Alternative Energy vs. Fossil Fuels - Research Paper Example

Alternative Energy vs. Fossil Fuels Abstract One of the major challenges facing modern day organizations would be the best possible ways for obtaining energy to support operations including production, heating and lighting and delivery of products, both goods and services. The global energy demand has been noted to be increasingly high while the energy deposits of fossil fuels continue to be fast depleted. It is for this reason that the world is shifting to alternative energy sources said to be renewable and largely environmentally friendly. This paper analyses fossil energy sources in comparison to alternative energy sources with the aim of evaluating the more beneficial option to adopt. Indeed, alternative energy sources provide both the environmental safety benefits and reliability of energy supply not provided by fossil fuels. Introduction Early human beings used various natural sources of energy for their activities, notably wind, solar and water. But with the Industrial Revolution came the dependence on coal as a source of energy for American factories and later adopted worldwide. According to Brazier, this dependence borrowed from primary energy source which came about in the same period; petroleum. The European-Americans brought a new meaning to this resource which had previously been considered as a nuisance by farmers. Altogether, coal, natural gas and oil, considered as fossil fuels from animals and plants that existed millions of years ago, which were then buried underneath the surface of the earth and due to pressure transformed into combustible materials have been largely used as fuel. The first deposits of fossil fuels were discovered in the Cambrian period. But the modern world has become more aware on the non-renewable nature of these fossil fuels and the negative impact of its by-products and has hence appreciated the use of alternative sources of energy including solar, wind and water. The current debate that surrounds the use of either of these energy sources calls for elaborate evaluation so as to ensure the sustainability of the environment and continued effective industrial processes. Fossil Fuels The current generation and distribution of power in most areas has been operated on fossil fuels, popularly coal. The portability of fossil fuels makes it easy for organizations to easily store and transport the energy source when needed, be it fuel oil to be used in a furnace or coal to be used at a coal plant. Williams appreciates that this storage and transportation ease associated with fossil fuels makes it simple for excavation at its point of location, processing at a different location and transportation to the wherever needed. Despite these advantages that come with fossil fuels, their chemical composition has been a source of debate for its weakness. According to Smith and Taylor (40), fossil fuels have to be burned for energy to be produced to drive engines such as those in transportation like airplanes, trains and automobiles. With this burning of the fuels, hydrocarbons would be released into the atmosphere where greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and pollution would result. The released sulfur dioxide has been cited by the Department of Environmental Conservation, DEC as the cause of acid rains that damage river and lake ecosystems, plants and trees. This air pollution from the use of fossil fuels has been noted to produce smog which degrades plant growth and human health. Global warming has been largely associated with the greenhouse gases, most of which result from combustion of fossil fuels. According to the United Nations, UN, in the 20th Century, because of the massive industrial development and population growth, the earth’s temperature rose by 10F. Global warming has adverse effects on the environment around the world. In the Antarctica and Arctic, the melting of the ice due to increased temperature causes the sea level to rise and changes the composition of sea water. Even further, Smith and Taylor (41) indicate that the methods used in extracting fossil fuels such as strip mining, mountaintop mining and open-pit mining permanently alter the landscape as earth moving machines push aside earth. This damages the ecosystem and the supported organisms and requires a lot of resources for restoration. Oil exploration and the subsequent drilling could cause a displacement of arable land. Transporting fossil fuels could have detrimental effect on the environment. The pipelines running several of kilometers also interfere with arable land. Williams documents in his article the statistics by the US Department of Energy which indicates that 90% of the supplied energy comes from fossil fuels. The global consumption for this type of energy would be expected to rise by 50% at the current rate by the year 2020. With the negative effects of these sources, both the public and private organizations, together with various government agencies have been debating on the use of fossil energy as support for move towards alternative sources of energy increases. Alternative Energy Sources In the modern world, there has been much enthusiasm and information on the need to develop and increase dependency of human need for energy from alternative energy sources. The concept of alternative energy presents an interesting perspective, which in the context of the global society would refer to energy produced from sources not considered as primary sources. In some cases referred to as renewable energy