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Oil Energy Threats Of Oil Extinction

The capacity to do work is called energy. The definition means that without energy there
would be no work. The world economy has always remained dependant on energy and it
will continue to suffer the shocks of swinging energy reserves. 50 years ago, the
geologists of petroleum discovered that the peak of global production of petroleum will
suffer its inevitable decline in the first decade of 2000. The petroleum geologists also
claimed that none of the renewable source of energy has capacity to produce even a
fraction of more energy compared to the fossil fuels. There second claim is rejected by
the significant progress in the field of renewable sources of energy but all of us have
witnessed their first analysis becoming true.
First law of thermodynamics reveals that energy can be created only by spending the
available energy to convert the existing matter into more available energy. The second
law informs us that the economic process is responsible for losing energy at every step.
All engines waste almost 50 per cent of the energy present within the fuel whether the
engine is diesel or heat.
According to net energy principle, any energy source that consumes more energy than the
amount it produces is called sink. To lift a 15 kilogram of oil to five meters almost 735
joules of energy is required, where the amount of energy required for lifting increase with
increasing depth. When easily accessible and concentrated reserves of oil are exploited in
the beginning than more energy is need to discover and to recover more reserves of oil.
Oil produces in shale, containing high level of organic material. After its formation, the
oil moves upward in spongy basin rocks of limestone or sandstone where it is trapped by
a solid rock. To remove gas and oil, well are bored into these reservoirs or basins. Due to
favorable conditions, tectonic plate borders have about 70 per cent of oil fields.
Stages of Oil Recovery
There is more than one stage in the recovery of oil. In first stage oil is sucked out of the
basin under normal pressure of the reserve. This stage can extract about 25 per cent of the
oil in the reservoir. In second stage hot water is forced into the well to push up the
remaining oil where it can be collected. In case oil is still there, a third method is used in

which nitrogen gas and carbon dioxide sent into the well along with steam to pump oil.
The process of refinement involves the boiling of crude and by the virtue of fractional
distillation removing gases. The use of oil is not only limited to the energy formation, it
also involves in providing basic product for several industrial chemicals like plastic.
How electricity is generated using Oil Three Stages
To convert oil into electricity three technologies are implied: Conventional Steam,
Combustion Turbines and Combined Cycle Technology. In Conventional Steam method
oil is simply burn to generate heat which converts water into steam. The steam later on
runs turbines to generate electricity. Combustion Turbine burns oil under high pressure
which results into the generation of hot gases that are used to directly run the turbine to
produce electricity. In the third method oil is burnt in the Combustion Turbine to generate
gases that spin the turbine. These gases are then projected into the chamber where water
is kept. On turning water into steam, the steam is used to make electricity. So the method
employs two steps to make the most of oil combustion.
Middle east traps about 50 per cent of the total oil of the world where remaining reserves
are in North America. Most of these reserves are already used while the number of
discovering new reservoirs is very slow. It is estimated that the remaining oil will be
exploited in another 30 years if new reserves are not discovered.
In fossil fuels, oil is preferred over coal because it is environment friendly and emit about
50 per cent less sulfur dioxide (SO2).it can however trigger several environmental issues.
Although less than coal, but the consumption of oil involves the discharge of a variety of
pollutants like carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxide (NO) and
sulfur dioxide (SO2). These pollutants create fog, and contribute in green house effect.
The green house effect is responsible for continually raising the temperature of earth
which will one day make this planet unfit for habitation. Many significant oil reserves are
under sea and their drilling offer several threats of accidents in which oil can spill into the
ocean to damage the marine population. Transportation of oil often leads to its spilling
into water. In 2002, a major oil slip happened in Spain. Those oil reservoirs that situates
in wilderness offer trouble to the habitants of forest by their machinery.

