Today, Australian’s are beginning to recognise the dangers that are associated with fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are substances such as coal that are formed within the earth. (Origin Energy, 2015). At present the fossil fuel coal, is supplying 73% of Australia’s energy (Origin Energy , 2015) manly due to its excessive availability, however due to its toxic emissions has made Australia on of the highest green house gas contributors in the world. Renewable energy is sourced from products that can be replenished and are more sustainable for our environment. With Australia’s increasing demand for electricity there are debates that we should be moving towards renewable energy to cut down our annual emissions as well as cut costs on electricity. There are many types of renewable energies that are becoming available in Australia, including solar, tidal, geothermal, wind, nuclear and many more. Some of these energies particularly solar and wind energy could be potential alternatives in supplying Australia with electricity as they are cheap and could reduce our carbon emissions significantly. COAL ENERGY Coal is one of the main fuel source used in Australia to supply most of our electricity needs The process for making electricity is quite simple and cheap yet has some extreme downfalls such as poisonous emissions. Briefly, the process involves burning coal so that the heat converts the surrounding water into steam. The steam spins the turbines, where it is attached to a
One of the most important ecological changes needed not only in this country, but globally would be the transition from fossil fuels and coal to renewable sources of energy like solar, wind, hydroelectric, and biofuels in an attempt to reduce carbon emissions, which in turn pollute the environment and contribute to adverse climate change. Even though renewable energy is able to regenerate, does not mean that it has no ecological footprint or that renewable energy is completely sustainable for our environment (Week 14 Energy Use & Transportation/Renewable Energy Sources). A renewable source of energy is usually one that does require us to mine away at the Earth to receive the source of energy (Week 14 Energy Use & Transportation/Renewable Energy Sources). Renewable energy is important for several different reasons. First, renewable energy has environmental benefits because it provides individuals with clean sources of energy and it reduces the impact that it will have on the environment (Why is renewable energy important?) Second, if we use renewable energy then we will have energy for future generations, such as our children and our grandchildren because renewable energy will never run out we will always have it, unlike other sources of energy that will eventually run out (Why is renewable energy important?). Third, renewable energy sources are important for the world’s economy and for jobs because the money that is spent on renewable energy in the United States will
Fossil fuels and other power generates are slowly changing the world. Alternative power sources are slowly becoming more popular in everyday life while the technology progresses. Using these power sources that don’t pollute the atmosphere could be the change in the world that completely changes the way the world uses energy. Engineers and technicians have been producing these alternative ways for years and years. A few, but not limited to consist of: Solar panels, Wind turbines, Wave tech and much more.
The article, “Coal and the Environment”, provides the readers will and understanding of how coal works and also how it is dangerous to our environment. Coal on its own is not dangerous to the environment but once the coal is burned, then pollutants are released into the air causing for less clean air. The government has taken a stand on the industries polluting the air we breathe in everyday with the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. These two acts put restrictions on industries that allow for safer and cleaner air.
Flash steam power plants are the most common. They use geothermal reservoirs of water with temperatures greater than 360°F. This very hot water flows up through wells in the ground under its own pressure. As it flows upward, the pressure decreases and some of the hot water boils into steam.
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
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.
Fossil fuels are a fuel that was formed over millions of years from organic material from forms of life. There are different types of fossil fuels such as gas, oil, nuclear and the one mostly produced in Australia, coal. Australian government supplies energy from fossil fuels to the entire country as around 86% of electricity is generated from these fuels, with 73% from coal and 13% from natural gas with renewable energy sources making up 14% of Australia’s electricity (origin,2015). Fossil fuels have advantages such as the reliability and efficiency because they generate huge amount of energy which is more reliable (Rinkesh,2009). They are also safe with easy transportation on large trucks or pumped through large pipes. However, fossil fuels
Australia has one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emission footprints compared to its population on earth. As of 2006, Australia's emissions were the highest of any OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development) nation with 26.7 tonnes per person per year of equivalent carbon dioxide (Garnaut 2008). In comparison, the United States had just 20.6 tonnes per person per year of equivalent carbon dioxide in 2006 (Garnaut 2008). The largest contributor to Australia's emission footprint is the energy sector, accounting for 45.5% of emissions between 2005 and 2006 (Garnaut 2008). Further breaking this number down, we observe that ~79% of our electrical generation is done via coal (Garnaut 2008). Coal is a major cause of greenhouse
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.
Global warming and climate change is one of the most pressing issues in the contemporary society given its continued impacts on human life and the world’s ecosystem. The considerable effects of this issue have raised huge concerns among policymakers, governments, and the public. As a result, various initiatives have been developed in attempts to lessen global warming or climate change, especially those related to reducing the emission of greenhouse gases to the Earth’s atmosphere. Governments across the globe including the United Kingdom government have adopted various policies that focus on dealing with the issue. There are various policies that help in dealing with the issue including lessening greenhouse gases emissions, adapting to the effects of climate change, and geo-engineering of the climate system. The attempts by the UK government to address this problem require an understanding of the increasing energy demands and its future impact and use of suitable renewable energy sources.
Nowadays, there are two fastest growing sources of renewable energy which are wind and solar that produce intermittent supplies of energy. People tend to demand from energy more than before. Renewable energy in Australia deals with efforts being made in Australia to quantify and expand renewable energy, which includes electricity, transport fuels and thermal energy. Total renewable energy consumption in Australia in 2015 was 346 Joules(PJ), representing 5.9% of Australia's total energy consumption.(2015 Australian Energy Statistics) This is an increase of 1.6% from 2011–12 levels (265 PJ), representing 4.3% of Australia's total energy consumption.(2013 Australian Energy Update) The energy consumption increases is not only due to the rate
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 United States is the second largest producer of greenhouse gases in the world, and yet is doing very little to fix this startling statistic (Dennis). The US’ reliance upon outdated energy sources continues to harm both the environment and the economy by producing millions of tonnes of pollution every year and costing the government billions of dollars (“Fact Sheet: Clean Power Plan”). Fossil fuels have been the main energy sources in America since the industrial revolution, and it is time to make a change. Renewable energy is energy harnessed from sources like the sun, wind, or water, and has little to no negative effects on the environment (“Renewable Energy Technology Basics”). The United States needs to integrate and increase the use of these types of energy across the country, as well as implement positive environmental policies, to prevent further pollution of the earth and combat the effects of climate change.
The Earth is dying at an extreme rate and will continue to do so unless we switch to renewable energy, to help fight and prevent the effects of using fossil fuels. Many people will say that we need to switch to renewable energy and that our planet is suffering from global warming, while others will say that global climate change is a natural occurring event that does not to be worried about. Many people in the modern generation have grown up with a big emphasis on how we need to change our daily habits in order to protect the world and preserve the life on it. The reason as to why many people will say this, is because for about the last fifty years’ scientist have been saying that we need to cut back on our fossil fuels and use more
Humans today are using much more electricity than we need to in our houses and this is impacting our world more then we realise. Although electricity is a huge advantage to humans it has the complete opposite effects on our environment. By using more electricity, we are using more of the earth’s resources and if we keep going down this road then we are going to run out. The solution for this mass overuse of energy is to build houses which are more energy efficient. Features like LED lightbulbs, insulating and even positioning your house in the correct position for natural airflow instead of using air conditioning are all ways we can help improve this problem.