sources, these alternative energy sources account for 7% of the global energy needs (DEC). These include the wind, sun and water as sources of energy. The widespread research on alternative sources of energy also document biofuels as possible reliable alternative energy source, particularly ethanol from plants. These sources have been said to be renewable, non-polluting and efficient. Geothermal energy, resulting from harnessing energy from geysers and hot springs which form due to radioactivity in the earth’s crust, is a form of energy source that Smith and Taylor (21) acknowledge releases no emissions and its use causes negligible pollution. Ocean energy resulting from tides caused by gravitational pull from the sun, moon and the earth, wind and temperature differences also present no pollution unless the minimal, much lower than pollution from fossil fuels, that results from the application of ocean thermal energy conversion, OTEC approach. But even so, OTEC presents additional benefit of production of water for human consumption. Similar environmental advantages resulting from lack of pollution would result from nuclear energy, particularly through nuclear fusion. These alternative energy sources have been acknowledged by DEC and the UN to be in constant supply and do not pose the risk of depletion as opposed to fossil fuels. Nonetheless, the California Energy Commission appreciates that the transition to these alternative energy sources would require the initial use of fossil fuels to set up the necessary equipment. Even nuclear reactors would require oil burning machinery for mining thorium or uranium fuel. Secondly, the technologies required for harnessing energy from these alternative sources have drawbacks that need to be attended to. Smith and Taylor (47) cite challenges in storage and subsequent distribution of energy from renewable sources, technicalities, technology costs and social factors. Brazier cites the dangers associated with nuclear reactors as the limitation of this source of energy. The highly radioactive substances such as uranium used in the reactors pose great physical risk. Even though modern technology together with safety precautions minimizes the probability of meltdowns, they still cannot wholly be eliminated. The scholar gives the example of Fukushima nuclear power plant in Tokyo that was damaged by earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Wind turbines used in generating energy from wind have been said to produce infrared sound from the rotating blades which could be detrimental to human health. The large turbulence resulting from the blades could alter meteorological patterns in addition to the increased mortality on birds and bats. Using sun as a source of energy has proven expensive together with additional task of regular cleaning. Still on cost, geothermal energy could also be exorbitant depending on the depth in which drilling has to be done to reach the hot rocks. Biofuel too has its negative implications bearing in mind that its origin from food crops competes with the already limited food supply even though current research recommends the solution to this through the use of cellulosic ethanol drawn from grasses, wood and non-edible plant parts. Conclusion and recommendation Alternative sources of energy such as sunlight, wind and water enable production of energy without harming the environment or expending natural resources as contrasted to fossil fuels which, unfortunately, remain the most popularly used source of energy. In spite of the limitations associated with renewable energy or the benefits that come along with usage of fossil fuels, the aspect of non-renewability of fossil fuels remains. With the doubling of fossil fuel consumption every two decades and no signs of slacking off, the final depletion of these energy sources has been predicted at between 50 and 150 years by Williams. Petroleum particularly presents greater risk to the environment as not only does its demand increase but it has also found application as raw material for solvents, pesticides, fertilizers, plastics and other varied petrochemicals. Business entities could cause an immediate impact through modification of consumption habits. Individuals need to improve their buildings, upgrade their equipment and turn off idle power. This not only extends the life cycle of equipment and reduces maintenance cost but also lowers exposure to energy price spikes and legal and environmental costs. Even with these strategies, the ultimate solution lies in full adoption of alternative energy sources due to the environmental and renewability benefits to be reaped. Works Cited Brazier, Wayne. “Alternative Energy Sources: Where Does Africa Stand?” Africa the Good News, 2011, December 7. Web. 23 February 2013. http://www.africagoodnews.com California Energy Commission. “Energy Story.” 2012. Web. 23 February 2013. http://www.energyquest.ca.gov Department of Environmental Conservation. “Energy and Climate.” 2013. Web. 23 February 2013. http://www.dec.ny.gov Smith, Zachary A. and Katrina D. Taylor. Renewable and Alternative Energy Resources: A Reference Handbook. California: ABC-CLIO, 2008. Print. United Nations. “UN Documents: Gathering a Body of Global Agreements.” United Nations. N.d. Web. 23 February 2013. http://www.un-documents.net/ocf-07.htm Williams, John T. “Renewable Energy vs. Fossil Fuel.” The Chron. Heart Communications Inc., n.d. Web. 22 February 2013. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/renewable-energy-vs-fossil-fuel-5257.html Read More