Therefore it is imperative that mankind finds a substitute to fossil fuels and resort to alternative energy. Alternative energy is a sustainable energy supply, which is cheap and renewable and they are environmentally friendly.
There are lots of examples of alternative energy, including wind energy, nuclear power, biomass and hydroelectricity. I have chosen the best possible solutions for countries to revert to in the descriptions below.
Hydro-energy is the process of turning water into enough power to serve millions of people at a time. A hydroelectric power station makes electricity from moving water. The water flows through pipes containing turbines, which in turn, power generators. As the water pressure pushing against the turbine blades increases, the blade spins more powerfully and will generate more electricity. So, to increase the water pressure and also to ensure a plentiful supply of water a large dam structure is built across a river valley. Water piles up behind the dam and fills the valley, creating a lake.
People may argue the case of hydro energy saying that building such huge structures will cost lots and ruin natural landscape but in the long run it will be cheaper than fossil fuels and release no emissions into the atmosphere. Also it is an ensured way of providing energy to cities at a time.
An alternative to building dams but still related to hydro energy would be to use wave energy. The energy carried in waves and tides is converted to electricity. A machine called a duck ‘bobs’ up and down as waves wash past it. This movement drives a generator. This generator will provide electricity to coastal towns.
There is also the possibility of using nuclear energy to power countries. Nuclear energy poses a lot more danger than hydro electricity however when handled properly it will provide a powerful electricity supply. Nuclear power plants provide about 17 percent of the world's electricity. Some countries depend more on nuclear power for electricity than others. In France, for instance, about 75 percent of the electricity is generated from nuclear power, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. In the United States, nuclear power supplies about 15% of the electricity overall, but some states get more power from nuclear plants than others. There are more than 400 nuclear power plants around the world, with more than 100 in the United States. Nuclear power can produce vast quantities of heat energy to be converted into electricity. Nuclear reactions are so powerful that a lump of uranium the size of your fist can release the same amount of heat as burning a pile of coal bigger than a house.
The argument posed to nuclear energy is the obvious threat of explosion and safely disposing of nuclear waste, countries would obviously need to ensure that there are measures carried out to ensure no problems would arise. The cost of nuclear energy is substantially less than if countries would continue to use oil, coal and gas to power themselves. In addition nuclear reactors have many safety features and overflow with sensors monitoring circuits and warning devices.
Biomass encompasses diverse fuels derived from timber, agricultural and food wastes. Farms will produce crops that are specifically grown for electricity generation. Biomass fuel can include sewage waste and animal manure. Biomass fuels are derived mostly from trees, and given the capacity of trees to regenerate Biomass is considered renewable. Burning crop residues, sewage or manure, which are all wastes produced by society can be used to generate electricity and may offer environmental benefits in the form of preserving landfill space.
The opposing argument to this proposal is that burning biomass fuels may require quite large stations, which will be unattractive and will constantly produce smoke, although this smoke will not be as rich in carbon dioxide as fossil fuels so the emissions are not overly environmentally unfriendly.
The best possible solution for countries such as England to get alternative energy is the idea of wind or turbine energy. Wind energy is one of the safest energy technologies. No member of the public has ever been injured by wind energy or wind turbines anywhere in the world, despite the fact that there are now over 68,000 operational wind turbines. An example of a nearby wind turbine is in Reading, where just one turbine powers the whole trading estate. Although it is cheaper to save energy from fossil fuels than to generate it the United Kingdom will need a mix of both renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency measures to combat climate change. Modern domestic turbines can produce electricity from equipment that is no more obtrusive than a satellite dish.
The counter argument against wind energy is that the turbines are unattractive and are not entirely noise free, however the noise produced is barely audible. The turbines need to be robustly fixed and sited in the prevailing wind, and the energy produced by a single turbine is a substantial amount.
Another example of alternative energy is solar energy, produced from the sun. There are two types of solar panels, solar water heating collectors and photovoltaic panels. The water-heating collectors absorb energy from the sun to heat water. The photovoltaic are electric panels, which transform solar radiation directly into electrical power. They are a clean, noise free solution to energy sources. There are concerns about the British weather not being conducive with solar energy however some of these systems are reliant on light rather than sunshine. However, solar energy would not be the best option for Great Britain as an alternative to fossil fuels, as there is not a sufficient light source throughout the year and solar panels do not work during the night. Installation costs are high and it may take many years to recoup the outlay. Also the amount of energy produced is not worth the money spent on them.
The final energy source I have chosen to talk about is geothermal technology. It uses the natural warmth of the earth to produce electricity, as well as heat and cool homes. A ‘geo’ power plant works by tapping in works by tapping into steam or hot water reservoirs underground, the heat is used to drive an electrical generator. The environmental impact of a geothermal power plant is minimal, emitting no nitrogen oxides, few sulphur dioxides and up to two thousand times less carbon dioxide than any fossil fuel.
However, the problem with geothermal power is that sources are limited by location, and there are no possible power plant locations in yet known in the United Kingdom.
In conclusion, I feel it is inevitable that humankind must resort to using any of the mentioned alternative energy sources sooner rather than later. I say this because the sooner experiments start it means the longer we have time to adjust to these new methods and rectify any problems, so hopefully the future generations will not have to turn to fossil fuels to supply them with energy.
I also think the human race should start using renewable energy sources sooner rather than later because it is not the fact the fossil fuels are running out which should be our main cause of concern, it is that with ounce of fuel we burn, there are excessive amounts of nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxides and a massive amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere and adding to the threat of global warming. I feel that global warming is the biggest problem the world as a whole faces and if it goes unrecognised for much longer than it may be too late to go about any resolutions for it. We need to start combating climate change before it becomes life threatening, and if influential powers such as the United States and Great Britain start to turn to renewable energy sources than they are, in effect, solving two major problems, global warming, and the run down of fossil fuels.
I suggest that the best form of renewable energy for the United Kingdom to turn to is wind energy, as in the long run it is very cost efficient, produces the least amount of harmful substances into the atmosphere and is very reliable to the British climate, as there is a constant wind off the coastal areas. To stabilise this I also propose that we build enough nuclear power plants to power at least a quarter of the country, for those areas which the wind farms may not be able to generate and encourage schools and businesses to start using a biomass scheme using waste from recycling and sewage to heat themselves.
