Renewable Energy A Necessary Way of Life for Our Survival Essays

Renewable Energy: A Necessary Way of Life for Our Survival With the rising population the need for energy increases. The use of non-renewable fossil fuel is causing a negative impact on the Earth?s o-zone and climate. Imagine a life without the convenience of a computer, television, microwave or car. Imagine a planet so polluted that smog in the air is so bad that one cannot see very far, lakes and rivers are contaminated, and land irreversibly damaged from people trying to find more energy sources. One day this may be a reality if we do not do something to change how we use our energy resources. If we continue to use up our non-renewable resources, there will be nothing left for future generations. We must also have concern not only about the environmental effects but also the health effects associated with coal-fired power plants, coal mining, and the combustion of natural gas, such as heart ailments, respiratory disease, and lung cancer. We must look to renewable energy sources provide a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable alternative to coal and natural gas. Today?s society is too dependent on fossil fuels and, if they continue on this path, society will be in great danger. Therefore, we need to encourage and invest into renewable resources. ?The Rise of Renewable Energy? by Daniel Kammen, discusses the current renewable energy usage and the untapped potential in renewable energy. Fossil fuels are non-renewable resources because they take millions of years to form, and are being depleted much faster than new ones are being made. Fossil fuels include coal, petroleum, and natural gas which all contain high percentages of carbon. Fossil fuels are burned in order to fabricate energy and emit carbon dioxide as a byproduct. According to the US Department of Energy, natural processes can only absorb about half of the estimated 21 billion tons of fossil fuels that are burned each year. Some examples of renewable energy alternatives Kamman gives us are: solar cells (or photovoltaics), wind power, and biofuels. Each of these alternatives are currently in use around the world but is not being utilized to their full potential. ?Sunlight could potentially supply 5,000 times as much energy as the world currently consumes? (Kamman 75), but we are currently using only a fraction of that. Solar cells use the sunlight to generate electricity, and because their versatile size they can be used just about anywhere ?on the roof or walls of homes and office buildings, in vast arrays in the desert, even sewn into clothing? (Kamman 76). Worldwide photovoltaic installations increased by 7.3 GW in 2009, up from 6,080 MW installed during the previous year. In 1985, annual solar installation demand was only 21 MW. Wind power, is a renewable energy source that is generated by wind turbines. Wind power is increasing in the United States but is not increasing as aggressively as in Europe where wind power is being greatly utilized. The US Department of Energy published a report in 2008 outlining a plan to generate 20% of the nation?s energy demand using wind power by 2030. Wind energy has become very popular because it can be produced anywhere in the world where the wind blows with a strong and consistent force. Windier locations produce more energy, which lowers the cost of producing electricity. Most regions of the United States have very good wind resources, with a majority of usable wind resources in the western plains. Most wind turbines can be used as stand-alone applications such as generating electricity for homeowners or farmers, charging batteries, and pumping water. They can also be built close together forming a wind farm and connected to a utility power grid to supply a number of people. Another source of renewable energy is biofuel. A common biofuel used in the United States is ethanol, which is made from refined corn and gasoline; this emits some carbo n dioxide but not as much as standard gasoline. Some other biofuels are cellulosic ethanol and green diesel, both of which are cleaner than corn-based ethanol because they do not emit as much carbon dioxide. With the amount of cars on the road and the popularity of SUV?s, the amount of gasoline consumption for the