EARTH: THE OPERATORS MANUAL
The climate is changing, the earth is warming and the reason this is so is analyzed by Richard Alley in his study of the relationship between climate change and energy. The questions he answers in his documentary was how much energy we consume as humans, what amount of this energy do we derive from fossil fuels, what countries are putting in place to conserve some of the energy and some other new practices we can adopt to save our planet. Fossil fuel as the number one producer of energy in todays world; 80% of the energy we use today is derived from plants which died over hundreds of thousand years ago. Even with this 80%, some people are still left without power and they use other sources to get light to see
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With todays advancement in science and technology, the excess of the suns energy can even be stored for those days of no sunlight and dense clouds which don’t mostly happen in this desert part.
Dams are also an alternative to minimize energy loss; although some countries don’t use that because of flooding landscapes, disrupting the eco system and displacing people but in a country like Brazil, dams give 80% of the people electricity. Hydropower can contribute to 12% of human energy use.
Plants such as sugarcane can also absorb a lot of sunlight. Sugarcane can be used as biofuel because ethanol can be produced but the usage of this biofuel in countries like Brazil does not affect the price of Agriculture. The United States also produces ethanol from corn but ethanol from sugarcane is more effective for replacing fossil fuel than what is produced by corn. In some plantations, farmers use the dry waste from sugarcane to power and fuel their machines and electronics on the farm and the rest of the waste to fertilize the other crops on the farm which save them money from buying fossil fuel.
Geothermal energy derived from hot springs and hot rocks is also another means of replacing fossil fuels. Although not much of the energy is obtained, mining for such energy causes little to no harm to the environment. New Zealand uses this type of energy to supply a part of their population with electricity.
Wind energy mostly seen in Texas is also another
All in the climate is changing. Climate change has been ongoing throughout all of Earth's history, worryingly humans are now the main cause for it. Over the past decade, the average Global surface temperature rose by approximately 0.6° Celsius. (UCAR, 2015) Melting glaciers, polar ice sheets and ice caps have seen a decline, Artic sea ice extent has decreased by 2.7% per decade, snow cover and mountain glaciers have declined in both northern and southern hemispheres as shown in figure 1. (ICPP, 2007) Due to a rising increase in greenhouse gases, a hole in the ozone layer has developed, causing change in Antarctica. With a higher climate in Antarctica comes melting ice around certain regions. Due to harsh winds produced by climate change, an uproar in warmer weather has spread across the Western Coast of Antarctica, whereas other regions are facing cooling trends. We can only come to the conclusion that climate change is at its worst. So what's causing the change in climate? Fossil fuels. Fossil fuels have contributed to 75% of the climates uproar. (Max De Boo, 2002) Once they burn they release CO2 into the atmosphere. The Earth is getting warmer due to the greenhouse gas layer thickening. Nothing can resolve climate change but things can be done to reduce it from becoming lethal. Using an alternative to fossil fuels, using transport less - cycle, walk, use public transport, these are all small starting point that add up in everyone contributes. (WWF,
We might disagree on the causes of global warming; however, we cannot ignore that it is happening. Although we still experience cold winters, average global temperatures has risen drastically for the past three decades. Polar ice caps are melting; as a result, sea levels are rising. Scientist predict more extreme weather in the coming decades, in fact, droughts will probably be more common. Also, flooding and tropical temperatures might cause large amounts of methane gases to be released, which could be disastrous for our atmosphere. Climate change may have human causes and also it might be a natural occurrence. Nevertheless, we must find ways to save our planet.
