Electricity and Fossil Fuels
The most common types of energy that we rely upon would be electricity and fossil fuels. A good example of energy used in our daily lives is electricity which is used to power tv’s, charge our electronics, light homes, power air conditioning, street lights and much more. Fossil fuels have to be the number one energy source throughout the country because it is used in absolutely everything[3]. It is used in oil and coal, natural gas, to generate electricity, and petroleum. There are many reasons as to why energy has increased in the past 3 years. One of those being that the population throughout the country has increased, therefore causing them to use more energy[1]. The bigger the population is, the higher the consumption of energy will be.
There are multiple types of energy, but the most common conventional types are oil, natural gases, coal, nuclear energy and hydroelectric energy. Oil, gas, and coal are all fossil fuels that are found underground. Oil and natural gases originate from organisms which are deposited in sedimentary rocks combined with the mineral grains that form the rock. Oil is mainly used to fuel cars, trucks, and airplanes. While oil is used to benefit us, it also has its disadvantages. Oil releases an abundant amount of carbon dioxide which is harmful to everything in our environment and leads to global warming.
Advantages of Gasoline
Oil spills are also a major disadvantage that pollute our environment and could cause irreversible damage. Gasoline, on the other hand, has many uses such as providing electricity, cooking, heating houses and other large structures, and heating water. Some advantages of gasoline are that it’s the cheapest fossil fuel and it does not allow for pollution, since it releases products in a gaseous form[5]. At the same time, it also comes with its disadvantages such as it is not a renewable resource, so it is only a temporary solution the problem[5]. In addition, it could lead to gas leaks, which could bring toxicity into the environment, making it an unsafe place for people to live. Together gasoline and oil form petroleum[4].
Just like oil and gas have individual uses, petroleum also has an abundant amount of uses. Petroleum can be found in fertilizers, dyes, food preservatives, medicines, perfumes, toys, and much more[4]. Coal is derived from energy that plants had stored in them millions of years ago. There are multiple types of coal, for example thermal coal is used in power generation and metallurgical coal is used in the production of steel. A major advantage of coal is that it can be converted into several different forms, such as gas or liquid. Some of the disadvantages include, but are not limited to it can give off high amounts of radiation, it is not a renewable resource, and the fumes given off by coal are linked to various health diseases.
Nuclear Energy
Another useful type of conventional energy is nuclear energy. Nuclear energy comes from uranium, which is a nonrenewable resource that must be mined. It is used to produce electricity to power homes, street lights, and much more without causing any damage to the environment, but it must first be released from the uranium atoms[6]. Just like all the other conventional types of energy, nuclear energy also come with its advantages and disadvantages. Some of these advantages are that it is a more reliable source of energy and it produces absolutely no greenhouse gases, which is very beneficial to the environment[6]. The disadvantages of nuclear energy include water pollution and the giving off of harmful levels of radiation. Hydroelectric energy comes from power of the flow of moving water. It is a very old type of energy, but at times it is still used to power dams and wells. Hydro energy has its pros and cons, the pros are that it is much safer to use than nuclear energy and it is a very reliable and renewable source[2]. Some of the cons include it being very costly, it could cause droughts, and it could be hazardous to the environment[2].
Renewable fuels are fuels in which they are processed from different renewable resources. Renewable fuels are biofuels, which include vegetable oil used as fuel, methanol, biodiesel, and carbon dioxide[7]. Other renewable fuels are hydrogen fuel and fuels which could be synthesized from those renewable energy sources, like solar power or wind. Renewable fuels are coming into the limelight because these sources have the capability to keep up with fossil fuels[7]. These renewable fuels have a lot of potential, they are able to account for large amounts of energy, unlike other energy sources. They also are able to reduce pollution by huge amounts, in order to avoid global warming and provide a cleaner environment.
Solar Energy
There are several types of renewable fuels, a few of them are solar energy, wind, ethanol, geothermal energy, and biodiesel. Solar energy is simply the heat that the sun is radiating. The sun is the ultimate and most powerful source of energy[8]. Solar radiation has been used for centuries to provide warmth and to assist in the growing of crops. Some advantages of sunlight include no carbon dioxide or effects on the environment and solar energy reduces the use of electricity.
Disadvantages include it is solely dependent on the weather, it could possibly pollute the environment, and the suns rays could cause skin cancer. Wind results from the uneven heating of earth’s surface by sunlight. An example of wind is the daily wind cycle and the main purpose of this wind energy is to generate electricity. The advantages of wind are that it is a free renewable resource and it is a part of nature so it doesn’t cause any harm[8]. The disadvantages are that building wind powered facilities and turbines could be very costly.
Ethanol is derived from biomass. It can be combined with gasoline and used to fuel cars and the alcohol we drink is solely ethanol. Some of its advantages are it produces byproducts that could be used for other things and it is an energy balanced fuel[8]. On the other hand, the disadvantages are it is very costly, it has proven to alter the levels of food production, and it requires a wide span of cropland to grow on. Geothermal energy results from heat within the Earth and it is considered a renewable fuel because heat is constantly being produced inside Earth. The most common uses are to heat homes, heat and cool buildings, and to produce electricity. Just like all the other renewable fuels geothermal energy comes with advantages such as it will always remain a renewable fuel as long as the Earth exists and it does not require fuel in order to generate electricity[8].
Power Plants
The disadvantages are environmental concerns and the power plants could be costly and unstable depending on the land. Biodiesel comes from biomass and is mainly used in oils such as sunflower oil, canola oil, corn oil, and soybean oil. The advantages include it is a very safe renewable fuel and it does not give off emissions, meaning it does not pose any threat to the environment[8]. Disadvantages include it could cause corrosion if stored for long periods of time and it does not hold as much power.
The outlook on energy for the human race is that, the nonrenewable resources need to be preserved at all costs because over time they will begin to diminish. The more that the population increases, the more energy consumption there is and there’s nothing we can do about it. Resources such as energy, fuel, water, and heat are used in our everyday lives and there’s no way around it.
The human race should preserve energy as much as possible. I feel that nuclear energy has multiple benefits such as generating electricity and its super reliable[6]. In my opinion, it is the most efficient form of energy in order to put an end to global warming and to have a cleaner environment. As for the nuclear power plants, they will put an end to polluted air and the energy will be used towards powering those electric cars. So, yes I do support the use of nuclear energy because it. clean, safe, and nonhazardous source of energy in comparison to other sources[6].
My outlook on energy is that it is needed for all of our daily uses whether we like it or not. I must say that at times energy is overused and the human race doesn’t put in enough effort to preserve energy. I do fear that one day we will be left without non-renewable resources, but it is up to us to conserve these as much as possible. Renewable resources are more efficient and at times pose less of a threat to our environment. So, we should put forth effort to preserve all of Earth’s resources for our own well being.
