RAMONS ENGLISH CLASS

CLEAN ENERGIES
Definition of energy.
Scientists define energy as the ability to do work. What that means is that humans have found ways to change one form of energy to another to work for us. Energy exists in many different forms. Examples of these are: light energy, heat energy, mechanical energy, gravitational energy, electrical energy, sound energy, chemical energy, nuclear or atomic energy and so on. These forms of energy can be transferred and transformed between one another. This is of immense benefit to us. For example, we change wood into heat when we burn it.

History of energy.
Wood, a biomass, was the first source of energy. Cant you just picture the cave dwellers around their fires, cooking their food and keeping warm? We still do that when we go camping. The Industrial Revolution that started in England in the mid-1700s that coal began to replace biomass as the primary source of energy. This completely changed how the world operated. At the same time, the human population began to grow in leaps and bounds, right along with energy consumption. This was the start of the increasing demand for energy. More people need more energy. Although wood is a renewable energy source, the forests were disappearing under the onslaught of industrialization. Coal was plentiful, so more and more industries began to burn it for energy. The massive use of oil and natural gas didnt start until the late 1800s and early 1900s when large reserves were discovered. This high energy fuel led to the invention of the first cars. Up until the mid-1900s, no one appeared concerned that the world would run out of these energy sources. Until in 1949, a scientist, predicted that the fossil fuel era would be very short-lived. The industrial world began to realize we would soon have to rely on other energy sources.

By this time, almost all industry was using oil, coal and natural gas. The cost of changing the systems to alternative energy sources was way too expensive, so they just kept on doing what they have been doing for a couple of hundred years. Nuclear power has a long and controversial history. Most people think of the nuclear bomb, not the useful energy it produces. Most nuclear power plants are powered by uranium, which is in short supply. A big problem with these power plants, is how to get rid of the waste generated by the plants. The radioactive wastes could take at least 10,000 years to break down into harmless elements. Most people dont want that kind of dangerous stuff stored or buried near them.

Global warming
Global warming is a slow but steady rise in Earth's surface temperature. Temperatures today are 0.74 C (1.33 F) higher than 150 years ago. Some people think that the warming is because of people burning fossil fuels like coal and oil. Some also think that humans are cutting down too many of the earth's forests, a process known as deforestation. Most major governments and science groups agree with these ideas. If the earth's temperature becomes hotter the sea level will also become higher. This is partly because water expands when it gets warmer. It is also partly because warm temperatures make glaciers melt. The sea level rise may cause coastal areas to flood. Weather patterns, including where and how much rain or snow there is, will change. Deserts will probably increase in size. Colder areas will warm up faster than warm areas. Strong storms may become more likely and farming may not make as much

food. These effects will not be the same everywhere. The changes from one area to another are not well known. People in government have talked about global warming. They do not agree on what to do about it. Some things that could reduce warming are to burn less fossil fuels, adapt to any temperature changes, or try to change the Earth to reduce warming. The Kyoto Protocol tries to reduce pollution from the burning of fossil fuels. Most governments have agreed to it. Some people in government think nothing should change.

Alternative Renewable Energy Sources

Renewable energy is any source of energy that doesn't consume the finite resources of the Earth and can be easily and quickly replenished. At present only a small proportion of the world's energy needs come from alternative and renewable energy sources. These exist in many forms including Solar Thermal, Photovoltaics, Wind, Hydro, Tidal/Wave and Bioenergy (including Biomass, Biogas and Biofuels). As with fossil fuels the sun's energy is the ultimate source of these energies.

The Advantages of Renewable Energy One major advantage with the use of renewable energy is that as it is renewable it is therefore sustainable and so will never run out. Renewable energy facilities generally require less maintenance than traditional generators. Their fuel being derived from natural and available resources reduces the costs of operation. Even more importantly, renewable energy produces little or no waste products such as carbon dioxide or other chemical pollutants, so has minimal impact on the environment. Renewable energy projects can also bring economic benefits to many regional areas, as most projects are located away from large urban centres and suburbs of the capital cities. These economic benefits may be from the increased use of local services as well as tourism. The Disadvantages of Renewable Energy. It is easy to recognize the environmental advantages of utilizing the alternative and renewable forms of energy but we must also be aware of the disadvantages. One disadvantage with renewable energy is that it is difficult to generate the quantities of electricity that are as large as those produced by traditional fossil fuel generators. This may mean that we need to reduce the amount of energy we use or simply build more energy facilities. It also indicates that the best solution to our energy problems may be to have a balance of many different power sources. Another disadvantage of renewable energy sources is the reliability of supply. Renewable energy often relies on the weather for its source of power. Hydro generators need rain to fill dams to supply flowing water. Wind turbines need wind to turn the blades, and solar collectors need clear skies and sunshine to collect heat and make electricity. When these resources are unavailable so is the capacity to make energy from them. This can be unpredictable and inconsistent. The current cost of renewable energy technology is also far in excess of traditional fossil fuel generation. This is because it is a new technology and as such has extremely large capital cost.

SOLAR ENERGY
Some materials are sensitive to the sun's radiant or light energy and react in such a way that we can harness this "reaction" to produce electricity. The sun's light energy can be converted directly into electricity in a single process using Photovoltaic (PV) cells, otherwise known as solar cells. A PV cell is a thin plate of light sensitive material made primarily of silicon, the second most abundant element in the earth 's crust, and the same semiconductor material used for computers. When the silicon is combined with one or more other materials, it exhibits unique electrical properties in the presence of sunlight. Electrons are excited by the light and move through the silicon. This is known as the photovoltaic effect and results in direct current (DC) electricity. Many PV cells are linked together to create a standard PV module, which in turn are linked together into a PV array. PV modules have no moving parts, are virtually maintenance-free although they should be kept clean and clear of shading, and have a working life of 20 -30 years. The PV array produces direct current (DC) electricity. An "inverter" is used to convert the DC to alternating current (AC), so the power is the same as normal grid power and can be used in household appliances. The inverter is a box of electronics, similar to a computer.

WIND ENERGY. Like old fashioned windmills, todays wind machines (also called wind turbines) use blades to collect the winds kinetic energy. The wind flows over the blades creating lift, like the effect on airplane wings, which causes them to turn. The blades are connected to a drive shaft that turns an electric generator to produce electricity. With the new wind machines, there is still the problem of what to do when the wind isn't blowing. At those times, other types of power plants must be used to make electricity

HYDROELECTRIC POWER