Different Ways Of Spend Energy With $ 200 Billion Dollars

1 What is coal? Coal is a substance we consider today a fossil fuel, created from all the dead plants millions of years ago. Coal is formed from prehistoric plants that when they die are not able to release the energy they built up from photosynthesis Typically the plants had fallen into large swamps and bogs, and then over time the dead plants lying on the bottom of the swamps and bogs were slowly covered with other dead plants and sediment build-up. Once buried the plants were subjected to high amounts of pressure and temperatures, which over long periods of time it becomes peat then eventually creates coal. We refer to coal as a “fossil fuel” today because it is created from prehistoric plants and the coal we have today has been millions of years since it was in plant form. Today we coal is still being created we just don’t fully recognize it because how long the process actually takes.

From the moment we wake up in the morning until the time we go to bed each night, we all use different forms of energy to perform our daily activities. On a daily basis I use energy for transportation to commute to and from work and run errands; for cooking meals using either my gas range, microwave or charcoal grill; for heating my home in the winter and cooling my home in the summer; for daily showering, and for lighting my home in order to be comfortable and productive. Most of the resources we rely on for energy are nonrenewable and will soon be depleted.

The U.S obtains more than 84% of its energy from fossil fuels including oil, coal and natural gas. This is because people rely on it to heat their homes, power industries, run vehicles, manufacturing, and provision of electricity. It is apparent that the country’s transportation industry highly depends on conventional petroleum oil, which is responsible for global warming, thus threatening economic opulence and national security. Apart from that, increasing consumption of fossil fuels have elevated health problems in the state, destroyed wild places, and polluted the environment. After conducting Environmental Impact Assessment, projections showed that the world energy consumption would increase by more than 56% between 2010 and 2040. However, fossil fuels will cater for more than 80% of the total energy used in 2040. Sadly, it will be a trajectory to alter the world’s climate, as well as, weaken the global security environment. Importantly, the rate at which the US relies on fossil fuels needs to reduce since it has adverse effects on the planet’s supplies. The society needs to realize that fossil fuels are nonrenewable, thus taking millions of years to form (Huebner, 2003). Notably, the country can reduce dependency on fossil fuels by practicing energy conservation and efficiency,

Natural gases are the most important source of energy in the modern world of technology and electricity production, which makes the skyrocketing gas production in the U.S. due to hydraulic fracturing incredibly valuable in terms of global trade and economy. The United States has always been reliant on the Middle East and other European and Asian countries for energy, but is very quickly becoming energy independent. "By 2020, the Energy Information Administration predicts that the USA will become a net exporter of natural gas", reaching energy independence from other countries and starting to export gas to provide revenue and pay off debts (Hassett and Mathur). Even

Everything you do requires energy. Even now to type this report also I require energy. So to do work energy we require energy. How this energy obtained? Water, Food, Shelter, and Clothing are few basic necessities of life. And to supply it to all the people of the country, we need transport .Obviously everything can’t be produced wherever you are. You need to buy it from wherever it is present or produced. Now transportation can be simply done you need some energy resources to do it .Where do we get this resources?

Energy can be divided into different parts of our everyday life's ( Home, transportation, industry …)

Coal, crude oil, and natural gas are all considered fossil fuels because they were formed from the buried remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago.

In order to satisfy the electrical demand required by the Continental United States, it resources electricity from three different grids: the Eastern Interconnection, the Western Connection, and the Texas Interconnection or better known today as the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) (Galbraith). With this in mind, Texas is the “only” state that has its own power grid; hence, giving Texas the ability of self-sustainment by producing electricity for itself, and not relying on the necessity of importing electricity as the other 47 states would be required (Galbraith). Moreover, ERCOT’s exclusion to regulations imposed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission are due to an affirmation as to not sell power to interstate consumers (Koerner). Second to Texas, the state of California uses 44% less electricity than Texas, which is the leading consumer in the Continental United States. Under those circumstances, ERCOT continues to provide electricity cheaper per kilowatt than the national average (Koerner). The vast majority of electricity used in Texas is due to the oil refineries, natural gas production, and petrochemical plants: which brings me to my next point, natural

David Nye is of the opinion that even if a new energy system is developed in the USA the process of conversion would be gradual and this can be seen in the evolution of the structure as well as the composition of the energy systems in the USA over time. The history energy of America can be traced in six energy systems from muscle power to “an eclectic bricolage of many technologies and conservation measures, coordinated by computer technologies” (Nye, 253). The first one took place during the pre-Columbian period where the prime mover was the muscle power and stayed relevant until 1920. New sources of energy were introduced by the European colonialists that included water, the wind as well as domestic animals.

Electrical power: When observing my electric bill, electrical power addresses the equivalency between 1,000 watts = 1 kilowatt. From my electric bill, my household consumes 374 kilowatts. I think that is considered decent, regarding we have four individuals living in one home. In addition, regarding the discussion on kilowatts, I learned that a 100-Watt bulb burning for at least 10 hours uses 1 kilowatt-hour.

When it comes to vast amounts of energy sources, natural gas in America is not something most people believe is plentiful. As resources are used up it then becomes time to look for a new supply elsewhere. America has always been dependent on foreign trade, including fuels, which in turn leaves us vulnerable to steep prices.

What do we know about our energy sources and how our energy choices affect the environment? Many people still do not put much though into this topic or pay any attention to the amount of energy they use or where it comes from. For some it is just willful negligence, but for many others it may be due to a lack of knowledge on the subject. Perhaps it is a good idea to pay closer attention and educate ourselves so we can make informed decisions that may lead to less stress on our wallets and on our environment. In order to make a change, we should observe our currently used energy sources in everyday life, the impact of increasing energy uses, and observe all of the alternative options available to us.

The Industrial Revolution sparked a need for large sources of energy. Human and animal labor could not provide the power necessary to power industrial machinery, railroads, and ships. The steam engine and later the internal combustion engine provided the bulk of the energy required by the industrial age. Today most nations are still heavily reliant on energy that comes from combustion. Usually coal, petrolium, and natural gas are used. Some hydroelectric, wind power, and nuclear fission sources are used, but in the US they accounted for less than 20% of the total energy consumption in 1997 (1). Many experts are worried that natural resources such as coal and petrolium are being depleted faster than they are being replenished, which could

Figure above shows the percentage of electric energy in the U.S. Over 50% of the energy is from coal. This year nuclear energy use was increasing; however, it creates radioactive. Natural gas will pollute the air and caused global warming. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, wind is the fastest growing energy resource. It increased by 46.6 percent by 2005.

By the late 1800s, the world’s first coal powered electric generator was made, the world’s first electric light was used, and the world’s first hydroelectric plant was utilized. A few years later a new type of fuel was becoming well-known, petroleum. Initially it had been an inconvenience for polluting water but by the end of the century oil, turned into gasoline, powered up engines. With the spread of economical gas cars and electricity, society’s energy use rapidly increased. Power plants became massive and power lines stretched out from hundreds of miles between cities, even during The Great Depression. After World War II, the use of energy was quickly doubling every 10 years and it concerned no one.