Oil is an abundant source of non-renewable energy which is preferred due to its liquid
form. The heating value of oil is very high. The extraction of oil can be carried on by
using old technologies. Oil drilling is threatening for the environment where the reserves
of oil are limited and once exploited will be useless.
A fossil fuel takes millions of year before it comes into its usable form. It is pertinent to
note that the consumption of oil is 65 billion barrels per day in the world. The
consumption will increase up to 99 barrels per day by 2015. Despite of whatever
petroleum geologist claim one thing is for sure that human beings have come across new
sources of energy to keep up their day to day life. One day all the oil reserves will be
exploited, till than if we will not be able to discover new oil beds then we will be surely
king of new resources of energy
Energy Produced Using Natural Gas
Natural gas is a mixture of hydrogen gas, methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen,
and hydrogen sulfide. At different locations, this gas is found with mix of
different gases, and is used to get energy either in form of heat or electricity.
Natural gas is need of every human to carry out different tasks ranging from
cooking food at homes to run heavy machinery in industries. Natural gas is
found in deep rocks or hydrocarbon reservoirs that come into existence after
natural processes of many centuries. Different factors including temperature,
pressure, depth, and buried organic materials are reason that create this
gas. Natural gas cannot be used directly to produce energy as many
impurities are found in it. Therefore before using it as source of energy it
undergoes through different processes in which ethane, propane, butanes,
pentanes, and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulfide,
carbon dioxide, water vapor, and sometimes helium and nitrogen are
removed from it.

Electricity from natural gas energy:


Natural gas which is a fossil fuel and form from buried plants and animals over the
period of thousand years, is a great source of generating electricity. When plants and
animals get exposed to sun they store its energy in form of carbon which turns into
natural gas after many centuries. Thisnon-renewable source of energy cannot be formed
artificially and its abundant use is making it rare day by day. To convert natural gas into
electricity gas power plants start process with extraction of gas from earth and transport it
to plants where conversion process takes place. After reaching at gas plant, this natural

source of energy undergoes through different processes to remove impurities, after which
gas moves to power plant through pipelines. Different power plants use different
technologies for converting gas into electricity. Two most commonly used methods are,
either to burn the gas in a boiler to produce steam or to burn the gas in a combustion
turbine to rotate its blades. Technology which uses steam turbine gives efficient results as
compared to other methods. This technology is called combined cycle and achieves a
higher efficiency by using the same fuel source twice.
Environmental Effects of natural gas energy:
Natural gas is composed of hydrogen and methane but when this gas burns it emits huge
quantity of carbon dioxide gas that is adding to global warming. Direct emissions of
methane represented 14.3 per cent of all global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.
Besides this extraction, storage, transportation and distribution of natural gas also leaks
gas into atmosphere which is adding more pollution than coal over the years. According
to the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, in 2004, natural gas produced about 5.3 billion
tons a year of CO2 emissions, while coal and oil produced 10.6 and 10.2 billion tons
respectively.
Pros and Cons:

Today this is widely used source of energy and fulfills 21% energy requirements
on the world.

Its delivery infrastructure exists from many centuries and end user appliances are
also common.

This source of energy is cleaner than fossil fuels and gives efficient results.

Natural gas can be transported easily from one place to another through pipelines
or in a tank.

It is far better for cooking than electricity.

This is a non-renewable source and non-sustainable in long run.

It emits carbon in environment and adding to global warming

Extraction process is very dangerous

There is high risk that it is going to end over a millennium

Leaked natural gas puts negative effect on our health

This gas is odorless, colorless and tasteless, so it is difficult to detect leakages

Nuclear Energy How Reliable Nuclear Source Of Energy Is?

Nuclear energy is a non-renewable source of energy and comes from the core of an atom.
Atoms which are small particles and have almost no volume have ironically enormous
source of energy. To get energy from atoms their bonds are broken that are founded in
nucleus of atom, the breakout releases high amount of energy that is further used for
conversion purposes. Two most efficient ways to break the bond of atom from it nucleus
are nuclear fusion and nuclear fission. Nuclear fission separates energy from nucleus of
atom by splitting it apart in tiny pieces. Energy gathered in this process is used worldwide
to produce electricity. In other method Nuclear fusion, instead of breaking one atom into
small pieces, multiple atoms are fussed together to multiply the power. This power
generates heat that produces steam and used with turbines to generate electricity.Nuclear
energy is not broadly used due to some accidents faced with explosion of this energy.
Some mentionable incidents include the Chernobyl disaster (1986), Fukushima Daiichi
nuclear disaster (2011), and the Three Mile Island accident (1979).
Importance and Demand for Nuclear Energy:

