Energy: What is Best?

Energy: What is the Best? Jazmyne Williams

Non-Renewable Resources Nonrenewable resources are those found inside the earth, and they took millions of years to form. These include the fossil fuels, oil, natural gas, and coal and nuclear energy.

Inexhaustible Resources An inexhaustible resource is a resource that never runs out or gets depleted. Some examples include wind, sun, solar energy, tides, and geothermal energy. They are mostly the natural occurring resources therefore they reappear naturally.

Renewable Resources A renewable resource is a natural resource which replenishes to overcome resource depletion. Depletion can be caused by consumption.

Wind Energy It's a clean fuel source. Wind turbines don't produce atmospheric emissions that cause acid rain or greenhouse gasses. Unlike power plants, which rely on combustion of fossil fuels, wind energy does not pollute the air. The downside of this energy is a high initial cost, thread to wildlife, noise disturbances, visual impact, suited to particular region

Hydroelectric Energy Hydropower is fueled by water, so it's a clean fuel source. Hydroelectric power is a domestic source of energy, allowing each state to produce their own energy without being reliant on international fuel sources.The environmental consequences of hydropower are related to interventions in nature due to damming of water, changed water flow and the construction of roads and power lines.

Solar Energy Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity. Benefits of this source are it being a renewable energy source, reduces electricity bills, diverse applications, low maintenance costs, technology development. Disadvantages are cost, weather dependent, solar energy storage is expensive, uses a lot of space, and it being associated with pollution.

Geothermal Energy Geothermal energy is renewable energy because once water or steam is used, it can be pumped back into the ground. It is also clean energy. Geothermal power plants, unlike plants that burn fossil fuels, do not produce greenhouse gases that can be harmful to the atmosphere. Downside is that it releases greenhouse gasses.

Biomass Energy Biomass is fuel that is developed from organic materials, a renewable and sustainable source of energy used to create electricity or other forms of power.Benefits are as follows: dependency on fossil fuels is reduced, carbon neutral, widely available, can be used in many forms, and it helps reduce waste. Some disadvantages are it not being totally clean when burned, can lead to deforestation, in-efficient,requires lot of space, and it’s expensive.

Coal Energy The burning of coal provides energy for nearly everywhere in the world. Benefits include an abundant supply,relatively inexpensive, continuous power, good utilization, high load factor, substantial existing infrastructure, can be converted to a liquid or a gas, which burns cleaner, and clean coal technology is currently being used in china, as well as relatively low capital investment (compared to gas or nuclear). Some disadvantages are pollution, contains high amounts of carbon dioxide, produces high levels of radiation, linked to health concerns, and also contains high amounts of methane even whilst clean.

Oil Energy Oil energy is the foundation of renewable energy. Advantages include: it’s cheap, it offers a high-density energy, it is reliable, oil energy provides jobs, it encourages economies to continue growing, oil energy is a commodity. Disadvantages are it being a finite resource, a vast pollution resource, causes health hazards when consumed at high levels, creates power and power can corrupt societies.

Natural Gas Energy Natural gas is abundant and a major source of energy, it is a relatively clean fossil fuel, considered a ‘bridge’ fuel, is relatively cheap. However, natural gas a nonrenewable resource, it leaks and flaring lead to large ghg emissions, and aging infrastructure poses ongoing dangers.

Nuclear Energy Nuclear power generation does emit relatively low amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). This technology is readily available, and it does not have to be developed first. It is possible to generate a high amount of electrical energy in one single plant. Despite this, nuclear energy produces radioactive waste which is dangerous. Nuclear power plants are often targets for terrorists as an explosion of such power plants is deadly. The energy source for power plants is uranium, which is a scarce material. It is also time consuming.