Powering the Future

The twenty-first century has brought about amazing feats achieved by humans, ranging from traveling from one country to the next by plane, space travel, to the simplest of day-to-day activities such as driving and mowing one’s lawn.  Over time, life has become simple for humans; however, the cost for a less complex way of life is great.  Fossil fuels are a growing danger to our climate, and when burned, nitrogen is released into the atmosphere.  Nitrogen is a colorless, odorless unreactive gas that forms about seventy-eight percent of the Earth’s atmosphere.  Due to the increase of nitrogen being released in our environment, it has caused devastating effects such as smog and acid rain.  Although nitrogen can be released by various means, the main contributing factor is transportation.  When humans continuously rely on the harvesting and burning of fossil fuels, we in turn become ca cancer that destroys our environment.  In addition to rising levels of nitrogen, the spiking levels of another colorless gas, carbon dioxide, are causing a rise in cardiovascular health concerns.  While essential to life on Earth, carbon dioxide is deadly in large amounts and brings on complications such as asthma, lung impairments, and even premature death.  Energy researchers have been diligent in their strides to find environmentally friendly alternatives.  Alternative energy has become a vital necessity for the surviving nature of Earth and future generations of its inhabitants. 

Unlike fossil fuels, one commonly used and cleaner alternative is solar power.  The two types of solar energy that exist are solar and passive energy.  Solar energy is completely pollutant free since the energy is harnessed by heating metal panels, known as solar panels.  Solar energy is becoming increasingly popular due to the rapid decline in the price of installation.  Furthermore, the money saved on electric bills eventually pays for the installment and eventually saves more money in the long run.  Another way that solar energy has become cost efficient is the rising amount of vehicles that have become eco-friendly.  Many automotive manufacturers, such as Tesla Motors, have begun making cars that run entirely off of solar power. In addition to helping to save this environment, these vehicles will also save people who invest in the company’s innovative invention thousands of dollars in gas over an extended period of time.  The disadvantages of solar energy mostly affect colder climates with low light. 

These colder climates, however, cannot reap the benefits of solar energy.  Instead, wind energy is a considerable option.  Humans have been harnessing the power of the wind since people began sailing the seas and use wind energy every day for other tasks such as flying kites, and powering crop irrigation.  Scientists have discovered that wind can be captured with propellers known as wind turbines.  The wind turns the blades around a rotor that is connected to the main shaft; which then in turn spins a generator to create electricity that can be used to power homes.  For cold, windy areas such as Alaska, wind energy would be a definite money saver. 

An often overlooked, and rather controversial form of energy is the biodiesel fuel that can be created from the oil of hemp; which is similar to the oil from soy, rapeseed, and palm.  Hemp is inexpensive and can be grown rapidly in a wide variety of climates.  It has hardly any need for fertilizers or pesticides as the roots from the hemp plant suppress common weeds. The oil contains a high percentage of useful oil that has high biomass and can be converted to useful fuels such as bioethanol.  UConn researchers have been working towards transforming unrefined hemp seed oil into biodiesel fuel and researching its properties so that people can begin to see the beneficial qualities of an often-demonized plant.  

Another noteworthy, yet not as well-known, source of energy is hydroelectric energy.  While solar energy is harnessed from the heat provided by the sun, and wind energy from the power of the wind, hydroelectric energy is obtained from the energy of moving water.  The mechanical energy created from the moving waterpower turbines and converts it to electrical energy through generators.  Although hydroelectric energy is not as well known, it is one of the most used means of creating clean energy with the construction of dams.  The only downside to this source is that it is completely dependent upon the amount of rainfall in a given year, thus the energy it generates varies greatly over an extended period of time. 

 By taking the time to construct a means of obtaining various different forms of energy, the world would not only save money but also create jobs in various fields.  As stated by Dr.  Erika Podest, a carbon and water cycle research scientist,  

“CO2 concentrations haven’t been this high in millions of years.  Even more alarming is the rate of increase in the last five hundred or thousands of years.  This milestone is a wakeup call that our actions in response to climate change need to match the persistent rise in CO2 emissions.  Climate change is a threat to life on Earth, and we can no longer afford to be spectators.” ​(Podest)​  

Fossil fuels have become scarcer and more expensive as demand rises, and as a result it leaves our planet depleted and leaves Earth’s inhabitants becoming unhealthier as CO2 levels continue to rise.  Having alternative means of powering the world, our future is not only cleaner, and will make humans healthier, but it is also a future that humans can rely on for generations to come.   

Works Cited 

Queally, Jon. “The Lancet:  Fossil Fuels Are Killing Us…  Quitting Them Can Save Us.” Common Dreams.  23 June. 2015, http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/06/23/lancet-fossil-fuels-are-killing-us-quitting-them-can-save-us 

Le Quere, C., Raupach M.R, Candadell, J.G, Marland, G.  “Fossil Fuels.”  Carbon and Climate Change.  2009, http://carboncycle.aos.wisc.edu/fossil-fuels/ 

Rinkesh.  “What are Alternative Energy Sources?”  Conserve Energy Future.  http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/AlternativeEnergySources.php#abh_posts 

Podest, Erika.  “NASA Scientists React to 400 PPM Carbon Milestone.” Global Climate Change.  21 May.  2013, http://climate.nasa.gov/400ppmquotes/ 

“The Sources and Solutions: Fossil Fuels.”  US Environmental Protection Agency.  27 Jan. 2016, https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/sources-and-solutions-fossil-fuels 

“Hydroelectric.” Institute for Energy Research.  http://instituteforenergyresearch.org/topics/encyclopedia/hydroelectric/ 

“Nitrogen.” Merriam-Webster.  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nitrogen 

“Health Impacts.”  David Suzuki Foundation. http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/climate-change/science/impacts/health-impacts/ 

Owens, Jeremy.  “Elon Musk’s ‘Master Plan’ for Tesla: Solar Power, Fully Autonomous Car-Sharing and Heavy Vehicles.  Market Watch.  21 July.  2026, http://www.marketwatch.com/story/elon-musks-master-plan-for-tesla-solar-power-fully-autonomous-car-sharing-and-heavy-vehicles-2016-07-20