Breakthrough Breakthroughs : Clean Energy And Its Challenges Essay

Why are fossil fuels not renewable? America uses up more gas than nature can produce, therefore, one day in all probability the U.S. will run out of gas. “People use them faster than nature could make them. One day the world will run out of fossil fuels” (Fossil Fuel Power pg. 24). “Some scientists believe the United States has enough coal to last 250 years. They think the country has enough natural gas to last about 100 years” (Fossil Fuel Power pg. 24). “Scientists expect that earth’s supply of petroleum will be used up within the next 75 years” (Energy Crisis the future of fossil fuels pg. 12). Many people believed and still do believe that one day earth will run out of fossil fuels.

The United States is the largest consumer of nonrenewable resources in the world. In the United States the primary source of energy comes from 3 different resources. These resources are petroleum, natural gas and coal. The three of these resources make up over 90 percent of the energy consumption of nonrenewable resources in the United States. These nonrenewable resources are considered fossil fuels that are not costly when it comes to extracting them from the environment. Fossil fuels are a large contributor to the air pollution than any other resource.

Firstly, and put very simply, fossil fuels are non-renewable! Once the finite deposits of brown and black coal are exhausted around the planet there will be no more energy generated by this process. Current estimates predict that all known coal deposits will be exhausted within the next 120 years.

Non-renewable energy is produced from sources that cannot be replenished for thousands of years once its depleted. In short, it takes thousands of years for non-renewable energy sources to form. They are usually found buried deep inside the earths crust. Fuels like coal, natural gas, crude oil, and nuclear fuels. Coal, natural gas and crude oil are collectively called “Fossil

Geothermal energy is the use of the Earth’s heat as energy, hence geo- (earth) and -thermal (heat). Geothermal energy is generated in the Earth’s core by the decay of highly unstable radioactive particles, which create heat when decayed. Geothermal energy then moves toward the surface through the mantle, mostly near where tectonic plates (the geological divisions of the Earth) meet via convection currents. This energy heats holes in the Earth that are filled with water, which are known as reservoirs. This makes steam, which can be piped up to either district heating systems (to heat houses, businesses, etc.) or geothermal power plants (to make electricity which are sent to houses, businesses, etc.). One place

The existing green energy sources are solar energy, wind energy (harvested using wind turbines), geothermal energy (harvesting energy trapped in the earth), biogas (natural gas beneath the earth surface) and biomass (energy from biological material) apart from the hitherto mentioned hydroelectric source (EPA, 2012).

Technology: Technology is arguably the single most important factor with regards to the development of clean energy. There has been significant strides taken in the realm of renewable energy, particularly in PV solar and wind generator power technology. Many European countries have taken the lead in PV solar technology particularly Germany which has public, government and policy support to enable further developments in PV. Moreover additional “Clean” energy technology is currently in development, one particular example is the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) currently under construction in Southern France, which is shaping to be the world’s first Fusion generator, which will have a similar power source of that of

The power of electricity is available to anyone with a simple click of a button. The methods of obtaining the energy used to develop that electricity are commonly debated topics. One of those methods is using geothermal energy, or the Earth’s naturally produced heat.

The heat of earth provide us the geothermal energy. The heat can exist in the shallow ground, as well as hot water or hot rocks a few miles away from the earth’s surface. To go deeper, there will be extremely hot magma [2]. Usually, volcanic activity and seismic effects can produce geothermal energy [3].

Renewable resources are also known as alternative energy sources. Alternative Energy is any source of energy that can be renewed (Issit). Renewable Energies include hydrogen fuel, biomass fuel, hydropower, solar power, geothermic energy, and nuclear power. Hydrogen fuel is an amalgamation of hydrogen and oxygen which is used to produce electricity (Issit). Biomass fuel is made from materials which have already been used, such as compost, and can be used to generate electricity (Issit). Hydropower can be created through moving water or wind to generate electricity (Issit). Using sunlight to produce electricity is called solar power (Issit). Geothermic energy is energy made by the heat under the earth’s mantle (Issit). Nuclear power is

Geothermal energy is the heat from the Earth. It's clean and sustainable. Resources of geothermal energy range from the shallow ground to hot water and hot rock found a few miles beneath the Earth's surface, and down even deeper to the extremely high temperatures of molten rock called magma. We can also use geothermal energy to make electricity. A geothermal power plant works by tapping into steam or hot water reservoirs underground; the heat is used to drive an electrical generator. Most geothermal plants are located in the western United States, where hot water reservoirs are common. History says that the first use of geothermal energy occurred more than 10,000 years ago in North America by American Paleo- Indians. People used water from hot springs for cooking, bathing and cleaning. The first industrial use of geothermal energy began near Pisa, Italy in late 18th century. Steam coming from natural vents (and from drilled holes) was used to extract boric acid from the hot pools that are now known as the Larderello Fields

According to Cambridge Dictionaries Online, green energy is “energy that can be produced in a way that protects the natural environment, for example by using wind, water, or the sun”. Solar energy is the conversion of the rays from the sun into a useful form of energy, such as heat or electricity. Solar energy when converted to thermal/heat energy can be used to both heat water and heat spaces in buildings and homes. Wind energy is another example of green energy. Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a form of energy by means of wind turbines and windmills. Hydroelectricity refers to using hydro power, the power that comes from the energy of either falling or running water, to produce electricity. This is the most widely used form of green or renewable energy. Another example, geothermal energy, is a form of thermal energy that is generated in the earth. Hot springs are an example geothermal energy that has been used for bathing, space heating, and the generation of electricity. Ocean thermal energy uses the temperature difference between the warmer surface ocean water and cooler deep water to produce electricity.

as well as meat from other animals. In engineering, energy is what powers machinery, automobiles, and equipment. Engineers have developed many successful operations to harnessing and manipulating energy. Fossil fuels, nuclear, hydro, solar, and wind power are commonly used processes that extract useable energy from the earth. These processes utilize refineries for fuel, nuclear reactions between atoms, hydroelectric power stations, solar panels, and wind turbines to convert energy from the earth to useable potential energy. This in turn powers the machinery used to harvest food, build structures, and travel from point A to point B. The concept of energy was in full effect for millions of years; however, it took many skilled scientists to actually conceptualize it.

We can obtain energy in a useful form by a system called Energy Harnessing Network. In this complicated system we extract raw energy in the form of heat energy, light energy, solar energy etc and then transformed it into fuel for example coal, natural gas, petroleum and electrical energy then stored it and use when needed. The engineers did a lot of work on it and successfully did what was think impossible in the earlier time. They harnessed energy in many different forms such as hydropower, solar power, wind mills and nuclear power etc.

Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons, primarily coal, fuel oil or natural gas created from the decade of dead plants and animals. Fossil fuels are formed through the natural process. So they are considered as un-renewable resources because the formation of fossil fuels may take millions of years and the feasible reserves are being run-down much faster than new ones are being made. The use of fossil fuel was started in the industrial revolution with the invention of the steam engine. All fired power stations like nuclear, coal, gas and oil are still working on the same principle of the steam engine. Still, fossil fuels are controlling to change the structure of our global economy. After the invention of the steam engine by James Watt (1769) brought widely increased the energy efficiency. After this invention, the use of fossil fuels is increased rapidly. This helps to give a