Benefits of Alternative Energy vs Fossil-Fuelled Energy

Benefits of Alternative force vs Fossil-Fuelled EnergyAlternative Energy vs. Fossil Fueled EnergyOne of the largest issues that we as a solid ground atomic number 18 facing in the 21st ascorbic acid is how we as a nation mess go well-nigh obtaining the capability we necessitate to support our nations operations from transportation, production, lights and heat. In todays beingness fossil provides is supporting upwards of 90 percent of our everyday cypher needs. Through the US Department of Energy, atomic super cause sows provide virtually 19 percent of our index finger needs while the rest of our muscle requirements be met through either ember or re rude(a) commensurate / substitute talent sources. However, the way that our nations demand for readiness is growing within the near twenty years we will need at least two-baser the requirements that we substantiate right now. Both the public and private scientists have been debating for slightly period on how we p lan to fill the gap of postal code. Are we press release to remain cons burnt with burning fossil fuels or finally go with the greener preference methods of producing energies? Both fossil fuels and selection energies have their ups and downs however, we need to take shape up a decision before it becomes too late qualifying the ecosystem.However, in order to enact qualifying, we must first base take a look at the past and image how we got to our current point in history. There argon early reports that coal was first apply in China ab come on 2000 B.C. for cooking and heating, and they were using this fossil fuel for at least 4000 years at that time. They point utilise coal during med-evil times in Europe for cooking however, collect to coal creating so much smoke and soot they considered it to an inferior product so most stuck to timberland. approximately 200 B.C. the Chinese discovered natural gunman, and devised a use for it much(prenominal) as heating. The Chi nese were also subject to induce t able-bodied flavor from the brine that would be created in the natural gas-fired evaporators. About the same time in Europe, the Europeans we able to harness the energy from moving water with the unveiling of water wheels. Then with this impudent creation they were able to crush grain, tan leather, dictum wood, and smelt and shape iron. With this invention it would be the early signs of industrial processing. The productivity and output increased drastically, so the dependence on sentient being and human muscle power began to decline. The places that had good water sources for these water-powered waterwheels became great centers of industrial and economic activity.Now, during the first century A.D. Chinese discovered petroleum ( rock inunct) and with its baring they shew a way to refine it for use as an energy source. Now moving forward to the tenth century A.D. the good deal of Persia essential the first divagate generators, the mech anics were quite similar to the currently used waterwheel. The uses for the windmill were very similar from grinding corn-grain, and since they may have not had a readily accessible water source the windmill would be used to pump water to irrigate crops. The invention of the windmill would spread around the world from India, China, Europe, Middle East, and even gradually call it to the join States.As we move throughout history everything grows and multiplies as will the need for energy, we loll to the 1700s and multitude are beginning to realize the benefit of coals energy production is much higher than the waste left behind. So deal use coal to replace wood, water, wind, and even the fossil oil from whales. However, where coal is tap from they have to come up with a way to get disengage of the water that keeps filling the mines in order to get access to the coal. So during the early years of coal tap was a slow and uninteresting problem that was solved in the early 18th century the first steam engine was develop and with this steam engine they made a pump in order to pump all the mines free of water. With this culture they were able to increase the production of coal by 300% in the join Kingdom. By the mid-18th century and a commercial coal mining begins in the United States in Richmond, Virginia.More and more feats and first occurred more rapidly. In the early nineteenth century according to the National heat content Association, Electrolysis was developed by scientists William Nicholson and Sir Anthony Carlisle. Electrolysis is when you apply an electrical current to water, this process produces heat content and oxygen gases. With these discoveries was one of the first steps of developing hydrogen energy and or hydrogen fuel carrels. The U.S. drilled its first natural gas strong in 1821, and with this new energy source they werent able to transport it over large distances yet so it was mainly used for lighting. However, with the limited u se at the time natural gas was altogether used for street lighting till around the end of the 19th century and was replaced by the new electric lights.During the 1800s the United States power saw many different revolutionizing inventions in regards to energy sources. Coal took the place of wood in the steam engines of locomotives cod to it burning hotter and longer than wood. Ethanol was developed and became a very popular alternative to what oil lanterns mainly due to being incredibly cheaper, and whale oil when burnt left a residue on everything. Then a few years after as pack began to move west into the heart of the country people needed water to drink and irrigate their crops so these homesteaders built windmills. The windmill was used for pumping from deep within the earth since regular water sources werent readily available.Shortly after the Civil War, the petroleum industry proceed to make advances and this continued to grow the demand for energy production well into the 20th century. This industry drew the interest of many different stemma men however, none will be as dominant as John D. Rockefeller. Mr. Rockefeller created Standard Oil Company during the late 19th century, and with his new company he found way to increase production / last of petroleum, and he was able to do this much cheaper than his competition. With the efforts that John D. Rockefeller and his inventions, he was able to push petroleum to the forefront that it is today.Then in 1876, scientist William Adams and Richard Day were able to create the first solar cell from Selenium. This was a step in the right direction for alternative energy. fifty-fifty though the solar cell didnt work properly the footwork was there and they only if needed to make a few adjustments and come back at it. Even doubting doubting Thomas Edison called this discovery scientifically of the most far-fetching importance. So as you can follow out Thomas Edison saw the direction the world was headed to and didnt like the ending and hoped for transmute.Right around the corner in time, the young inventor Thomas Edison was perfecting his DC (Direct Current) electric generator and in 1882, Edison installed the first electric plant in sassy York near Wall Street. The first electric power plant only served a square-mile area. Only the extremely wealthy could pay electrical energy at the time. The first customers were J.P. Morgan, the nations largest newspapers at the time, and the New York Stock Exchange. Now lets move forward in time about 50 years to 1935, the Hoover Dam is built and with it came the worlds largest Hydroelectric Power Plant. The Hoover Dam is located on the cobalt River, and it creates most of the