After increase in oil and gas prices, nuclear power is considered as an alternate or
substitute to these sources. Demand for use of nuclear energy is rising day by day and
today about 25% of world electricity is produced through this non-renewable source.
Different countries including Lithuania, France, Slovakia and Belgium heavily rely on
this energy as it is providing them with nearly half of their energy needs. Limited
availability of non-renewable energy sources and constantly changing prices are making

nuclear power more attractive and are expected to lead to growth in nuclear generating
capacity worldwide.
Another reason for increased demand for this energy is low carbon emission when it is
compared to other non renewable sources like oil and coal. A study shows that its total
life cycle emission intensity finding is similar to other renewable sources in a comparison
of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit of energy generated.
Here is a diagram which illustrates the amount carbon emissions when it is compared to
clean energy like solar energy and wind energy.
How reliable is Nuclear Energy?

When we talk about safe or clean energy sources we mostly think about renewable
energies, but the drawback of using them is their unreliable supply. With nuclear energy
this issue never comes around. Nuclear power is a stable energy supply source and its
plants are designed in a way so that they can operate for long run. Large units are
constructed in these power plants that ensure great supply of electricity for longer period.
If a nuclear plant needs to shutdown at immediate basis, still it can give up to 540-730
days power without any hindrance.
Because it is reliable source of energy, its is execpted to see growth of nuclear energy.
Not to mention it produces green house gases which may effect its usage over the time.
Pros and Cons nuclear energy:

Uranium releases low carbon dioxide In process of power generation.

Power produced with nuclear energy is million times more, than power generated
from hydro as well as wind power.

Cost of constructing the power plant is relatively low.

Major drawback of using this energy is irresponsible decisions that can cause
accidents.

Nuclear waste can create trouble at civil level.

Accidental release of harmful radiation is one of the biggest drawbacks of nuclear


energy.

NON RENEWABLE ENERGY


When earth came into being some 4.5 billion years ago there were no signs of life. Then
the symptoms of life came into being and the development in organism led to the creation
of human being, from the scientific point of view. From the time when apes transformed
into human beings, till now the human intervention has changed the world so much. The
growth of humans involves a number of mediums, the most vital of which (after air,
water and food) is fuel fuel to heat their homes, to cook their food, to run their vehicles,
to manufacture goods, to light up their homes, to run their appliances and what not.
There are two kinds of energy: renewable energy and non renewable energy. Almost 85
per cent of world consumption of energy is from non-renewable resources. Renewable
energy is collected from those resources that remain unaffected even after sacrificing
their energy such as solar, wind, water, etc. These green energy sources are more
common in developing world due to their one time investment. However, developed
nations mainly depend on fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas and coal) and nuclear power
(fission and fusion). Non-renewable resources are those resources that once exhausted
can never be returned to their original form.
Industrialized states are more prompt in utilizing fossil fuels to meet the needs of their
industries. These fossil fuels are a result of those plants and animals that were partially
decomposed and buried in the crest of earth millions of years ago due to environmental
changes. These fuels have high content of carbon dioxide and can be feasibly used.
Natural gas, coal and oil are the mostly consumed fossil fuels where oil shells and tar
sands are not used so frequently.

Coal: The most abundant form of fossil fuels having an estimated reserve of one
trillion metric tons. Asia, Eastern Europe and United States are the places where
coal is found in abundance. Coal is burned to acquire heat that is used to convert
water into steam which runs the generators that in turn produce electricity.

Oil: There are a lot of energy products that can be extracted after refining the
liquid petroleum or crude oil such as heating oil, jet fuels, diesel, gasoline, etc.).
More than 50 per cent of the total oil exists in Middle East, where limited
reservoirs are also present in North America. A large part of discovered oil is
already utilized where search of new reserves is going on (is not putting forth
hopeful results). If the consumption of oil is not controlled today than the
remaining oil of the world will be exhausted in nest 30 years.

