Here in the US alone we consume nearly 6.844 Quadrillion Btu’s of energy, however most alarmingly less than 7% of our toll energy usage comes from Alternative energy resources. This leads to the edge of a dangerous presuppose as our current resources continue to dwindle and our future grows darker each day. It is estimated that there is less than 200 years of oil left in the reserves we currently have and with the population and the demand for oil increasing each year it could be here faster then we know it. As we continue to pour pollutants back into our skies, waters and lands each year our planet feels the effect each day.
Every year in the US alone our factories spew over 3 million metric tons of chemicals back into the environment
…show more content…
Solar power is the most abundant most renewable resource that we have and it is free. The process starts when the sun shines on Solar PV panels that have been installed on your roof. Photovoltaic refers to the scientific process by which solar energy is converted into electricity. There are a number of silicon cells within each PV panel. These react with photons, or units of light, from the sun to produce direct current or electricity. DC electricity then travels to an inverter, which converts this energy to electricity known as alternating current or AC that can be used in your home or office. AC electricity then travels to the distribution network in your home powering your domestic or office appliances. When your solar panels produce more electricity than your home or office is using, the extra electricity gets fed back into the national grid. Yet, there are many processes the PV cell actually goes through to produce power of electricity. The top and bottom layer of the PV cells are protective glass layers with conducting coding’s. Electricity in the form of electrons flows in and out of these conducting coding’s while electrical production process happens in the middle layer of the PV cell. At the molecular level, a photon strikes a dye molecule absorbed on the surface of the TiO2 causing an excited state, which releases an electron into the TiO2 that exists through the conductive layer. The
No matter how hard we try, the effects of pollution are everywhere. From major catastrophes like the
Now we mostly use fossil fuels and natural gas to produce energy. But these sources are running out. To save our planet we should use a new class of renewable energy sources, like wind turbines, solar panels, biofuels and hydrogen. Because our need for power is constantly increasing in the future we will have to produce more energy, which is associated, among other things, with greater emissions of CO2 and further pollution of the environment and global warming. Most likely oil is going to be the first one that’s not going to be sufficient enough to satisfy our needs in the future. To transition to alternative sources of energy would require a rapid expansion of those sources. Now alternative sources of energy playing a small percent of the world’s energy. To transition we would have to triple or quadruple that percentage.
With gas prices on a slow rise it is no surprise that the United States has a huge dependency on oil. In a recent statistic from the US Energy Information Administration stated that in 2012 alone roughly 10.6 million barrels of petroleum were imported into the US daily. Most recently BP was accused of spilling approximately 470 to 1228 gallons of oil. And in recent past the major oil spill with in the Gulf of Mexico which occurred in 2010 that is by many is considered to be the worst oil spill in US history. An estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil was leaked into the Gulf coast. Being detrimental to not only wildlife but also has a huge impact on the planets general population as well. Most if not all forms of transportation with a large portion being cars run on oil and little alternatives to what can be used as a substitute. With such a high dependency on oil as well as being a high risk factor why hasn’t the US looked to other forms of energy that are both clean and efficient? Many countries have found alternative ways to supply energy. Most notably Sweden, in which in later years has been noted to actually import waste to use for their energy. If a viable energy alternative is not implemented then dependency on oil may inevitably deteriorate the infrastructure in which this country is operated upon as well as consequently negatively affect natural resources and wildlife to a point in which it will be near impossible to rehabilitate.
The ancient civilization of the Aztecs in Mexico had a very advanced system of Bureaucracy. When the Spanish destroyed the Aztecs they kept a lot of the same administration. They used a system of accounting to keep track of the tributes from across the empire. That system they used is used today in stores to keep track of what they sell and what they take in. Another system we use that they used is a legal system.
It is estimated that 1.3 trillion barrels of oil reserve is left in the world’s major fields (Institution of Mechanical Engineers 2015). At present rates of consumption this will be enough oil to last approximately 40 years. By 2040, it is intended for production levels may be down to 15 million barrels per day which is approximately 20% of the amount of oil which is currently being consumed (Institution of Mechanical Engineers 2015). It is likely by the year 2040 that the world’s population will be twice as large (United States Census Bureau 2015). Additionally, it is likely that more of the world will be industrialized and therefore more dependent upon oil.