Biomass also generates electricity and also provides heating which is direct can be renewed into biofuels as a substitute for the fossil fuels
The carbon dioxide levels in the 20th century have been highest in 650,000 years. Till 1950, the levels rose by 11% and recently the levels have risen by 40%. Arctic ice is melting rapidly. It is estimated that by 2040 the region is to have a completely ice free summer, or even earlier. More than 1 million species have become extinct due to disappearing habitats caused due to global warming. Sea levels have risen about 7 inches in the last 100 years, which is more than the previous 2000 years combined. The rising sea levels due to global warming could threaten the lives of people living along the coastal areas. The consumption of fossil fuels in last few decades has contributed much to the destruction of our environment. Global warming, climate
Hydroelectric dams create a substantial amount of efficient clean power using a renewable resource. Because water is used to generate the power there are no emissions of greenhouse gases to pollute the environment. Running out of water is also not a problem seeing as we would
According to scientists the burning of fossil fuels is the main source for the large amounts of pollutants humans are creating. Fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas produce large amounts of carbon when burned to create energy that we all use. Many people think that the burning of these fossil fuels is not that big of a deal and there are other major contributors in the climate change controversy. The burning of these resources produce thousands of tons of carbon that are released into the atmosphere everyday Most everyone in the United States uses some source of energy produced from fossil fuels. Without the fossil fuels the major cities would not have enough energy to keep everything going. While they are working on increasing the amount of renewable energy sources, they are still dependent on the fossil fuels. Scientists are trying to link human pollution to the extreme weather changes that have been going on in recent years. An article found on www.edf.com Climate Changes Effect Plunder the Planet brings up some of the ideas that are caused by climate change. With the large amounts of carbon and other greenhouse gasses that are released they are effecting our ozone layer by trapping heat from leaving the planet, causing an increase in the global temperature around the world. www.study.com Fossil Fuels, Greenhouse Gases, and Global Warming states that over the last 800
Biomass energy is a renewable energy source from living or recently living plant and animal materials which can be used as fuel. There are many ways in which we could produce this energy such as heat and steam. Also, instead of leaving waste in landfills, we’re reusing that waste and converting it into usable power. Pros: 1. Renewable. 2. Dependency on Fossil Fuels is Reduced 3. Protects air quality 4. Improves forest health. Cons: 1. Not 100% clean. 2. Requires a lot of water. 3. Not as efficient as fossil fuels.
Global warming will in a foreseeable future increase the prevalence of climate-sensitive diseases, reduce agricultural productivity in developing countries, raising sea levels and alter ecosystems, forests, and biodiversity worldwide. Additionally, the indifference of the politicians in acknowledging the validity of global warming is alarming and detrimental on a global scale. As a result, the first oil shock took effect due to the dependability on imported fossil fuels, as well as lack of alternative energy sources. Surprisingly, in the early 21st century, Americans continue to rely heavily on foreign oil instead of transitioning to sustainable renewable energy sources. Furthermore, the economic and social progression must factor in the environmental
As a evergrowing country, we need reliable energy resources. We need sources that wouldn’t require a large plant, cause environmental effects, be cheap enough to afford, would be something that is easily replenished, and something that would be safe to use. For example, burning coal (a nonrenewable source) is not good for the environment. We are suffering consequences such as more holes in the Ozone layer from using more than needed fossil fuels. Pollution is also a highly equal problem we are facing.
The burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, and deforestation over the last 200 years has caused the concentrations of heat-trapping "greenhouse gases" to increase significantly in our atmosphere. These gases prevent heat from escaping to space. Greenhouse gases are necessary in our lives as they help in keeping the planet 's surface warmer than it would otherwise be. But, as the concentrations of these gases continue to increase in the atmosphere, the Earth 's temperature is climbing above past levels (USEPA, 2014).
Climate change, or global warming, is a reality plaguing us, and if we work together, we can prevent it. Our planet is changing. It always is, always has been, and always will be, yet it doesn't have to be for the worse. Our planet’s heat, light, and some of its energy is
Exploitive human actions damage the earth. Human’s daily habits cause rising temperatures from carbon dioxide emissions. The excessive use of coal, oil, and natural gas leads to more carbon dioxide emissions, which traps more heat causing the temperature to rise (Friedman 32). For example, in the last 100 years, scientists measured an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide from 280ppm to 400ppm (124). Based on research conducted by NOAA, temperature and the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide have a strong correlation. Temperature rises as carbon dioxide rises. The growing population of the world leads to increased exponential resource consumption and growing levels of carbon
Global warming has escalated at the fastest rate in recorded history. We Americans don’t realize how much CO2 is produced every year. The burning of fossil fuels to make electricity is the largest provenance heat-trapping pollution. The United States comes in second of producing large amounts of CO2. Many climate changes have occurred due to the burning of fossil fuels. We need to reduce the burning of fossil fuels and start utilizing clean energy. Us Americans need to stop utilizing gas-operated cars instead we should use battery operated cars which is better for the
In this 21-century climate change is becoming worse and worse. There is water levels are rising, animals in cold areas are starting to die because of the rises temperatures, and humans' health is being at risk, why because of human activities. The activities that humans mostly do is burning fossil fuels and deforestation.
Geothermal Energy The human population is currently using up its fossil fuel supplies at staggering rates. Before long we will be forced to turn somewhere else for energy. There are many possibilities such as hydroelectric energy, nuclear energy, wind energy, solar energy and geothermal energy to name a few. Each one of these choices has its pros and cons.