Natural Gas: The residue of oil recovery is natural gas. It is basically a mixture
of gases, commonly methane (CH4), ethane (C2H5), propane (C3H8) and butane
(C4H10). The gas does not contain sulphur and it makes the fuel cleanest. It is
called LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas) when propane and butane are detached. Its
usage is gaining popularity because it is cheap and environment friendly. About
100 million metric tons of natural gas reserves are to date estimate which will last
for approximately 100 years. Middle East and Europe are the biggest containers
of natural gas.

Oil Shale and Tar Sands: The utilization of these sources is least. Oil shale
contains Kerogen that is a waxy substance of carbon. On heating to 490 degree
centigrade the Kerogen can be vaporized and then condensed to get shale oil.
Abundant energy is required to mine and process the oil shale. Its reserves are
plenty estimated at three trillion barrels. The worlds requirement of oil for next
100 years can alone be satisfied by consuming these oil shale. Tar sand contains
thick crude oil which can not be recovered by conventional oil mining procedures.
Steam is used for this purpose to push and flow the oil swiftly. Canada has the
largest reserve of tar sand and it alone can provide oil worldwide for about 15
years. These resources are not exploited mainly due to heavy cost of mining and
environmental concerns.

Nuclear Power: The procedure involves the fission of uranium particles to


produce heat that can convert water into steam which later on produce electricity.
Some of nuclear reactors are used in United States. It is clean source of nonrenewable energy (no pollutants or green house gases) but involves threats of
mishandling.

No doubt our planet is full of energy resources but it is our duty to exploit only those
reserves that cannot cause harm to the environment. The constant consumption of fossil
fuels has evolved threats of fuel extinction but we are provided with many alternates.
Need of the hour is to invent not only cost effective but also environment friendly
methods (to limit the hazardous residues) to fulfil the increasing demand of power.
Coal Energy The Largest Benefactor Of Mankind

A burnable brownish black or black rock composed of carbon and hydrocarbons. It is a


non-renewable source of energy, found in abundance in United States, which forms in
millions of years. Coal is formed of those partially decomposed plants that lived million
of years ago. Then earth was a marshy jungle, the layer of plants under the marsh was
covered with dust and water which catch the energy of the plants. Upper layers exert heat
and pressure on these plants and the finally turned into their existing form that is coal.
A burnable brownish black or black rock composed of carbon and hydrocarbons. It is a
non-renewable source of energy, found in abundance in United States, which forms in
millions of years. Coal is formed of those partially decomposed plants that lived million
of years ago. Then earth was a marshy jungle, the layer of plants under the marsh was
covered with dust and water which catch the energy of the plants. Upper layers exert heat
and pressure on these plants and the finally turned into their existing form that is coal.
Since 1978, the amount of coal produced in one hour by one miner is tripled due o latest
technology and gadgets. Large machines are used to dig coal mines where two methods
(surface mining and ground mining) are used. Surface mining generates about two third
of the total coal production as most of the coal reserves in United States occur near the
surface.

Surface mining: It is less expensive than the underground mining.


The method is used for those coal beds that are not more than 200
feet below. Large machines are used to set aside the layers of rock
and soil to expose the coal reserve. The rocks and dust is placed
back when the mining is accomplished. This land can be no more
used to plant crops, build houses and resort and for animals.

Underground mining: This method is used to dig out coal beds


that are buried some hundred feet below. Elevators are used to ride
miners into the coal mine where they extract coal.

The coal is then projected into the processing plants on a conveyor belt where sulfur, ash,
rock, dirt and other impurities are removed to improve the heating value of the coal. After
processing the mined coal is ready to ship for the market the cost of coal travel is more
than the cost of mining itself.
How electricity is produced using Coal
The combustion of coal produces tremendous heat which is used to convert water into the
steam. The burning of coal gives away heat, pollutants (like smoke and ash) and green
house gas. This steam is used to run the turbines which are attached to the electricity
producing generators. The electricity thus created is stored in a power station.
Types of Coal
There are four types of coal depending on the amount of carbon constituent and the
amount of heat generated. The deposits are ranked on the bases of heat and pressure that a
plant has suffered for millions of year.

