Fossil fuels
have no future; we need to develop renewable energy source
Introduction
Since the turn
of the century there has been a lot of enthusiasm that has spurred wide
research on the development of alternative sources of energy. Some of the
traditional sources of alternative energy are water, wind and the sun (Deniņa
and Zvanītājs, 2011). The global needs for energy have been increasing and so
the expectation that with time renewable energy sources will be able to replace
fossil fuel has continued to grow. The concept of alternative renewable energy
sources is very interesting because it implies the production of energy from
sources other the main supply of energy: fossil fuels. For a long time now
human being have been accustomed to depend on natural gas, petroleum and coal
to meet their energy needs such as mass transportation, domestic use and
industrial use (Diana, 2011). This paper aims at highlighting it is very
crucial to develop renewable sources of energy.
Why the world depends on fossil fuel
There are
multiple reasons why the world is still very much dependent on coal, petroleum
and natural gas to meets its energy needs.
Cost
At least for the
short term extracting energy from fossil fuels to produce electrical power has
been quite cost effective. Fossil fuels are burned at the power plant and
electrical power is delivered in bulk to substations. From the substations it
then delivered in reduced amounts to various consumers (Diana, 2011). Either
gasoline or coal is used in the power plant to produce electricity. However,
coal burns less efficiently compared to gas. A lot of electrical power can be
lost if it has to be transmitted over long distances. Therefore power
generating companies transport fossil fuels to regions which have more energy
needs than others (Todorović, 2012). This reduces the cost of producing
electricity from fossil fuels because it is relatively easy to transport liquid
fuels.
Easy to procure
Reservoirs of
fossil fuels, especially coal, are quite abundant and also easy to procure.
Studies have established that there are between 2 and 4 trillion barrels of
petroleum reserves all over the world. Another study conducted by a UK
university estimated that the proven worldwide coal reserves are close to
910,000 million tons. In addition, coal is quite cheap and thus the world still
relies of fossil fuel (Todorović, 2012).
Anything else needs change
The simplest
reason for depending on fossil fuels is that any other alternative that would
replace coal, natural gas and petroleum would mean a lot of change:
Psychological, economic and physical change. The technology used for the
extraction and combustion of fossil fuels has already been put in place both at
the power plant and at level of the consumer. It would be very costly to
retrofit factories and replace the heating systems of buildings, factories and
homes (Esty and Charnovitz, 2012). Nonetheless, the main reason why it would be
very difficult to change has to do with that nature of humankind. Human beings
have always struggled with making changes and most especially the kind of changes
that would call for giving up ingrained traditions, changing the way of life
and thought, and learning new practices and information after many years of
being comfortable with familiar old ways (Deniņa and Zvanītājs, 2011).
Why the world needs to develop alternatives
Fossil fuels are not renewable
The question is
why we have to consider having alternative if fossil fuels have so many merits.
However everyone who has paid some attention to global trends has the answer.
Fossil fuels are nonrenewable. Studies have found out that the world is
currently using fossil fuels at least a hundred thousand times faster than
their formation rate. In a few centuries of even less the demand of fossil
fuels will be too much greater than the availability that is needed for
sustainability (Deniņa and Zvanītājs, 2011).
Esty and
Charnovitz (2012) note that the supply of fossil fuels is limited and the sure
conclusion is that they will be depleted at some point. Fossil fuels form
through natural processes like the anaerobic decomposition dead organism that
have been buried for many years. The
difference between when an organism lived and the time fossils form is hundreds
of millions of years. Over these long periods of time the dead organism are
exposed to intense pressure and heat in the crust of the Earth and thus they
fossilize. According to the American Energy Information Administration in 2011
the main energy sources were petroleum 36 percent, coal 27.4 percent, and
natural gas 23 percent. This amounted to 86.4 percent. Non fossil energy
sources contributed the remaining percentage. However the global consumption of
energy has been increasing by 2.5 percent every single year since 2000 (Jenner
et al, 2012).
Fossil fuels are not always cheaper
Advancements in
technology have made it cost effective and easier to extract fossil fuels.
However, it is not always so. As nations continue to deplete fossil fuel
reserves that are more accessible they have to find new ones to exploit. This
implies that they have to look farther and deeper offshore and in other less
accessible places. This means burrowing deeper into the crust of the Earth in
pursuit of coal seams, getting rid of essential top soils and some time getting
into cartels and uncertain agreements that may not be in good political
interests of many oil rich nations (Diana, 2011).
Fossil fuels have a huge environmental and human cost
According to Deniņa
and Zvanītājs (2011) the only reason why fossil fuel appears cheaper is because
no one ever pays for the real cost. For instance no one is billed for the air
pollution caused the entire process of having their television or computer on
for 10 hours a day. No one pays for the soot, vanadium, mercury and other
pollutants that are created to have lights in the home.
One research
that was conducted by the National Academy of Sciences estimated that 1.70
billion USD is total “hidden cost” for extracting energy from coal in Virginia, USA.
When this was broken down each utility bill should have included additional 50
USD to cater for the cost of getting energy from coal. The NAS made the calculations from damages
such as the impact of burning coal on yields in farms to damages caused to
building materials. However the most hurting cost of all is early disease and
death or premature morbidity and mortality (Deniņa and Zvanītājs, 2011).
For instance, it
is now established that air pollution from the combustion of fossil fuels
largely contributes to asthma and chronic bronchitis. Another way in which the
use of fossil fuels is very expensive has to do with climate change as a result
of the release of GHGs such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Scientists have
come to the agreement that the warming of the Atlantic
Ocean is the main reason for some extreme hurricanes such as
Irene. For instance, in the state of Virginia
alone the estimated damage of crops and property that has been directly caused
by Irene amounted to more than 100 million USD (Diana, 2011).
