Browsing Tag Environmental Problems

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Renewable energy is the key to the future of humankind. Wind power, solar (photovoltaic) energy, geothermal power, and other forms of renewables can help solve our most pressing environmental problems, including global climate change. But how do we move these promising technologies out of the laboratory and into widespread use? Renewable Energy Policy shows what public policy can—and cannot—do to help tap renewables’ promise. Renewable Energy Policy t… More >>

Renewable Energy Policy

From environmental dangers to higher costs with electricity, are several that are questioning the alternatives for keeping the lights on without burning the same amount of fuels.  One of the main concepts that is becoming known to others is the use of renewable energy.  This concept uses natural resources from the earth and reuses them to help with your heating, lighting or other electricity needs.  Understanding types of renewable energy as well as how they can assist you is the beginning to getting the best assistance for the energy you need.

The problem that many are finding with energy sources that are currently used is a combination of costs and environmental problems.  Using the traditional means of energy, such as electricity and gas, also leads to the burning of fossil fuels.  This burns fuels as it moves into the environment and contributes to air pollution and other forms of pollution.  More than this, many are finding that fossil fuels, such as gas, are not reusable.  This is leading to fewer supplies of gas and other forms being available for use.  The result is higher prices of electricity, as it has become a commodity for those that are still using this source.

The main concept that is related to renewable energy is based on using natural resources as a main component for energy.  Resources such as wind, the sun or hydroelectricity is the most common resource needed.  These are known as renewable types of energy because they not only contribute to the use of energy through natural resources, but also because they are renewable.  Instead of burning, like regular fuels for electricity, they are able to recharge and can be reused for the same electrical purposes.

With the main ideal of renewable energy, are several who are combining technological components with natural energy to begin to alter the current systems for electricity into new ways that use renewable sources.  Instead of burning fuels, many are finding different alternatives to assist in the resources desired.  Most of the renewable energy sources that are used combine solar paneling or a main component that is able to store the natural components of the resources used.  This then filters into an area to be used as a device for electricity, heating, air conditioning or other needs whenever a household needs the extra device to work.

Not only are the main building options available for renewable energy, but different ways of getting renewable energy in your home are also used.  For instance, if you are considering solar energy, then using panels as well as specific devices that allow you to add in this type of energy to your home is known as an effective alternative.  Investigating to find what type of renewable energy can provide you with the best results is essential to getting the results you desire, while providing you with the needs you have for getting the energy desired.

As you are working on the renewable energy for your home, you want to make sure that you consider the options for building, while gaining an understanding of what renewable energy is and how it can be used best.  The specific ideals that are linked to this as well as the components that drive the energy forward is a simplistic way to save with the environment and allows you to cut the costs of your energy bill from the gas and electric that is burned.

Ever think about how many people there are in world today, and about how fast the world’s population is increasing? The per day increase is estimated to be about 204,000. That’s a lot of people.

Next question: ever think about the resources all those people are using and will continue to use in increasing amounts each day, month and year? Best not too really, especially if you want to sleep well. Here’s the basic fact or people v resources: people numbers are increasing, resources are dwindling, at least the ones we love to use, like oil and carbon fuels such as coal. Most experts also accept that these fossil fuels are heating the atmosphere, creating global warming. So, although these resources are getting scarcer, either actually or economically, they’re doing more and more damage on the way out! Doesn’t seem fair, really.

All of this raises a pretty obvious question: why on earth (pun intended) don’t we use fuels and resources that are renewable, such as the sun, water and wind. Now, you might say that we are, and to an extent I’d have to agree with you. After all, we’ve had hydro-electric energy for decades. But the downside of this is that we’re running out of rivers to put dams on, plus the fact that by damming rivers we often create huge environmental problems, such as flooding of towns, destruction of natural habitats and so on. (Not to mention that many countries don’t have rivers to dam anyway!).

Nuclear energy is good, efficient and kind on resources, but it does have its own set of issues which are fundamental, such as where to put spent fuel rods. Not in my backyard, thanks. There are also wind farms and solar heating sites, but they do not contribute hugely to energy supplies.

So, is it all doom and gloom? I don’t think so. It seems to me that the answer is to stop thinking big, and instead think small. Renewable energy sources, such as the sun and the wind, can be used in small scale as well as large scale operations. (In fact, there is large scale resistance to large scale wind farms, because of their perceived ugliness and adverse environmental impact.)

Small scale ie home or community sun and wind power schemes, however, do not impact on the environment in nearly the same way, and therefore are, or certainly ought to be, much more acceptable. There are renewable home energy systems available, and some countries subsidise homeowners to install them. However, it’s more than fair to say that there is no huge uptake of such systems, as any of us can see from simply driving around our neighbourhoods. I think this is partly inertia on most of our parts, and partly because the upfront cost is unaffordable to many of us.