energy used on the west coast of the United States.Then in 1946 after the creation of the nuclear bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, scientist found that there are peaceful application for nuclear power indeed the Atomic Energy strike was put in place and the United States created the Atomic Energy guardianship. Then low and behold just a few years later in 1950, petroleum becomes the most consumed fuel in the United States. Then in 1954, Congress passed a pract starter of law that made it possible to use atomic energy for non-lethal purposes. (Atomic Energy Act 1954) Shortly after the AEA (Atomic Energy Act) went into place we had our first operational nuclear power plant in Shippingport, PA. This was the first large scale operating(a) power plant just 15years after Enrico Fermi was able to conserve the first nuclear reaction. This power plant only lockd for 25 years before being shut down in 1982. Then quartette years later the world had the largest nuclear apoplexy in Chernobyl, Ukraine. The accident occurred at the number 4 reactor, where a sudden surges of power undone the reactor and with this destruction, massive amounts of radioactive contaminants were released into the atmosphere. Even though the number of people directed by the explosion were minimal, there are people sleek over paying the consequences today from the cleanup efforts.So as you can see there has been numerous developments for the uses of fossil fuels, and quite a few for the alternative energies. The problem that we face is that we as people of the United States and the world have become too dependent on fossil fuels such as oil / petroleum for our energy needs and the cost for these necessities are mounting higher and higher. All the technological advances that are being created today simply make it to the main stream due to the car manufacturers, or anyone that would withstand to lose large sums of money with these improvements in alternative energy.There are arguments all over the place when it comes to pro alternative energy or pro fossil fuels. We are trying as a nation to get renewable energy to take the place of fossil fuels. When the shrub Administration lifted the ban on off-shore bore, they thought this would help lower the price of oil, and help us save money at the gas-pumps. However, the unbowed impact was insignificant except for the wildlife affected in the area of the drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. Just look at the BP oil spill in April 2010, from there Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that detonate and the open oil well continued to dump crude oil into the Gulf for 87 days before stopped. Executives from large oil companies saw that we as a country need these reserves of that are off-shore to create the energy for tomorrow. (Exxon Mobil) However, as a nation we need to put a stop to inflating the profits of these companies, and focus on the newer cleaner energies.One of the things that people tend to forget is that renewable energy is renewable and its quite easily generated, while fossil fuels are considered to be a destructible item that can be used only once. Unfortunately, there are people that think we are stuck using fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, nuclear energy, and petroleum. All it takes is the right person to set the tides of change in motion, and then we will be on our way to a healthier / cleaner world.There are scientists that believe that United States could be a zero-carbonic acid gas emission nation within the near thirty to liter years and this is accomplished without nuclear power. Our nation could achieve this remarkable feat, we just need to make a bigger push for solar farms and wind power turbines. However, other scientist in Texas believe that we are incapable of achieving this due to their studies of wind energy and solar geothermal could never replace the power output of nuclear power plants. Also, they went on to say that the United States is maxed out on hydro-electric power stations due to all the major rivers this would be viable is already in use. This is the thinking that has got us to where we are today. sometime in the future the world will need to reset itself with an ice ag e. If you take a look at the timeline for CO2 emissions in history, it shows that the emissions bestride to a certain level then the earth began to cool causing and ice age. The way that we are going about pumping millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere it may be speeding up the process.Now lets take a look at solar power. The benefits of solar energy vs fossil fuels energy are insurmountable, solar panels create no emissions or waste during their use. Unlike the power plants that use fossil fuels, solar panels produce a clean renewable energy that gets its fuel from a source that doesnt need to be located, transported, combusted etc. So as you can see solar energy is the cheapest, better yet comprehensive energy source. The scientist that are supposed to better mankind, instead are focalisation putting down solar power stating that solar isnt a viable option due to the vast amount of area call for to collect the sun. So this alternative energy has only remained a viable opt ion due to the tax breaks given to the green earth community. Even though taking up a lot of land may be wasteful, the change in technology and solar cells today is makings solar energy a lot more viable of an option. If during the construction of homes they include the new solar technology available they could possibly eliminate the need for external energy requirements (RGS Energy).We as a nation are unendingly looking for ways to combat Global Warming. Wind power rest at the top as a competitor form of alternative renewable energy. According to a study conducted by the National Audubon auberge in 2008. Wind Turbines in the United States generated nearly 15,000 Megawatts of power. That amount of power was enough to power roughly 3 million homes or 20% in the nation. Unfortunately, the windfarms need large amounts of land in order to operate compared to the fossil fuel counterparts. Also windfarms of course need to be in places the wind blows constantly. Unfortunately, the loca tions needed are also the migration routes for many of our endangered species of birds. The sierra Club refers to these windfarms as the Cuisinarts of the air. The understanding its horrible that not guilty animals may die during energy production. However, we will find that creating one megawatt of electricity by the wind turbines and reducing the our use of biofuels such as oil and coal far outweigh causing the earth to become even more polluted than it already is.As we moved through a few different alternative energies lets look at nuclear energy, and how we as a nation turned away from coal power plants to nuclear power in order to affect change in the right direction from facing another climate change. In the United States today there are 707 operating coal-fired electric plants, and these plants are producing 36 percent of the CO2 emissions. CO2 gas is the primary trimmings of greenhouse gases that are needed for the climate to change. The Atomic Energy Commission believes t hat nuclear power is the only way we are going to assure our energy needs of tomorrow. Green Peace International believes that the United States can cut those CO2 emissions by 75 percent within the next forty years. Yes, we can complete this without nuclear power or new efficient coal burning technologies. This can only be realised by continued development of energy efficient and renewable energies.