Lignite: The moisture content of this form is very high.


Being young these reserves are least exposed to heat and
pressure and thus possess least energy content. Having the
carbon content of about 25 to 35 per cent, it is used to
produce electricity in power plants.

Sub Bituminous: It can produce more heat than the Lignite


as it contains 35 to 45 per cent carbon. The United Sates
sub Bituminous reserves are some 100 million years old.

Bituminous coal: Its heating value is about two to three


times greater than Lignite. It contains carbon about 45 to 86
per cent. Its average age is estimated as 100 to 300 million

years in United States reserves, and fulfilling half of the


US demand of coal.

Anthracite: Its heating value is slightly less than that of


Bituminous where carbon composition id from 86 to 97 per
cent.

Coal produces about 50 per cent of the total electricity of the United States. The fossil
fuel is burned to produce heat that runs the turbine of the power plant to generate
electricity.
Disadvantage of Coal
There are numerous disadvantages of coal. If mining is not properly carried than it can
destroy not only the land but also contaminate the water reserves. Nowadays the most
important part of mining is to restore the lands that are already damaged by the mining.
Moreover, the burning of coal gives off the green house gas, e.g. carbon dioxide which is
responsible for global warming. Global warming and global dimming are the most
haunting issues in the history of mankind and are still lurking to swallow the signs of life
on earth. Other pollutants like nitrogen oxide, sulfur and mercury badly affects the water
and wind. Sulfur after coming into contact with oxygen form sulfur dioxide which makes
the rain acidic and destroys vegetation. Mercury released into air finally settles in water
where it became a part of marine habitants and make them misfit as human and animal
food.
Industries are looking forward to low-sulfur coal to least affect the environment.
Industries are also looking for ways to reduce the existing amount of pollutants from air
and water. Coal is now more effectively cleaned before leaving the processing unit.
Scrubbers are used by power plant to extract sulfur from the smoke that is going out of
the chimney. Nitrogen oxide can be also exempted from same process. Scientists are now
working on ways to reduce the mercury content of coal.
Now doubt we need energy sources to meet our day to day needs of energy but it does not
mean that we should consult those resources that can damage the ecological system.

Incase we do than we must also focus on inventing ways to cope up with the merging
problems of pollution to save the planet from the aftermath of human intervention.
Soft Energy Technology

The complete definition of soft energy technologies is dependent upon the five key
factors. First of all soft energy is the energy which is renewable, secondly it is an energy
source which is simple to use and understand, thirdly it is an energy source which is
diverse and which is very efficient, fourthly it is designed for the end users mostly and
lastly it is aimed to provide quality to the end users. For example solar energy is termed
as soft energy. This source of energy is termed as soft energy because it is sustainable,
resilient and benevolent.
Sources of Soft Energy
The most common sources of solar energy are wind energy, solar energy and wave power.
Bio fuels are also a form of energy as soon as it is extracted form plants and material
waste. Solar energy is a very safe way of getting energy. Solar energy is considered as a
most useful source of soft energy, because it is a renewable energy source which is also
not exhaustible. Solar energy is simple to use and easy to attain. It is an abundant and free
source of energy which is very diverse and efficient. This source of energy provides
quality and service without harming its users. In order to generate electricity from the
solar heat we do not have to worry about any disposal of waste material and emission of
gases. It is mild source of energy which charges the solar cells and solar panels silently.
Other sources of energy like wind energy is very easy to conserve and the related
technologies are easy to use. It is said that wind power houses are the only power plants
in the world where no single worker has died to date.
Benefits of Soft Energy
The soft energy is a renewable source of energy and it is widely popular for its
sustainability and ease of use. The energy sources such as solar energy, geothermal
energy and wind energy are an alternative fuel choices as well as they are preferred for
their environment friendly behavior. Soft energy is a mild and caring way to produce
energy. The concern for environment and hazard of bio fuel has forced mankind to find

more and more ways to find alternative ways of electricity generation. Thus soft energy
sources are diversified and quick ways to generate energy. Moreover conserving the solar
energy is not a rocket science. One just has to place the solar panel in the sunlight and
would conserve energy automatically. The back up battery support conserves the direct
current and transformers it into alternate current at will. Soft energy sources are reliable
and in access of end users. This renewable energy is not the property of anyone therefore
it brings comfort and ease of use for the consumers. It is also termed as the energy for end
users because it is aimed at reducing the social gap and conflicts on the use of energy.
The solar, wind and geothermal energy is not the property of any one. Who ever wants to
make use of the extensive alternative natural sources he can.
Low Carbon Technology

