‘dirty’ fossil fuels further polluted the air and enhanced the volume of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Changes in land use attributed to population rise, reduced the amount of photosynthesising biomass on Earth, diminished an important ‘carbon sink’ and concluded to enhance the Greenhouse Effect.
The major sources of energy in the US from highest percentage to lowest percentage are oil, coal, natural gas, nuclear fuels, renewable energy
From the home to factories, families and industries are reliant on the use of nonrenewable fossil fuels to feed the needs of the everyday human. Fossil fuels are the main source of energy over clean, renewable sources such as the use of wind, solar energy, and water to power our homes, schools, and industries. In fact, about 85% of energy use comes from fossils fuels. The main reason being that using fossil fuels is cheaper than wind and solar energy. “For nearly two centuries, fossil fuels have been the cheapest source of energy” and widely abundant (Marburger, A global framework: international aspects of climate change). However, overtime fossil fuels will disappear due to the lack of time to replenish itself with the human races rapid use of it. Despite its current status of availability, there are many controversial issue in using fossil fuels; the most prominent issue being that it is the cause of rapid climate
The world is dependent on fossil fuels as the prime source of power to meet our energy demands. What are fossil fuels? “Fossil fuels come in three major forms-coal, oil, and natural gas. Because fossil fuels are a finite resource and cannot be replenished once they are extracted and burned, they are not considered renewable.” - (United States Environmental Protection Agency) When the supply of fossil fuels is completely exhausted, what will we rely on to meet our energy needs? An alternative option available that should be implemented more in our use is renewable energy, energy that can be replenished, such as solar, wind, and hydropower. - (United States Environmental Protection Agency) Even though the dependency on fossil fuels is tremendous,
...ch is used to replace natural gas. He also stated that, among the equipment used to burn the biofuel, the suspension burner have the ability to exceed 99% efficiency and whole-tree burner can reduce the cost of harvesting and handling woody fuels by about 35% (Brown, 2003). Moreover, the usage of bio-energy in long term is to provide a degree of ecological balance and climate change, avoid acid rain, reduce soil erosion and minimize water pollution (Gevorkian, 2007). Therefore, biomass is environmental friendly like solar energy. Based on the research that has been carried out regarding the synthesis of gas from biomass, the gas gasifies in the internal combustion engine. The relative energy density of synthesis gas is higher than the fossil fuel under certain conditions. In addition, the relative flame speed of synthesis gas can reduce the time for spark ignition.
Fossil fuels are known as non-renewable resources; the amount in the Earth is limited. On the other hand, renewable sources of energy, like solar and wind, are those that will not be depleted despite their continued use. However, solar energy is difficult to harness and wind energy is not very efficient. The clear choice of renewable energy is water. The Earth has plenty of water to use for power. After all, it is because of its great quantity of water that Earth is nicknamed the “blue planet.” Hydropower is entirely renewable because it is driven by the natural Water Cycle. Lakes and rivers that are used for hydropower will not simply run out because they are constantly being refilled by rainwater. In addition to being renewable, hydropower is superior to other energy sources because it is completely clean of carbon emissions. Once fully functional, dams power themselves and give off no excess gases. Power plants burn coal and pour unthinkable amounts of greenhouse gases into air. Hydroelectric power is a clean, renewable source of
Biomass gasification is a process by which biofuel is produced. It has been used for over 180 years but in the last decades it has been reconsidered as an interesting technique due to the fact that oil supplies are decreasing. As mentioned before, gasification is a thermal process. Heat is added up in order to convert the organic mass to biofuel. The biomass usually undergoes drying, pyrolysis, partial oxidation and reduction. Nowadays the configurations used for gasification are three: fixed bed gasifier, fluidized bed gasifier and entrained bed gasifiers. The simplest configuration is the
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.
According to Conserve Energy Future, biomass is energy contained within plants and animals. This includes organic matter from plants, animals, and other waste products from organic sources. The process of photosynthesis begins with the chlorophyll found in plants that absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as well as the water from the ground. This energy is then transferred to the animals once the plant is eaten by them. Biomass is considered to be a renewable source of energy because carbon dioxide and water contained inside plants and animals are released back into the atmosphere once they are burned. Large quantities of biomass are also able to regenerate within the time scale that it is being used. According to UCSUSA, most scientists believe that a wide range of biomass resources are very useful because they will reduce the overall carbon emissions along with many other benefits. The sources of biomass include: crops, manure, trees, along with wastes and residues.
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.
Global warming is an extremely important and troubling aspect of the world’s current situation. This is due to the fact that the majority of the world’s energy production is from non-renewable energy sources, which are energy sources that either can not be naturally replenished or require thousands of years to be restored. Based on our current energy usage growth rates, there are an estimated 100 years left before our natural resource reserves are exhausted. (Non Renewable Natural Resources: How Much Is Left, Environmental Thinker) China alone consumes nearly as much coal as the combined usage of coal from the rest of the world. (US Energy Information Administration, China Consumes Nearly as Much Coal as the Rest of the World Combined) There is visible evidence of this happening with the increasing pollution levels. Carbon Dioxide and Methane pollution levels in the world reached a record high in 2012 and are 260% higher than the pre-industrial levels. (UN: CO2 Pollution Levels at a Record High, John Heilprin) Converting our world into a more renewable energy dependent society is the most advantageous and likely method for preserving our dwindling fossil fuel supply while also protecting the world that we call home.
Fossil fuels are energy that is in the form of coal, oil, or natural gas that comes from organisms from millions of years ago. The cycle to create fossil fuels takes millions of years to form and is therefore considered a nonrenewable resource of energy. Fossil fuels have been the primary source of energy for man ever since the age of machines, but one of “the main problem[s] with fossil fuels is that there is a limited amount of them” (Problem with Fossil Fuel). As countries become more developed, like the United States, they too will become more thirsty and dependent for fossil fuels. “In 2004, America spent approximately $270 billion to fufill its oil need.” and “90% of all transportation is fueled by oil” (Nakaya 10). With the global rate of fossil fuels going up it is inevitable that they are going to run out, forcing countries to choose an alternative energy source. The other huge problem with dependence on fossil fuels is the effect that the emissions have on the climate. Fossil fuels are made of carbon chains and in order for the reaction...
Fuels like coal, and oil that once were a fine innovation in creating energy are now rapidly deleting and one day will be gone forever; energy that won’t last is often referred to as non-renewable energy. Besides being set up to fail and become inefficient in the future, fossil fuel energy is not clean to use and poses several environmental complications. Coal, for instance is “the dirtiest of all fossil fuels. Coal combustion not only produces sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides that contribute to acid rain and snow, it generates millions of tons of particulates that cause asthma and other respiratory diseases.” As with all usage of fossil fuels, it creates enormous amounts of carbon dioxide, which contributes to greenhouse gas. Not only are fossil fuels dirty, they also pose as a security risk and unforgiving on the American wallet. (Saini)
According to Franchi (2005:72) “renewable energy is energy obtained from sources at a rate that is less than or equal to the rate at which the source is...