Alternate Sources of Energy

ESSAY ON ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF ENERGY

The law of conservation says that energy is neither created nor destroyed. When we use energy, it doesn’t disappear. We change it from one form of energy into another. A car engine burns gasoline, converting the chemical energy in gasoline into mechanical energy. Solar cells change radiant energy into electrical energy. Energy changes form, but the total amount of energy in the universe stays the same. Scientists at the Department of Energy think they have discovered a mysterious new form of energy called "dark energy" that is actually causing the universe to grow!

The simplest way to define energy is said by: the capacity to do work by moving matter against an opposing force. If neither the table nor pencil moves, no work is done and therefore no energy is transferred. Force and energy are just a physical definition in a model that eases 'understanding' of the world around us. With this model one can define many things like the conservation of energy , transferring of energy ,etc.

There are different kinds of energies like kinetic, thermal, heat, electrical, solar, potential and many more. These energies are transferred and obtained from different sources, which are namely classified as renewable and non renewable sources of energy.

It is recognized that non-conventional or alternative sources of supply will undoubtedly play an increasing role in development as growth proceeds. Virtually none of these sources, however, should be viewed as being free of environmental impacts; in fact, they may, in some cases, have significantly greater effect on the environment. From an energy perspective, the alternatives range from nuclear power through geothermal and biomass energy to solar, wind, tidal and hydropower. The importance of these alternative energy sources in the energy mix within the region and with respect to their environmental impacts is enormous.

With both energy and minerals, the technical opportunities for substituting non-conventional or alternative sources for conventional ones are significant. However, such substitutions are not taking place, nor are they expected to take place, on a large-scale through out the world.

Energy sources available in the world include coal, nuclear, hydroelectric, gas, wind, solar, refuse-based, and biomass. In addition, fusion had been originally proposed as the long-term source. Every form of energy generation has advantages and disadvantages as shown below.

Biogas is a mixture of methane (also known as marsh gas or natural gas, CH4) and carbon dioxide it is a renewable fuel produced from waste treatment. As methane is very hard to compress I see its best use as for stationary fuel, rather than mobile fuel. It takes a lot of energy to compress the gas (this energy is usually just wasted), plus you have the hazard of high pressure. Biogas in India is known as Gobar Gas which means Cow Dung Gas. This dung is collected, dried and sold as fuel for cooking (it burns slowly). Compressed ...

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Advantages to producing Biogas is it destroys methane, which is a highly destructive greenhouse gas, so it does not go into the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. It even provides clean-burning fuel for stoves and lamps instead of using wood or dung which lose their soil building and fertilizing value when burned; reduces labor, since women now spend one day a week to collect a backbreaking 60-80 lb. load of scarce wood; protects the remaining forests by reducing the need to gather firewood; reduces respiratory disorders caused by smoke from cooking with firewood which especially affects women and their small children; improves village hygiene, since the attached toilets lead to the pathogen-destroying digestion tanks of the systems; yield more potent fertilizer than the original constituent wastes like the dung collected by children at right; provide lighting needed for evening study, literacy classes, home and community activities

CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) Natural gas is less expensive than gasoline, and the relatively stable price of the fuel makes it attractive to fleets to help them budget their transportation expenses. CNG ranks relatively high in convenience and availability. CNG may be the preferred clean, alternative fuel for use in vehicles to travel on specified routes, such as delivery trucks, and return to a central yard where they can be slow-filled overnight. CNG-powered vehicles use natural gas -- the same fuel that is used by stoves, water heaters and clothes dryers -- stored in cylinders at pressures of 2,000 to 3,500 pounds per square inch. Compressed natural gas is used in light-duty passenger vehicles and pickup trucks, medium-duty delivery trucks, and in transit and school buses. LNG, on the other hand, is favored for heavy-duty applications, such as transit buses, train locomotives and long-haul semi-trucks.

Fossil fuels come under non renewable sources of energy because we burn the fossil fuel to obtain coal, oil, natural gas, petrol and etc and one day these resources will get over. Nevertheless, these fossil fuels also cause global warming because of the increasing soil and air pollution on burning.