Low carbon energy relates to the energy sources which generate fewer greenhouse gases
during the power conversion. Low carbon technologies consist of zero carbon generation
processes and energy sources like wind power, solar energy and geothermal power. It also
includes natural gas power plants which emit very low carbon dioxide in the air. Hence
low carbon technologies are a list of technologies which generate less carbon dioxide
than all the fossil fuel power plants. There is now unlimited application of renewable and
alternative energy technologies like low carbon technologies
Attributes of Low Carbon energy
The renewable energy sources like solar energy and wind power generate no carbon in
the process of generating electricity. However the terminology low carbon also refers to
the use of fuels which produce carbon dioxide during the process of power generation,
but the ways used to lower the carbon emission in the air is also a viable attribute of low
carbon technology. The electricity generation industry alone produces 39% carbon which
is harmful for us. This emission can be lowered by using carbon capture and storage
technologies. The technologies used to generate electricity with low carbon emissions
under efficient climate policy are comparatively lower than the other sectors like
transportation. The reason is that the improvements in car engines and use of bio fuels
along with fossil fuels have lowered the amount of gases released by vehicles. The car
engines are more environments friendly. The power plants are large projects and require

huge investment for deploying low carbon technologies. The use of low carbon
technology now accounts for about 28% of entire power generation.Carbon Capture
and Storage
It is possible to capture and bury the carbon in non atmospheric resources can help cut
down the 90% carbon emission from the cola power plants. The process of striping
carbon dioxide leaves hydrogen in the generators. This technology can also be used to
flush oil and gas residues form the oil fields. The captured carbon dioxide is of many
uses, like this carbon dioxide can be sold to the industry which uses this carbon to extract
more oil from the reservoirs. After the combustion of coal and gas, it is separated in
process of power generation, and then it is left for dehydration and compression. This
technology is helpful in separating carbon dioxide and use hydrogen for running power
turbines afterwards.
Benefits of Low Carbon Technologies
The low carbon technologies like carbon capture and storage, natural gas and combined
cycle gas turbines, hydroelectric power, wind power, solar power, nuclear power,
geothermal power and tidal power are a great way to reduce the burden of carbon dioxide
on atmosphere. It is emission of carbon which is held responsible for global warming.
The presence of carbon dioxide in the air holds the heat in the atmosphere which results
in high temperature. Thus the first benefit of using low carbon technologies id to prevent
our planet form global warming. Low carbon fuel standard is a set of standards which is
used to develop and plan alternative fuel sources. The low carbon standard promotes the
reduction of life cycle emission of gases. It can also help to divert the attention of fuel
suppliers to also make use of cheap and environment friendly fuels like ethanol. It also
helps in reducing emissions from the refining process. The world wide awareness about
using low carbon technologies has produced a whole new world of opportunities for
investors. The worlds have realized that the use of alternative energy sources for
producing electricity is soaring very high. This would not only provide us clean
environment but would also help us to lower the burden of foreign oil form our economy.

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY VS RENEWABLE


ENERGY
Mostly people think that these two energies are of same nature with different
names but this perception is wrong. Renewable energy includes all those
natural sources which can be replaced by natural ecological cycles. On the
other hand sustainable energies are those energies that help this world in
meeting its present needs without depleting ability of serving next
generations needs. Both kinds of energy leaves approximately zero effect on
environment and remain in same form throughout existence on this universe.

