Alternative Energy Sources - Essay Example

?Alternative Energy Sources Alternative Energy Sources Introduction The world is facing several crises due to lack of sustainable energy sources. Humans are increasingly competing for the existing energy sources, which are limited. Moreover, numerous conflicts have arisen due to the increasing demand for energy. Most of the current energy sources are not sustainable and their usage results in excessive pollution in addition to global warming. There is thus need for alternative energy sources to resolve the existing energy conflicts. The alternative energy source should enable humans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The energy sources should be capable of meeting the energy needs of the current society without compromising the needs of the future generations. Additionally, the sources should be cheaper than the existing sources to reduce the cost of production that industries have to undergo. This paper focuses on identifying potential alternative energy sources, which can be used to substitute fossil fuels in the future. Currently, there are quite a number of energy sources. However, humans have not maximized their utilization. Fossil fuels are the most exploited sources of energy. However, these energy sources are disadvantageous since they lead to excessive pollution of the environment. Additionally they have other negative impacts such as increasing global warming since they emit greenhouse gases. Moreover, the fossil fuels may become depleted in future since they are being utilized rapidly. Other alternative energy sources that humans should consider exploiting in future include thorium, solar energy, hydropower, wind energy, geothermal energy, biomass, and nuclear energy (Ayres & Ayres, 2010). Solar power is derived through transformation of sunlight in electricity. The conversion process makes use of photovoltaic as well as heat engines. Solar power is increasingly becoming a popular source of energy due to its efficiency and transportability. Additionally, solar energy is inexhaustible hence affordable source of energy. Utilizing solar power will result in reduced pollution in addition to reducing energy related conflicts. However, solar power is disadvantageous since sunlight can only be harvested when it is sunny. Additionally, it must be stored for usage in times when it is cloudy such as during winter. There are limited technologies for energy storage, which makes it hard to invest on solar power (Ayres & Ayres, 2010). Wind energy is another energy source that is considered sustainable. Wind power is generated through harnessing of wind and converting it to electricity. Wind power is capable of meeting the global energy needs. However, most countries have invested less on harnessing of wind power. Therefore, wind power is a possible alternative to fossil fuels. The advantages of investing in use of wind power include its renewability, its plentiful, its usage does not lead to environmental pollution or global warming, and it is widely distributed hence easy and cheap to produce. The main disadvantage of harnessing wind power for energy generation is that the turbines produce a lot of noise leading to noise pollution (Ayres & Ayres, 2010). Hydroelectricity is another possible source of energy. Hydroelectricity comprises of power generated through harnessing the energy of falling water. Hydroelectricity is generated in hydro power plants and the process results in no direct waste. It is thus appropriate since it encourages environmental conservation. However, water resources are limited thus enough hydroelectric power stations cannot be constructed (Morgan, 2009). Geothermal energy is another alternative energy that can be used to replace fossil fuels. To produce geothermal energy, renewable heat is extracted from the earth and use to create electricity. Investing in geothermal energy would advantageous because geothermal power is reliable, sustainable, and cheap to generate. Additionally, geothermal power is environmentally friendly. Although drilling to trap the geothermal energy would lead to release of greenhouse gases trapped in the earth, the method is still more appropriate since fewer gases are released as compared to those produced by fossil fuels. However, geothermal energy can only be drilled in areas with tectonic activity. Biomass is another source of energy that is currently under use. The energy is derived from biological matter. This energy source is sustainable and can be used to produce considerable amount of electricity. Moreover biomass energy encourage cleaning up of the environment since it makes use of biological wastes (Ayres & Ayres, 2010). Other energy sources could be used to generate power in future. However, most of them would lead to increased pollution. Such sources include atomic power. Nuclear power is a possible future energy source. However, there is existing fear since accidental releases of wastes would lead to extensive pollution. Additionally, there is fear of depletion of law materials. However, with technology, there is a possibility that nuclear energy might become a possible source of large-scale energy (Smith, Taylor, & Taylor, 2008). Thorium is a possible future energy source. Thorium is a sustainable source of energy since it releases minimal amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere hence appropriate for checking on the issue of global warming. Thorium will also help reduce air pollution. Additionally, thorium is an inexhaustible source of energy, which is likely to increase human prosperity due to its sustainability. Using Thorium is more economical as compared to fossil fuels since it is cheaper, reduces carbon dioxide emissions, will lead to reduction in consumption of petroleum. Additionally, thorium can be used as a synthetic fuel for vehicles and can be used to produce of hydrogen power (Ayres & Ayres, 2010; Smith, Taylor, & Taylor, 2008). Conclusion With increased industrialization resulting in urbanization, there has been increased exploitation of the existing energy sources. Fossil fuels, which have been the major source of energy, are increasingly becoming depleted. This has led to human conflicts as they try to compete for the limited and non-renewable resources. Additionally, fossil fuels result in environmental pollution, which has contributed to increase global warming. There is thus need for cheaper and sustainable energy sources for human to use in the future. Possible future energy sources that are likely to replace fossil fuels include biomass energy, hydroelectricity, wind power, biomass energy, and solar energy. With advancement in technology, nuclear energy is likely to become an important source of energy in future. References Ayres, R., & Ayres, E. (2010). Crossing the Energy Divide: Moving from Fossil Fuel Dependence to a Clean-Energy Future. New York: Pearson Prentice Hall. Morgan, S. (2009). Alternative Energy Sources. New York: Heinemann Library. Smith, Z., Taylor, K., & Taylor, K. (2008). Renewable and Alternative Energy Resources: A Reference Handbook. London: ABC-CLIO. Read More