The sun is the source of all life on Earth. In just one hour the sunlight hitting the earth’s surface provides enough energy to power the global economy for a full year (Brown, 2015). The sun will continue to burn for billions of years, making it an unquestionably reliable source for renewable energy. Modern-day photovoltaic (PV) solar cells rely on the photoelectric effect, a phenomenon where light is used to free electrons from a solid surface - usually silicon - to create electricity. PV panels are typically installed on homes and buildings, or in ground arrangements, sometimes called solar farms.
Today, many people are talking about energy production and all the new and old ways to go about it. There are many different modes of energy production that is available or is becoming available to us in the future. The constant debate about what energy production is best for the environment and which is not. In my essay, I will be describing the advantages and disadvantages of coal, oil, and Solar energy.
As we go throughout life, we use various kinds of energy sources for our needs. Whether it be from solar energy to wind energy, there is a multitude of sources that allow us to do the things we do each and every day. Throughout the world, however, coal and nuclear power have risen to the
Nowadays, coal is still one of the greatest used energy to generate power in so many countries. Using coal in electricity generation is 93% in South African, 87% in Poland, 79% in China, 78% in Australia, 45% in USA, 41% in Germany, 58% in Israel etc. (Coal & Electricity) From the data above, even the developed countries use coal to generate power as the main source. In many developed countries, energy generation is still based on coal as a long-term source. In recent years, although there is an increasing number of equipment using gas and wind to generate the power, it is still lower than the proportion of coal-fired power generation. The reason why most countries choose coal as a main source to generate electricity, is that there are many advantages in using coal to generate electricity. First of all, coal is the
Coal mines are not as harmful as uranium mines at the same time coal mines are not ineffective. Bad coal mining practices can result in ignition of coal fires, which can burn for a long periods as well as releasing fly ash and smoke laden with greenhouse gasses and toxic chemicals. Furthermore coal mining releases methane gas, methane is a greenhouse gas 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, which increases global worming (Mining impacts,
Coal power is the cheapest fuel to power the ever growing population with Australian mining industry still putting in billions of dollars into a vast amount of coal projects never the less coal power is a fossil fuel, a fuel which takes hundreds of year to form so the future of coal is undetermined. Coal is a reliable power source but one of the many concern with coal is the mining process used to remove it from the ground. Ecological effects are developing worries for the industry, with the carbon emissions possibly contributing to global warming.
Coal’s reputation has become as black as coal itself, but without it the quality of life that hundreds of millions of people enjoy today would not be possible. Coal has been used in many ways throughout history and it will continue to be a vital resource in supplying the energy needed to fuel an energy hungry world. Research cited throughout this paper suggests that coal is an energy source for the future because it is stable and reliable with abundant reserves, it is the most affordable and efficient fuel source used to produce power, and because of new clean coal technologies, coal can be burned with minimal to no damage to the environment.
Solar energy may define as the energy received by the earth from the sun. This solar energy is in the form of solar radiation. With the help of solar cells, solar radiation can convert into electricity. Sun is a highly powerful energy source, humans and natures are directly depending on the sun. For example in hydro-electricity the solar energy needed for the evaporation of water after that it returns to earth as rain and provides water in dams. In biomass, the solar energy used that process. Solar cells directly converted solar radiation into electricity, during the process time there is no noise or pollution are there. These cells made with some semiconducting materials. If use solar cells in our home it will help to reduce the greenhouse gas emission, minimise the percentage of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere and mainly reduce the necessity of fossil fuels and natural gas use to produce electricity. According to the Ben Sorensen, solar energy is one of a good source of substitute energy, for the reason that it is renewable, economical and does not pollute our environment. Thus, this essay will be divided into three parts. Firstly, we will talk about fossil fuels and its demerits. Secondly, we will look at the issues and implications of solar energy. Finally, we will focus on the advantageous and disadvantageous of solar energy respectively.
As far back as the Roman Empire, and indeed probably long before then, coal has been used by humans as a source of heat, providing many advantages over wood, charcoal and other fuels. However, it wasn 't until the introduction of the steam engine that coal became a major part of shaping the world. Fueling the industrial revolution, the high energy concentration of coal made it the standard source of everything from trains to power plants. Coal companies claim that coal, though not perfect, is the best source of energy at this moment, and the negative effects are being mitigated even as we speak. Consumers have a high demand of energy, that cannot be sated by other sources. To this very day, coal continues to drive forward the world, but
With that being said here are some environmental impacts of coal you may not know about. The air pollutants cause acid rain, smog ,respiratory illnesses, cancers and toxins in the environment. Coal miners can get respiratory illnesses from the coal dust while mining. If an abandoned coal mine catches fire it puts tons of mercury into the atmosphere, this happens every year and is responsible for three percent of carbon dioxide emissions globally. The second largest contributor to
Coal is not the most abundant fossil fuel, and should not be used in the future. There are three main reasons for this, the first being that the amount of coal in the world is very close to gone. Every year, humans consume 11 billion tons of coal a year, scientists predict that the coal supply will be gone in the next 50 years (Ecotricity, 2017). Another being that coal not being a major source of energy, it is a dirty and hazardous organic matter. Coal can cause black lung disease for the miners who are harvesting the coal (Chiras, 2016). The last major reason is that burning coal is a major source of pollution for the atmosphere. The impact that coal has on the environment is detrimental. When coal is being mined it is mined by using a technique
The coal industry is a market that over the years has decreased in size. “Cheaper natural gas and tougher environmental regulations” as told by The New York Times, has depleted the need for coal companies and made it extremely hard for them accomplish the necessary tasks needed to get coal. The problem with coal is the amount of damage it does to the environment. Coal is a very dirty job that does a lot of damage to the environment and costs millions to cleanup. Recently, many coal companies have gone bankrupt from from having to meet regulations and clean up their mines. A recent uproar has come about over Alpha Natural Resources. “Once a high-flying coal company that borrowed millions” now is in extreme debt and is closing down many of its
Most countries focus on surface mining because it allows for easy access to coal and it is more cost effective. It is providing cheap energy for countries like China, India, and other growing economies, especially third world nations. This will access to cheap fuel is a strong catalysts for these countries to emerge as first world nations (U.S Department of Energy 1). Even the UN who is working to decrease the global emissions of the planet is still open to allowing third world countries to take the opportunity to use coal and other fossil fuels. Since there are so many emerging and 3rd world countries, the likelihood is that coal may decrease in some areas, but have new markets to enter and be used in. Even with renewables, solar and wind, hitting record lows in expenses is still no match for coal plants in the long run. Especially since there is a strong need for coal to continue as the base load in these emerging economies. Due to this momentum, we see a strong movement in the coal industry as it continues to progress.
The world depends immensely on coal let go for power but for other sorts. It's additionally dependable and copious. That is the thing that makes it troublesome for renewable alternatives, for example, wind and sun oriented, to contend in simply money related term. (Originenergy.com.au)
In order for one to further understand the importance of solar energy, the problem of global warming must be explained. As defined by Webster’s Dictionary, “Global Warming” is an increase in the earth’s average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate and that may result from the greenhouse effect. With an average increase in atmospheric temperatures, our planet is slowly deteriorating. In order to stall or halt this global destruction, countries must turn to solar energy as a cleaner alternative to the depletion of fossil fuels. Solar energy creates a homeostasis for the climate. Due to its ability to decrease global climate changes, solar power can address global warming in several ways.