It is unofficial - but around the world many of us
agree on one thing: it is very likely that there will be
an energy crisis in the future. We all know energy is a
big issue in the contemporary world, and we have been
convinced that humanity is at a crucial crossroads in
its history because we face an energy shortage. Many
experts believe this problem can only be solved by the
use of alternative energy solutions.
By energy, I mean the fuel that drive our cars,
give us electricity and enables us to enjoy modern
amenities we feel so vulnerable without. Fossil fuels
have been the prime source of energy for human society
since the beginning of the industrial revolution. These
fossil fuels have been the muscles, which have enabled
us to progress and develop to such dizzying heights. We
face a problem in the 21st century because our stocks
and reserves of these fossil fuels are running low; this
news is worsened by the fact that these reserves cannot
be renewed. Many governments and private agencies have
started promoting Alternative Energy Solutions to
overcome the looming energy crisis caused by the
depletion of the non renewal's sources of energy that
all fossil fuels - coal, all oil and natural gas -
represent.
Alternative Energy Solutions include all prime
movers that can use a renewable natural resource to
produce energy. This may be wind, thermal energy from
the earth, and wave action in the shores and solar
energy from the sun. Alternative energy resources can
also include new technology like fuel cells. However the
primary fuel humanity has long depended on has been oil.
We now know from our own projections that the oil
reserves in the world are slated to be unviable by 2050.
Simply put, the world is running out of gas! In
addition, not to mention, time.
The utilization of other forms of energy is
therefore very important. When we speak of alternative
energy, it usually means the production of electricity
via the use of some natural and renewable resource. What
are these renewables, one may ask. Someone else may
extend this line of questioning and say: Are these
renewable resources as efficient as the fossil fuels?
Below are some answers.
Wind energy is the word that comes to mind whenever
people talk of renewable energy sources. Humans have
harnessed the wind to drive machines since medieval
times. In the 21st century we use wind turbines to
produce electricity. As a source of power, wind is an
excellent option. Wind turbines generate electricity by
rotary motion that is caused by the airflow.
Some of the negatives associated with wind energy
and wind turbines lie in the unpredictability of wind.
For example, no wind means the turbine does not rotate
and electricity is not generated. Sites are another
problem; rows and rows of wind turbines are just not
feasible in a city of a few million people. The most
important issue however lies in cost effectiveness, most
power companies are still reluctant to invest in or buy
their power from companies that use wind turbines. This
is changing as governments around the world have started
subsidizing power generation through alternative sources
like wind.
There are other possible sources of renewable
energy; tidal energy uses the energy of the ocean and is
an effective though rather geographically limited source
of power, thermal energy from the earth taps geysers and
other underground sources of heat. This is a very
important source of energy in places like Iceland - it
is also geographically limited in its suitability.
Nuclear energy can be considered a potentially
inexhaustible source of power. However, it could have
many dangerous complications and most environmentalists
fear its use.
New technological innovations like fuel cells are
still a long way off from truly becoming substitutes to
the fossil fuel powered internal combustion engines that
have driven us all this far down the road. Indeed
looking at all the possible sources of alternate energy
and especially renewable, wind and hydroelectric
projects are the only two viable long term sources,
solar power is a potentially huge alternative source of
energy but it has a technological handicap-we do not
posses the engineering expertise to make better solar
cells. Solar cells are also very costly to produce and
are not cost effective - even less so than wind.
Given all the setbacks we currently are unable to
overcome, it will still be some time yet before we can
throw away the polluting but efficient, fossil fuel
guzzling machines that we so fondly know as cars. The
use of alternative energy sources is a very important
area of research and demands humanity's attention.
As soon as fuel supplies run out on us, we may have
to go back to that ultimate transport machine to take us
places: our legs.
Author: Isabel Baldry
At
Disher Courier, we believe in customer interaction at
all stages of the order process, before, during, and
after delivery. Our customers are always kept informed
about the status of their orders either on line, by
email or by phone. That's because we value our
customers' time and know that in this industry time is
everything.
Canada's
first outdoor preschool, The Carp Ridge Forest
Pre-School, was launched this month. The basic idea
underlying the foundation of this school is to help kids
understand the outdoor environment. Outdoor preschools
have existed for many years in several European
countries.