The Benefits of Using Renewable Energy Over Fossil Fuels & Nuclear Power

Work is a force applied over a distance. Let us further define energy as a shifting back and forth, but never truly changing one thing: it's constancy.

The first law of thermodynamics: energy is conserved. Thermodynamics is the study of the movement of heat. This law instructs us that although the kind of energy in a given system can change, the total amount can't. Energy is able to travel seamlessly through systems, yet it never changes its structure or shape.

I find this concept enlightening, because you wouldn't normally think of energy as such a fluid movement. It seems more. I found it fascinating that all forms of energy are interchangeable. It makes one think about the potential of newer energy as well.

All objects hold some internal energy. That is, the kinetic energy of moving atoms. Conduction is discussed as the transfer of heat through collisions of electrons and atoms. Leaders at the University of Irvine that are studying the effect of aging, and specifically how the breakdown of DNA over time, effects aging.

The group at the University of Irvine has made a fruit fly live twice as long by their experiments. As they stated, it may only be a bit more time before scientists discover a way to reverse or slow down aging, if they can discover the cause.

Thermal conductivity, the study of how energy transfer occurs, sounds very interesting. Radiation, or the movement of infrared energy and light traveling across a room, until they absorb, are also important to the second law of thermodynamics as well, because it makes one think about the process of how atoms and energy move from place to place.

The concepts of electricity and magnetism can be explained very differently from how Sir Isaac Newton explained gravitational pulls. One learns that lightning is a result of electrical charges, which come about from the transfer of electrons. That makes one think about what is going on to cause the lightning bolt, rather than just running from them!

It's also important to note that objects with like charges experience a "get away from me" stance, while objects with opposite charges attract each other. We know that every Magnet has a north and south pole and those magnets exert forces on each other, and always contain two poles.

A compass will point at the earth's "dipole" magnetic field. Dipole is the magnetic field that arises from the two poles of a magnet. In the previous example of the earth, that would be the north and south poles. That's a long distance to carry forces!

That brings us to wavelengths, amplitude, and frequency. Science has discovered that ocean waves are transverse waves that move perpendicular to the direction of the waves. James Clark Maxwell discovered that electromagnetic radiation could travel through a vacuum at the speed of light. Before this, scientists must have really wondered how that happened.

Gamma rays are the highest energies in the spectrum, and they are used to treat tumors and other medical needs in hospitals. The rays cause the bad tissues to die, allowing the human to live on his/her excellent tissues. It really makes one think about what happens as light moves.

Knowing all of the above, how can we better make use of earth's energy? The answer is renewable energy. This type of energy use taps into natural cycles such as the movement of the wind and water, the heat and light of the sun, heat in the ground, and the carbohydrates in plants. These are all natural energy sources that can supply our needs in a sustainable way.

Current levels of renewable energy use represent only a tiny fraction of what could be developed in the United States. Since electricity generation is a leading cause of carbon dioxide emissions, something needs to be done soon.

Renewable energy will also help alleviate our polluted air, water, increase plant and animal life, and help deter global warming. It's tough though, because fossil fuels and nuclear energy are tough to compete with due to their widespread usage and politics.

Still though, I encourage you, write your congressman. Let them know that you are for renewable energy and you can even get petitions going in your area to see this come to pass. Over time, renewable energy sources could replace nuclear generation altogether. Furthermore, because renewable energy is homegrown, it can increase our energy security as a nation and create a ton of jobs as well. (ArticlesBase SC #201562)

The Benefits of Renewable Energy Solutions

Some people may not want to admit it, but the world is slowly moving towards an energy crisis. Non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels are much closer than people think to becoming extinct. We have always known that the everyday energy we use is not unlimited, yet it is constantly being taken for granted. Oil, gas, power, even water has limited availability. Yet, we have not taken nearly enough precautions to deal with a very real threat of an energy crisis. When I say ‘we’, I am not referring to the governments of the world, but to all of us, the common people. We are the ones who can make a difference.

To neutralize this crisis, it is important that we learn to reduce our dependency on energy sources that are non-renewable and start focusing on energy solutions that can provide us with a continuous source of energy that will not exhaust any resources. There are 3 main sources of energy which fall into this category: hydro energy, wind energy, and solar energy.

First, let's look at hydro energy.

Hydroelectricity is the most widely used form of renewable energy in the world. It is typically generated on a large scale by way of hydroelectric dams. Although it is indeed a renewable source of energy, hydro energy comes with some drawbacks. Hydroelectric projects have been known to have negative effects on surrounding aquatic ecosystems. One example, is there are studies that have shown that dams along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America have reduced salmon populations due to their preventing access to spawning grounds upstream. A major disadvantage to hydroelectricity although rare, is the risk of dam failure. In Southern China, the Banquio Dam failure resulted in the deaths 171,000 people and left millions homeless. Although it is an effective source of renewable energy, it is not as environmentally friendly as the other 2 main sources of renewable energy, wind and solar power.

Let's look at wind energy.

Windmills have been around for thousands of years. They are older than electricity itself. In pre-industrialization times, they were used to propel sailboats and ships, they were used to pump water, and they were used as a means of natural ventilation in buildings.

Wind power has many advantages: It causes absolutely no pollution whatsoever. It consumes no fuel and has practically no effects on the environment at all. Wind energy can help generate tonnes of megawatts of electricity. When employed at home, it can help do away with conventional power sources which will reduce your electricity bill and can even eliminate it altogether. Wind power is an excellent source of continuous, renewable energy.

Finally, let's look at solar energy.

Solar power is by far the most available source of continuous, renewable energy on the planet. It is easily capable of providing the world's total current energy demand many times over. Solar power solutions at home are another way of dramatically cutting down power bills or even completely eliminating them altogether. Also, solar power has no effect on the environment whatsoever. It is the most environmentally friendly source of energy in the world.

Fossil Fuels Vs Biomass Fuels

Notwithstanding the above noted study, numerous studies have show that biomass fuels have significantly less impact on the environment than fossil based fuels. Of note is the U.S. Department of Energy Laboratory,Operated by Midwest Research Institute Biomass Power and Conventional Fossil Systems with and without CO2 Sequestration – Comparing the Energy Balance, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Economics Study. Power generation emits significant amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs), mainly carbon dioxide (CO2). Sequestering CO2 from the power plant flue gas can significantly reduce the GHGs from the power plant itself, but this is not the total picture. CO2 capture and sequestration consumes additional energy, thus lowering the plant’s fuel-to-electricity efficiency. To compensate for this, more fossil fuel must be procured and consumed to make up for lost capacity. Taking this into consideration, the global warming potential (GWP), which is a combination of CO2, methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, and energy balance of the system need to be examined using a life cycle approach. This takes into account the upstream processes which remain constant after CO2 sequestration as well as the steps required for additional power generation. firing biomass instead of coal led to a 148% reduction in GWP.