Running head: CLEANER AND EFFICIENT ENERGY

Cleaner and Efficient Energy

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Introduction

The importance of energy in driving the different aspects of the economy can never be

underestimated. In fact, energy can be credited with the greater part of human civilization

especially with regard to industrial revolution. It goes without saying that the entire world has

primarily been using fossil fuels and coal as their main source of energy. While this has proved to

be quite reliable over the centuries, recent times have brought the point about their limited nature

home. The demand for energy has increased thereby leading to the overutilization of these fuels.

Unfortunately, they are limited resources whose magnitudes have been reduced and threaten to

be completely unavailable in the coming days. On the same note, fossil fuels have been the

primary culprits as far as environmental degradation and pollution. This is especially considering

the emissions from its usage. This has prompted efforts to devise new sources of energy. While

the journey to attaining greener and cleaner energy may yet to be attained, the world has made

immense strides in the process of getting cleaner energy. The term clean energy, while being used

to refer to the form of energy that does not result in environmental degradation, may also

underline the varied forms of renewable energy, which is derived from sustainably replenished

natural resources thereby resulting in the improvement of air quality and a reduction in the

reliance on fossil fuels.

One of the most popular cleaner and green sources of energy is wind energy. This is an

efficient, affordable and abundant source of domestic electricity that comes with no pollution.

There have been increased efforts to tap into wind energy with 3464 turbines being put up in

2011 alone (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2013). Scholars note that today, the electricity

generated by American wind is sufficient to power over 11 million homes, not to mention other

benefits such as creation of jobs and steady incomes for landowners and investors (Maczulak,
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2010). While there are questions as to the sufficiency of wind energy, research shows that wind

energy, in some months provides over 6% of the electricity in the United States with experts

estimating that it could realistically supply 30% of the countrys electricity needs in the future

(Maczulak, 2010). Wind energy has varied advantages including lack of emissions,

inexhaustible, fast to construct, fast energy payback times, and no consumption of water in its

production (Maczulak, 2010). The key disadvantage may only relate to the fact that birds may be

trapped in the wind turbines.

In addition, there have been enormous investments on solar energy. This only involves

the installation of solar panels that have photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight energy to

electricity (Avato, & Coony, 2008). The cost involved in the production of solar energy has been

going down with experts insinuating that it could eventually become less expensive than

conventional energy in varied parts of the country. The utility of solar energy is evidenced by the

32-megawatt Long Island Solar Farm located at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (Avato, &

Coony, 2008). This is the largest solar farm today at the East Coast and generates energy

sufficient to power more than 4500 homes. Solar energy has varied advantages including its

infinite renewability, no pollutions or emissions, silent and easy to operate, and can slash energy

bills while lowering blackouts (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2013). Their main

disadvantage rests in the fact that they may not produce sufficient energy in cloudy days. In

addition, the solar panels may be considerably expensive in which case the initial capital

required may be quite high (Maczulak, 2010).

On the same note, there have been concerted efforts to invest in biogas energy. This is

mainly derived from cow manure and coming as the ultimate win-win source of energy. It allows

farmers to generate their electricity while reducing odor pollution, water contamination, as well
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as global warming emissions emanating from animal waste (Avato, & Coony, 2008). This is

produced in the anaerobic decomposition of manure (without oxygen) into a blend of gasses that

can generate electricity, hot water and heat with the remainder being used as bedding and

fertilizer (Maczulak, 2010). Research shows that in 2011, American commercial livestock farms

had about 180 operational biogas recovery systems that generated electricity sufficient for 47,000

homes (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2013). In 2010, researchers noted that

approximately 1800 farms in the United States could support biogas recovery systems and

provide approximately 1600 megawatts of energy and lower global warming emissions by 1.8

metric tons, which is equivalent to taking about 6.5 million cars off the road (Natural Resources

Defense Council, 2013). This underlines the utility and capacity of biogas as a renewable source

of energy. The advantages of this source of energy are evident in the improved air quality,

cleaner water and reduction of greenhouse gasses.

On the same note, some countries have trained their attention on nuclear energy. Nuclear

energy comes as the least expensive form of energy. However, there have been excessive

permitting and legal delays that push the capital cost of setting up new nuclear-power plants and

hindering the establishment of new projects (Alley & Alley, 2012). In fact, the United States has

only one nuclear plant whose construction started in 1973, as opposed in 44 under construction

in other countries. While the United States produces only 20% of its electricity from nuclear,

countries such as France generate up to 80% from the same (Alley & Alley, 2012). Nuclear

comes as extremely clean as it does not have any emissions to the atmosphere, not to mention the

fact that it consumes a small space compared to other sources such as wind and solar (Alley &

Alley, 2012). However, the bone of contention has mainly revolved around the nuclear waste,

which is radioactive and no proper disposal methods. However, new technology has allowed for
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the safe removal and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel thereby generating new reactor fuel and

reducing the amount of waste that needs to be disposed (Alley & Alley, 2012). Scholars note that

a typical American using nuclear energy in his or her entire lifetime would generate waste only

sufficient to fill a coke can, which can be safely disposed off in deep repositories unlike the

landfills from batteries and solar panels. However, this too would still be radioactive (Alley &

Alley, 2012).

Needless to say, the United States has a raft of options as to the source of clean energy

that it can pursue. Each of these sources has their own advantages and disadvantages which may

include the cost of establishment or low utility in some weather. However, they have the

advantage of being extremely clean compared to fossil fuels that are the main sources of energy

in the current times. While there may be variations in the output, increased investment in nuclear

energy would close the gap between the demand for energy in the country while also reducing

the emissions or environmental pollution (Avato, & Coony, 2008). This may be blended with

other forms of energy such as wind energy and biogas thereby reducing air and environmental

pollution.
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References

Natural Resources Defense Council, (2013). Renewable Energy for America: Harvesting the

Benefits of Homegrown Renewable Energy. Web retrieved June 20th 2013 from

http://www.nrdc.org/energy/renewables/

Alley, W.M & Alley, R (2012). Too Hot to Touch: The Problem of High-Level Nuclear Waste.

New York: Cambridge University Press

Maczulak, A. E. (2010). Renewable energy: Sources and methods. New York: Facts On File.

Avato, P., & Coony, J. (2008). Accelerating clean energy technology research, development, and

deployment: Lessons from non-energy sectors. Washington, D.C: World Bank.