The Best Renewable Energy Sources
The whole world relies on coal, oil and natural gas ever since man learned how to drill the ground to utilize energy from fossil fuel. The hazards derived from fossil fuel are not a brand new knowledge at all. We all know that carbon dioxide emission of fossil fuels is the number one contributor of greenhouse gases that traps heat in the atmosphere, thus, causing global warming. Fossil fuels also cause air, water, and land pollution that promotes health risks. On top of it all, fossil fuels are non-renewable energy sources. It means that there will come a time when the world runs out of fossil fuels to utilize. If not, it will be too expensive to extract what is left of it.
Looming from the horizon are a list of renewable energy sources that offer clean and naturally replenished alternatives to fossil fuels. Energy that comes from the sun, wind, ground heat, water and biomass produce little, if not, no pollution at all. Here are some of the renewable energy sources that can save us from the hazards of fossil fuel.
Solar Energy – Man has since deemed the sun powerful. The evidence of which are the myths that we have across all cultures. Japan has the sun god, Amaterasu, Egypt has their own version with Ra. In the Bible, creation began with the phrase: “let there be light.” This only proves that our ancestors have known the sun as a source of energy in its purest form and yet it is only a few decades ago when the technology to harness solar power was developed. Today solar panels and photovoltaic cells are being used to extract sun’s heat to power generators that provide electricity to several households. Wind Energy – Another energy that has been used by our ancestors for centuries is wind power. Seafarers have been perusing the movements of the wind to sail their ships. Farmers grind grains and pump water through windmills. Wind turbine farms are now generating electricity for several cities in the United States. Hydroelectric Power – The force created by flowing water is arguably one of the most innovative among this list of renewable energy sources. It is also the easiest to replenish as the cycle of evaporation and precipitation goes on. Flowing water is used to power wheels that drive mechanical processes. The energy released shall be captured by turbines and generators and will then generate electricity for thousands of households. This is the exact technology behind the many dams around the world. Biomass Energy – Biomass is the energy derived from organic compounds that can be converted to electricity and fuel. Wood is the most common source of biomass energy. In the United States and Brazil, food crops are being tapped as good sources of biofuel. Ethanol, extracted from corn and sugarcane, is one good example. Methane gas harvested from biodegradable solid wastes coming from landfills is being converted to both biogas power plants and biofuels. Biogas proves to be the best alternative to fossil fuel such as oil and natural gas.
Also included in the list of renewable energy sources are hydrogen, geothermal energy and ocean energy. Among these three, geothermal energy is most utilized as electricity in several nations. Scientists are still doing further research to harness the power of hydrogen and ocean energy as both are expensive and difficult to obtain.
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This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 10th, 2010 at 10:15 pm and is filed under Biofuels Ethanol. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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