Let’s address some of the ways in which such systems might gain more public acceptance:

• couldn’t governments divert funds on a much greater scale to home/community rather than national energy solutions? Of course they could. Yes, there will be resistance from existing energy companies, but aren’t they becoming dinosaurs anyway?

• More funding allied with public education campaigns (“Think Small!” “Save on Energy Costs!” etc) would likely have a very positive effect.

• More subsidies for those households who use renewable energy would be attractive, perhaps in the form of reduced local body taxes.

• Tax breaks and assistance for the companies supplying the systems would attract innovators and entrepreneurs into the market, resulting in smaller, more efficient renewable energy systems.

• Make the installation of renewable energy systems compulsory in new homes. Increased home costs? Yes, but look at the huge saving on energy operating costs.

It is a mantra to many that there are no problems in life, only solutions. I’m not sure that’s always true, but with respect to energy we all have to make the current problem an opportunity, because we have no choice. The energy sources we have taken for granted all our lives are running out and/or are environmentally unacceptable. Unless we address the issue in a meaningful way, lack of energy could be a real issue for succeeding generations. I applaud all the work going on to develop new energy sources (such as battery or hydrogen powered vehicles) but to a very large extent the ability to turn our energy problems into solutions already exists: sun, wind and, to a lesser extent, water.

Imagine a future where every household has its own renewable energy source. Sounds great to me!

You can visit my website www.shoxzy.com or my blog on this at http://shoxy314.wordpress.com/renewable-low-cost-energy-for-homes/

Renewable energy sources are a viable alternative to the global dependence on fossil fuels. This article explores the basic nature of some of these sources of renewable energy in existence today.

Most parts of the world make use of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil at the moment for all their energy needs. These sources of fuel are considered nonrenewable because the society tends to use them faster than they can be renewed.

Nonrenewable energy sources make up about 90% of the energy that is currently being used today. These sources of fuel are constantly being depleted and since they are known to have adverse effects on air quality they cause human as well as environmental problems. A greater emphasis is currently being placed on renewable energy sources in order to get energy. Most renewable energy sources that we have consist of solar, hydro, geothermal and the ocean energy sources. These sources of energy never become exhausted and they are friendly to the environment as they do not add to greenhouse effects or cause global warming.

Solar energy is one of the most readily available sources of energy. The energy of the sun has been used as a source of energy for billions of years. Prehistoric men magnified the strength of the sun in order to create fire. Nowadays you have solar panels which absorb energy in order from the sun to produce heat for cooking as well as heating and also for electrical needs. Heat absorption is stored for use later on and is an indirect conversion of such energy. Electric companies are currently trying to use photovoltaic technologies in order to convert solar energy directly into electricity.

Hydro energy tends to draw on energy that is produced by flowing water. Waves are one result of the winds interaction with the sea surface. This interaction ends up producing a transfer of energy which can then be extracted for power generation while using turbine generations. Hydropower may not be polluting but it can cause environmental harm, hydroelectric generating stations can easily change the flow of the seas and do harm to plants as well as animals.

Wind energy which is a form of kinetic energy tends to be drawn from the movement of the air. This energy has been used for centuries in order to aid sailing, grinding of grains and irrigation too. Nowadays you have wind turbines that transform energy from wind into mechanical energy or in order to charge your batteries. Wind machines or wind turbines collect kinetic energy by trapping the wind in their blades; these blades now turn an electric generator in order to produce electricity. Unfortunately on days that there is no wind, wind energy cannot be collected. Though it is a clean form of energy it has negative effects on the wild bird population and a number of people consider these giant wind turbine machines an eyesore.

Biomass energy is derived from wood, garbage, food crops, manure, grasses, plats, agricultural as well as forestry waste and residue. Biomass energy tends to come from refuse. It is not a new source of energy and it was used in wood burning centuries ago which supplied at least 90% of the energy needs at the time. When biomass is burned the result is either heat or electricity. Biomass may also be converted into methane gas which is the primary ingredient of natural gas. Natural gas makes up 3% of the energy currently being used in the United States today. Biomass can pollute the air and releases greenhouse gases but it does not pollute as much as fossil fuels.

Geothermal energy refers to the heat of the Earth. This sort of energy is drawn from hot dry rocks, magma, hot water springs and geysers. These can all be found within the Earth’s underground. Some can be found deep within the earth while others are much closer to the surface. Currently this energy can be used to heat water within swimming pools as well as spas. This energy is also used to warm up greenhouses. It may also be used to produce electricity through the use of a geothermal power plant. In such plants hot water travels through turbines which have been connected by a generator.

Ocean Energy is derived from ocean waves and the differences in temperature of the water. Wave energy is a kinetic energy that is derived from water movement. Tidal energies trap tidal waves in reservoirs located behind the dams. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion makes use of the differences that exist in water temperature from the surface water to water depths that are further below as an energy source. In order for this to work, a temperature difference of at least 38 degrees Fahrenheit must exist.