Energies Counted as both, Sustainable and Renewable:


Tidal, wave, geothermal and wind energies are mostly counted as renewable energies
while oil and gas present at large scale are sources of sustainable energies. But fact is that
the sun, the wind, and the earths heat can be characterized as both sustainable and
renewable energy sources.
Solar Energy: energy comes from sun in form of heat and light is called solar energy.
Solar energy is sustainable as well as renewable and leaves no harmful effects on
environment. Different technologies are being used to convert solar energy into
electricity or heat power and some new technologies are being developed as well. New

technologies will work to manufacture highly efficient solar modules so that efficient
results can get. Here is detailed article on Solar energy.
Wind power: another multi nature type of energy is wind power. Wind power itself is
nothing, but is an extension of solar power. When heat of sun hits surface of earth,
different materials absorb it and in night time discharge this heat that move the cool air.
This cycle blows wind that rotates wind mills or wind turbines. With this rotation of
turbines electricity is generated. Here is detailed articles about Wind power.
Biomass: Biomass is a great source of renewable energy and is gathered from biological
materials. This energy source can be used directly to get power or it can be converted in
some other forms of energy like biofuel. Different materials like Plants, trees, switch
grass, corn are burned to get power. Here is detailed article aboutBiomass energy.
Geothermal energy: Geothermal energy is also famous type of energy source and is
gathered from heat that comes from the earth. Earth is great source of heat at certain
points where it combines with water and is very easy to extract. Many reservoirs of heat
have been discovered and are used today for producing electricity in eco-friendly manner.
Here is detailed article on Geothermal energy.
Wave power: another clean solution to generate electricity is from wave power. For
conversion of wave power into electric current strong equipments and heavy investments
are required. This area is at its initial level but soon researchers will discover best ways of
using it. Here is detailed article on Wave power.
Hydropower: production of electrical power is based on gravitational force of water
flowing or falling on the ground under this head. As this power comes from water, it is
clean source of energy and does not add pollutants to air like burned fossil fuels and
natural gas. Here is detailed article onHydropower.
Fundamental Differences Sustainable energy and Renewable energy
1. Pollution: some sustainable sources like coal, oil and natural gas etc emits carbon
on the atmosphere. These sources give one part of energy while rests of the two
parts are wasted in form of carbon. But with renewable energy sources like solar,
wind or wave carbon emission is almost zero.

2. Energy conservation: sustainable energies were introduced to conserve energy


reservoir in the long run. Like coal and oil which are going to end in near future,
with conservation techniques can be saved for future. While renewable energies
are never going to end and are available for free.
3. Natural Existence: most of the sustainable energies are natural and limited;
humans cannot produce them at time of need. While renewable energy sources
are artificial and needs special arrangements to capture and use them. Like to use
wind power we have to install wind wills, and for solar power we use solar
panels. Besides this renewable energies are of abundant nature.

ENERGY SOURCES
There are two types of energy sources on which energy production of the
world moves around. These are Non Renewable energy and Renewable
energy sources. Non-renewable energy source is still the major source of
energy production worldwide. Whereas, Renewable energy is playing small
role in production of energy. Lets discuss each type of energy sources in
details individually.

Non Renewable energy source


Non-renewable energy source is the oldest way of producing energy worldwide. This
source is responsible for producing 80% of energy worldwide. Non-renewable
energy resources are the ones exist within our earth with which energy production
becomes possible. These resources are Fossil fuel Oil, Coal, Natural Gas, Nuclear
energy. With help of these sources energy is being produced for hundreds of years.
There is couple of major cons of using these natural sources of nature.

First these natural sources of energy are available within earth abundantly but not
unlimited; they are going to end eventually. For example oil, natural gas, coal etc. are
going to end once they are completely utilized to produce energy. Secondly, these sources
of energy releases green house gasses, carbon emissions and other harmful substances,
which pollute atmosphere of earth. Our atmosphere has been already damaged badly and

due to which earth temperature has been raising by 1 degree centigrade yearly. This
phenomenon of earth getting hotter slowly but constantly is known as Global warming.
In earlier twenty first century the importance of renewable energy sources were realized.
Renewable energy sources
Renewable energy source is the hope for scientists to not only produce enough energy
from and also to protect earths atmosphere at same time. Renewable energy is produced
from the natural sources of earth, which are found abundantly and have no fear of
consume them completely. These sources are wind, Sun light, Water, Geothermal,
Biomass etc. The other major advantages of using such renewable energy sources is that
they do not release green house gasses which pollute air and destroy earths atmosphere.