Some big
established companies in the state have noticed this. Most of the main
insurance companies in the US
have declined to cover the coastal regions of Virginia. This is happening all over the
western world. Another cost of the changing climate is the drastically rising
sea level. This has highly affected settlements, businesses and agriculture in
the Antarctica (Esty and Charnovitz, 2012).
Some regions in Europe are experiencing all-time highs of more than 15
inches rise in the sea level. The implications is that local residents of such
regions have to deal with frequent floods and thus spending a lot of money to
adjust their settlements, redirecting drains, and raising the levels of streets
(Todorović, 2012). In the US
some of the people who have been affected by storms have been funded by the
government to build new homes. These are very expensive projects costing more
than a hundred thousand dollars for each house to be constructed. The point is
that the combustion of fossil fuels for energy production is very costly. The
real cost of electrical power utilized in the home is never reflected on the
bill that comes at the end of the month.
Renewable energy
Renewable
energy is the energy that is generated from natural resources like wind, rain,
sunlight and geothermal heat among other natural resources. Renewable energy
has been proposed as a safer and cheaper solution to the problems caused by the
use of fossil fuel in the world today. Use of renewable energy sources would
make more money for the global economy than burning fossil fuel. One particular
study conducted by researchers from the University of Massachusetts
determined that renewable energy sector is currently creating more than double
the jobs created in the fossil fuel sector per million dollars of investment
(Esty and Charnovitz, 2012).
Wind energy
Airflows
are used efficiently to run wind turbines in generating energy. Current wind
turbines are ranging from about 600 kW to 5 MW of rated power. Wind is
proving to be a source of cheaper and cleaner energy as compared to fossil
fuel. Regions with stronger and more constant winds like offshore as well as
high altitude regions are producing high amounts for energy from wind.
Internationally, the long term industrial potential of this energy is suggested
to be 5 times total prevailing international energy production, or 40 times the
prevailing electricity demand. This requires more turbines to be installed in
regions with high potential. Many countries have suitable offshore sites
where wind turbines can be installed. Using the wind to produce power would
make sure that such natural resources are utilized without the production of
greenhouse gases or toxic chemical into the environment. This would work so
well for some regions such as Virginia
which have relied on coal for the production of electricity while having enough
wind energy sources (Simoes and La Rovere 2008).
Hydropower
Another source of renewable energy that does not have much
of the limitations that fossil fuel has is hydropower. This is where energy in
water is strapped up and used to produce power. Given the fact that water is approximately
800 times denser than air, it is possible to yield power even from a slow
flowing stream or moderate sea swell. Various forms of water energy are being
used currently. Hydroelectric energy is energy from large-scale hydroelectric
dams such as the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington
State as well as the Akosombo Dam in Ghana. Micro
hydro systems refer to hydroelectric power installations that have the ability
to generate up to 100 kW of energy. They are common in water-rich regions
used as a remote-area power supply (RAPS). Run-of-the-river hydroelectricity
systems get kinetic energy without the use of dam from rivers and oceans. Hydroelectric
power has the ability to produce energy without the suffering the costs
involved in the use of energy from fossil fuel (Simoes and La Rovere 2008).
Solar energy
Energy that
is generated from the sun is what is known as solar energy. This energy is
generated through the form of solar radiation. Photovoltaics and heat engines
are used in converting the heat from the sun into electrical energy. Solar
energy has continued to provide adequate energy for domestic as well as
industrial use. The installations have high ability in capturing, converting
and distributing solar energy. Solar
energy is currently being used in various regions with high temperatures to
generate cheaper and cleaner energy as compared to the use of fossil fuel
(Simoes and La Rovere 2008).
Studies have found out that other
sources such as biomass, biofuel, and geothermal energy sources only require
the additional investment and they would be very viable options that can
replace up to 40 percent of the globe’s use of fossil fuels (Jenner et al,
2012). Such sources are far cheaper compared to fossil fuel since their energy
is generated from natural sources of energy and also cleaner energy helping in
addressing the controversial issue of climate change and global warming.
Conclusion
The many benefits of using
renewable energy and the enormous cost of fossil fuel combustion cannot be
ignored. The only option would be to accept change because ultimately all
fossil fuel deposits will be depleted someday. However the main reason why
countries should invest in renewable energy is that burning coal, natural gas,
and petroleum to produce energy is too expensive.
References
Deniņa, A, & Zvanītājs, J 2011, 'Effectiveness and efficiency of
economic incentives for electricity generation from renewable energy sources in
Latvia',
Applied Economics: Systematic Research, 5, 2, pp. 163-177,
Diana, M 2011, 'Romania’s
energy potential of renewable energies in the context of sustainable
development', Annals Of The University
Of Oradea, Economic
Science Series, 20, 2, pp. 176-180,
Esty, D, & Charnovitz, S 2012, 'green rules to drive innovation', Harvard
Business Review, 90, 3, pp. 120-123,
Jenner, S, Chan, G, Frankenberger, R, & Gabel, M 2012, 'What
Drives States to Support Renewable Energy?', Energy Journal, 33, 2, pp.
1-12,
Simoes, A, & La Rovere, E 2008, 'Energy Sources and Global Climate
Change: The Brazilian Case', Energy Sources Part A: Recovery, Utilization
& Environmental Effects, 30, 14/15, pp. 1327-1344,
Todorović, MS 2012, 'BPS, energy efficiency and
renewable energy sources for buildings greening and zero energy cities
planning: Harmony and ethics of sustainability', Energy & Buildings,
48, pp. 180-189,
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