The U.S obtains more than 84% of its energy from fossil fuels including oil, coal and natural gas. This is because people rely on it to heat their homes, power industries, run vehicles, manufacturing, and provision of electricity. It is apparent that the country’s transportation industry highly depends on conventional petroleum oil, which is responsible for global warming, thus threatening economic opulence and national security. Apart from that, increasing consumption of fossil fuels have elevated health problems in the state, destroyed wild places, and polluted the environment. After conducting Environmental Impact Assessment, projections showed that the world energy consumption would increase by more than 56% between 2010 and 2040. However, fossil fuels will cater for more than 80% of the total energy used in 2040. Sadly, it will be a trajectory to alter the world’s climate, as well as, weaken the global security environment. Importantly, the rate at which the US relies on fossil fuels needs to reduce since it has adverse effects on the planet’s supplies. The society needs to realize that fossil fuels are nonrenewable, thus taking millions of years to form (Huebner, 2003). Notably, the country can reduce dependency on fossil fuels by practicing energy conservation and efficiency,
Its also not good for our earth. Using fossil fuels and other types of energy are not good for our planet so it would be good if we could cut down some factories that give
In the year 2013, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the United States consumed a staggering 6.89 billion barrels of oil (U.S.EIA). Which in fact, equates to 18.89 million barrels being consumed every single day. That is a vast amount of petroleum products being consumed on a daily national level. If the calculation is made, based on a barrel equaling forty two gallons, it would come out to 289,583,700,000 gallons per year, or 793,380,000 gallons per day. The amount is incredible, almost unbelievable. If the United States continues its use of oil at this rate, the supply will only last another forty years. With more and more cars being on the road and operating machinery performing tasks, the supply of petroleum will not be able to meet demand forever. As our use of fossil fuels increases, so does our need for a new source of renewable energy.
“22.1 percent of the energy in sunlight into electricity”. According to Kevin Bullis from Technology Review “First Solar Cell Break Efficiency Record”. As we know solar energy is a renewable energy source but how does it work? (PV) cells turns sunlight into electricity. Then is converted into an altering current electricity. An electrical power then sends power to our lights and applications.
The way energy is used worldwide is not sustainable. It is well-documented that the use of these fuels is depleting the world’s natural resource reserves, harming communities in terms of health and displacement, and polluting the air and water in local environments. The drilling, refining, and transporting of oil leads to spills on land and in oceans, and when petrol-based fuels are used
The world is depended on oil and soon oil will become more valuable than gold and could lead to a worldwide war. Price for oil could soar to above two hundred fifty dollars per barrel. Oil and other fuel cell also cause green house gases which contribute to global warming. China is consuming two times more petroleum than 1996 and India is projected to consume three times the oil it currently does by 2050. Global house gas emission has increased by twenty percent from 2003 to 2006. Energy consumption has increased exponentially throughout the globe. The U.S. department of energy projects energy consumption will increase seventy percent from 2003 to 2030. The world has agreed to reduce emission by twenty five percent before 2020 and by over
Incoming photons knock electrons lose in the silicon plating and cause them to flow, resulting in electric current (Christen 396). The primary advantage of photovoltaic cells is the "inexhaustible supply [of energy]" (Blair 123). In addition, solar panels run with minimal maintenance. A photovoltaic cell generates no pollution, creates no noise, and contains few mechanical parts (Casey). Thus solar energy may be collected cleanly, quietly, and indefinitely--without generating pollutants in the process.
We are using way too much oil. According to International Energy Agency, In 2016, the world used a whopping 96 million barrels per day. If the world runs out of oil, we couldn’t do some simple thing like driving to work because cars need oil to run. Every minute we speak, humanity is destroying the only way of living we have by being reckless. We need to put a stop to it.
Nowadays, environmental and health scientists are concerned largely because of the damages caused by conventional energy. In most cases, these damages are happening because people are more likely to use fossil energy instead of renewable energy. In 1991, the worst disaster happened in the Arabian Gulf, and it was closed to my hometown. It was an oil spill into the gulf sea. It’s estimated more than 250,000 seabirds died by oil spill (Laura Moss, 2010). This happened because the war beteween some Arabic Gulf countries. As well as this, more than 85% of the consumed around the world comes from fossil fuel. Unlike renewable energy, fossil energy notably pollutes our countries. Additionally, conventional energy leads to
The human race has relied on finite resources as a source of energy since their beginning as a race on the Earth. While humans have used resources such as food in order to provide their bodies with the essential energy they need in order to survive, these sources are relatively much less finite than that of other human resources. This is because human beings are able to grow and produce their own food as they please. Sources of energy such as water on the other hand, which are relatively less finite resource, must be carefully regulated with respect to human use as they may be over expendable and may run out eventually. Water may be produced on Earth naturally, but one such resource which does not get produced in such a way is oil. Arguably, oil is being expended more than water is in the hands of the human race; this is causing the end of conventional oil to grow closer and closer to the present day. According to the statistics recorded on the website Worldometers.info, there are approximately 13,513 days (roughly 37 years) until the end of conventional oil. With this inescapable reality approaching very quickly for the human race, engineers must begin to harness more reusable and cleaner sources of energy to substitute for this dying resource. Without reasonable replacements for such a popular resource the future of mankind will surely suffer and many people will perish. Not only do more replacements have to be created to supplement the loss of this resource, but the