Widely used renewable energy sources are solar energy, Wind energy and Biomass.
However, Geothermal and Tidal energy (Water) are limited to geographical locations. We
have discuss all renewable sources in detailed and complete working and other related
articles which you may go through as you browse our website.
Have you ever wonder why oil prices are raising worldwide, slowly and gradually getting
beyond affordability? It is because most of the oil is used to produce energy in different
parts of the world. The increase demand in oil for energy production industry in last few
decays raised prices. It goes for other fossil fuels like coal. The more we use such
sources; we get more closer to completely utilized them and also increase global warming
courtesy of carbon emissions and other harmful gasses. Therefore, we as nations, and

earth habitants got to think about such resources which not only help the cause of
producing energy but also save our planet earth. And renewable energy sources is the
answer.
What Is Cheapest Sources Of Energy

Finding out the cheapest source of energy today is very tough because we have to
choose from renewable and non-renewable sources. At some points when the source of
energy is available at cheap price then installation or operating charges create trouble and
when operating charges are not much then cost of the source becomes an issue. Therefore
we have to consider both the facts before deciding about cheapest source of energy found
today.

Coal: we all think that renewable sources are cheapest but we are wrong at this
point. The cheapest wind power turbine you can find that could possibly generate
even a fraction of your homes electricity costs over $3,500, while for a solar
plane you have to spend more than $10,000. But in comparison to these sources
coal is still the cheapest all around the world. Only drawback associated with this
source is emission of carbon which is responsible for creating global warming.
Different types of coal are used today for purpose of generating energy like Peat,
Lignite, Sun-Bituminous, Bituminous and Anthracite. By burning 80 pounds of
coal we can generate energy equal to seven gallons of gasoline. This shows that
how cheap coal is to use even today.

Wind Power: the next cheapest source of energy is wind power however, which
does not release harmful carbon gases in the air. The only cost that you have to
bear to generate energy through this source is installation cost of the system. Wind
is provided by nature therefore you do not need to pay a single penny for using it.
System which can convert wind into any kind of energy includes wind turbines
and wind mills. For this purpose wind farms are developed with hundreds of wind
turbines on it which are connected with electrical power transmission network.
Offshore and onshore are two types of wind farms used according to need and
atmosphere.

Solar power: when we talk about most recognized renewable sources of energy
the only name that comes to our mind is solar power. Like wind power solar
power is also natural source and does not bear any charges for using it, the only
associated with generation of energy is installation cost of solar systems. Under
this one of the cheapest source, energy from sun is captured on small cells made
by silicon or other popular materials. This material is attached with a panel which
converts the heat of sun in electricity or any other form. Although solar panels
cost little higher, but increasing coal and oil prices are making these panels highly
efficient and cost effective for future.

Natural gas power: another non-renewable natural source of energy is gas which
is still available at cheap rates around the world and has much lower construction
cost. But in comparison to coal its operating cost is higher and today it is serving
more than 23% of total energy needs of this world. Although natural gas is also
responsible for populating the environment but this ratio is small as compared to
coal. This cleanest-burning conventional fuel, producing lower levels of
greenhouse gas emissions than heavier hydrocarbon fuels.

Pros and cons of using these energy sources:

Coal is one of the worlds most plentiful non-renewable energy sources but at the
same time burning coal is major reason of air pollution today.

Wind power is clean source of energy and its capital cost if decreasing day by day,
at the same time this wind is inconsistent, unsteady and unpredictable.

Solar energy is sustainable and environment friendly source of energy but using it
with manufacturing plants can release greenhouse gas which is bad for
environment.

Natural gas to wildly use for power generation and burns quite efficiently but this
non-renewable fuel contains methane which makes it explosive and dangerous to
use.

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