If we say that alternative energy comprises everything that is not based on fossil fuel consumption, the number of optional resources is impressive. This chapter will provide an overview only of the ones in use or development now, with each being further explored in subsequent chapters. There are, no doubt, alternative energy sources not included here, either because they are not yet at anything beyond a theoretical stage or simply because no one has thought of them yet.
Solar
|
|
More and more scientists today agree that global warming is a serious issue and that the cause of global warming is carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. Politicians, too, are being swayed as they see increases in property damaged, injuries, and even deaths due to natural catastrophes which appear to have gotten worse in recent decades. Because fossil fuels appear to be the source of worldwide atmospheric change, people have began to look to other methods of producing energy. In addition to causing atmospheric change, there’s the reality that we will run out of fossil fuels. The world’s economy is based on fossil fuels but they are a finite resource. Eventually we will run out of them. Fossil fuels are not a sustainable resource. Two methods of producing energy which have little impact on the environment and are sustainable are solar and wind power.
First, we’ll take a look at solar power. Solar power is, of course, power derived from the energy of the sun’s rays. The limitation with this energy source is the sun itself. The sun will never run out, except at night. Solar power sources have been designed to compensate for the downtime of night or cloudy days, but solar power works best in sunny climates. Solar power is generally used in one of three ways: to generate heat, to generate electricity, and to desalinate salt water. Solar powered heating systems are usually either active or passive in design. An active solar heating system uses pumps to circulate water which has been heated by the sun. Passive solar heating systems use the nature of water to create circulation. This method relies on the fact that heat energy wants to move into areas of lesser heat. In generating electricity, solar power is harnessed by photovoltaic cells which convert the suns energy into electricity. These cells have been widely used to power calculators for decades. In solar desalination, the power of the sun is used to evaporate water to separate it from the salt and other undesirable minerals.
Australia is a vast land, the bulk of our population, largely hugs the coastlines and major cities. Millions of square kilolmetres of uninhabited land, sprawls silently, from coast to coast. But this land is a sleeping giant. Beneath the surface of our deserts is a resource for renewable, clean energy, that has only recently been tapped and tested by a private company, “Geodynamics”, who have developed a very simple technology to tap the “Hot Rocks” that seethe deep below the surface. Australia is a very ancient land mass, but hidden in its depths, the deep, heated by pressure, rock layers, offer a brilliant free and clean solution to a renewable energy resource. Geodynamics has drilled into these layers of hot rocks and experimented with pouring water into them. The water seeps into the natural cracks and crevices, is heated by the surrounding rocks and the steam is released to the surface via the drilled channels. The pressure of the steam released by large enough “chimneys” could be enough to soar thousands of metres into the sky. That is AWESOME power!The steam is piped to a nearby plant and drives turbines, thus creating electricity. The vapour and water is returned and recycled back into the rocks, thus creating a completely closed, clean, nonpolluting, continuously self- generated system.
Sounds simple and it is. The problem with it is, it’s remoteness from the mass of the population and one of the reasons why the Government is balking at the idea of funding this technology. This seems insane, considering the billions it pours into our fossil fuel, coal, uranium resources, Greenhouse Gas Emitting energy sources.
Why is alternative energy good for our environment? Alternative energy is classified as a clean energy that produces little to none of the hazardous emissions that come from other energy sources like burning coal or wood.
One of the most commonly asked questions from someone just learning about alternative energy benefits would be, “Why is alternative energy good for us?” The answer is simple, alternative energy may be the only way to produce energy in the future. Fossil Fuels such as coal or natural gas are limited to what is already available. How much we can mine out from deep within the Earth plays a big factor in how long we will be able to use these fossil fuels. Generations to come may need to use alternative energy if all of the fossil fuels are gone.
Did you know that people who lead strategically resemble
fine-tuned machines? By focusing on their strategies,
leaders see a bigger picture, they understand the reasons
why and recognize the worthiness of elusive opportunities.
Effective leaders make strategic use of and add value to
every challenge in four important ways:
What are fossil fuels?
Essentially there are three fossil fuel sources available to the world but each of them are dwindling. The most abundant is coal; coal is widely used and inexpensively extracted. As such, we have come to rely exceptionally heavily on coal and while there is still quite a large amount of coal left it is estimated that America’s remaining coal will sustain the country for the next 200 too 300 years but it is by no means a perfectly clean form of power.
The biggest problem is that coal is made up of carbon, like living beings, and the burning it needs to go through in the production of energy forms carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxides traps the earth’s heat and is a major contributing factor that scientists believe to be causing global warming. On a more positive note, though, scientists have created a more effective method to burn coal that traps 99% of the impurities and harmful gases that are emitted.
One of the cleanest technologies that we could benefit from using in our vehicles is water in the form of a water fuel cell. With the rising costs of gasoline and other energy today it seems intelligent to look into alternative energy sources to power our homes and fuel our cars. There are lots of different types of alternative fuels that can be used in cars. Everything from chicken poop to vegetable oil can be used to fuel a combustion engine, albeit with some adaptations.
Water you say? As unbelievable as it sounds you can actually run your car on water. Without getting too deep into the how and they why and the detailed logistics I’ll explain. Water is made up of two hydrogen molecules and one oxygen molecule. Using hydrolysis we can separate water into it’s to components, in a gas form. This can then be used in a combustion engine to fuel your vehicle, with the byproduct being water vapor instead of greenhouse gases and other deadly byproducts. So you would be taking water, making fuel for your car, and releasing water vapor back into the atmosphere. A hydrogen fuel cell can make all this possible and is a great alternative energy source.
A hybrid solar wind turbine generator is a reliable alternative energy source. It uses solar energy combined with wind energy to create a stand-alone energy source that is both dependable and consistent. Solar power and wind power are the two most available sources of power on the planet. Both are renewable energy sources that are plentiful all year round in all areas.
While solar power or wind power alone can fluctuate, when used together they provide a reliable source of energy. In many areas when the sun is strongest the wind speed is low and when the wind speed is highest the sun is often the weakest as in winter. The perfect solution is to combine these two forms of energy sources to create a constant energy flow. This hybrid system balances out the fluctuations in power to give a more even flow.