Take for example the case of our city Power Station which runs on coal. A fuel that is obtained from wood, by chopping tress and leads to deforestation. This fuel is also difficult and hence expensive to transport. Now burning of coal also leads to air and land pollution, which leads to major problems to the neighboring residences who have to bare the coal emissions on their utensils, which are used for cooking and most of all the emissions lead to hazardous health problems such as lung problems, asthma, eyes burning, stomach pain, etc. Nevertheless, this is a huge problem in society to me because it is doing injustice to the residents who are equal members of the society and they too deserve a clean and fresh environment to live in and grow healthily. Therefore, we as a young generation are responsible ones to bring about a change in this issue because we too are going to face the issue more dangerously in the future. Hence, I believe that there is a huge need to change the materials used to produce electricity in our city and many more cities in the world who are facing such an issue and switch to an alternative source such as hydro-electricity, wind-power or best of all solar energy, whose sunshine blesses us for more than 9 months of the year to produce electricity, while keeping the air clean. Moreover, solar power will NOT run out for millions of years and it is renewable. Citizens can install solar panels in their houses to produce electricity and reduce the pollution in the air, which is leading to health issues and global warming. However, the current situation of the solar panels is not so widespread because of the high cost factor. However, I think that at least the people who can afford them should start going for it because I am sure no amount of money can ever replace the cost of your life.

Nevertheless the advantages and disadvantages of Nuclear fuel is that it is inexpensive and its energy is generated by the most concentrated sources like waste is more compact than any source. Its extensive scientific basis for the cycle but it requires large capital and because of emergency, containment, radioactive waste and storage systems. It requires resolution of the long-term high level waste storage issue in most countries. But its potential nuclear proliferation issue is a problem and the best part of this is that it has no green house or acid rain effects.

The developments of these energy sources are its energy efficiency.

Ethically the impacts of alternative sources and energy conservation of energy are that energy is the prime mover of economic growth and human development. It encompasses all sectors of the economy and every section of society. There is a direct correlation between gross domestic product (GDP) and energy consumption. It has been estimated that 26 tons of oil equivalent is required for a GDP of one million rupees. India’s incremental energy demand for the next decade is projected as one of the highest in the world due to a number of factors such as, accelerated economic growth, rise in population, rise in income level and the phenomenal growth of the transport sector .The expected increased access of rural population to commercial energy and increased availability of good and services will give a further fillip to this trend.

Moreover, culturally and socially when we keep the urban needs in mind then there have been serious distortions in our energy planning process. Since inception, our energy policy has been urban centric. As a result, 80 per cent of the commercial energy is being consumed by 30 per cent of our urban and semi-urban population. The rest of the 70 per cent in rural areas still depends upon non-commercial sources of energy such as wood, cow dung and agriculture to meet major energy needs. And the rising costs are the biggest challenge ahead in the next 20 years will be to make energy available on a sustainable basis in urban and rural areas at reasonable rates and ensure its efficient use in different sectors of the economy. A number of crucial steps are required to meet the growing energy needs during the next 20 years and beyond. These steps should aim at policy planning, energy sector reforms, support infrastructure, fuel substitution, supply outsourcing, increasing indigenous production, conservation, and improving energy efficiency and development of new technologies and sources of energy and regional energy cooperation. Nevertheless, the energy infrastructure in different parts of the country should be based on the specific energy resources available in that region, so as to reduce transport bottlenecks.

And last but not the least, morally energy conservation can start from home. We should start growing more trees, walk short distances, instead of using your vehicle, switch of your engine at the signal, encourage use of solar energy to power your houses and other devices, use battery cars, save electricity by using it efficiently and not keeping devices on when not needed. Also to use more of public transport and incorporate carpools to save on fuel and cause less pollution to the environment. Stop the open burning of leaves and thrash. Rather decompose the material so that the energy can be passed on further. Use of cycles should be encouraged and a separate lane for bicyclists should be made by the government to support this movement. And as Gandhiji said “Be the change you want to see”, so hence being a responsible citizen of the country I shall start sowing the seeds for using alternative sources of energy so that the seeds can then grow into plants and blossom as flowers and ripe fruits instead of seeing a dead land in front of my own eyes and bare the view for my and my children’s future. So I am going to start saving our nature and not wait for anyone else to do it, but to start today from me to spread the message further to my city, country, continent and to the world at large.

Written by – Ritesh Kothari

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