| The Sources of Our Current Energy and Why We Need Alternatives |
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| Environment - Environment |
| Written by Beverly Clarke |
| Sunday, 26 April 2009 08:10 |
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We flick a switch and the lights, television and microwave come on. But did you ever stop to think about where the energy to power these appliances comes from? Since you probably have never given it a thought, you are unaware that today's energy is being supplied by fossil fuels and coal, two sources of energy responsible for sending huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Scientists are becoming more and more alarmed with the impact these poisons are having on our environment and are beginning to make their growing concern known.
We flick a switch and the lights, television and microwave come on. But did you ever stop to think about where the energy to power these appliances comes from? Since you probably have never given it a thought, you are unaware that today's energy is being supplied by fossil fuels and coal, two sources of energy responsible for sending huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Scientists are becoming more and more alarmed with the impact these poisons are having on our environment and are beginning to make their growing concern known. Because people do not realize how their normal electrical usage can affect the climate in such a strong way, they are not as concerned about trying to find alternatives. However, the importance for finding clean, renewable, sustainable forms of energy has never been more important. Apart from the fact that the energy sources we use now could harm the atmosphere, the fact is that they are not renewable and eventually at the rate at which we are consuming the energy, we will soon run out. This is probably the most pressing reason behind our need to find alternative sources of energy. Right now energy companies have been exploring the options for using solar and wind energy on a wider basis than is currently being used. Dams are also a great source for hydro power but are only good in areas with lakes and rivers that can be confined and used as a source of energy. Likewise, wind energy can only be harnessed in areas where there are consistently moderate wind gusts, so a lot of areas which do not fall into this category might not have access to enough wind energy to sustain their power needs. Today researchers all over the world are searching for sources of alternative forms of energy. The most controversial available source is nuclear power which is clean, not releasing carbon dioxide into the air, but has its highly concerning downsides. The dangers from melt down and contamination are a concern along with questions over where to store the harmful nuclear waste that takes millions of years to break down has kept nuclear power from large scale development. We have a finite amount of land for storage and nuclear byproducts could also leach into the environment over time if stored in this way. Until something is discovered that can help reduce the problems we are all experiencing, the best thing that everyone can do to help the situation is to try to cut back on their energy usage on a consistent basis. Research has shown that if everyone just took the time to turn off the lights in their homes when they were not in use, that it would help to cut back the amount of energy being used by up to twenty five percent. About the Author: Beverly Clarke is a Green Living Advocate who resides in South Florida. In order to contribute to the greening of our world, she has created the websitesGreenWindsofChange.comandRoad2Sustainability.com where you can get your free guide to living green. |