Coal is a harmful air pollution and for solar power its energy for the electricity and weather.…
Suppose an electric-generating power plant is about to be built near your house. The local government has not decided whether to allow coal, nuclear, or oil as fuel for the plant (natural gas is not an option). Some groups argue coal is the best choice because there is a 200-year supply and using coal reduces our dependence on foreign oil. Critics argue that burning coal produces three times more global-warming gasses than oil. Coal also produces more dust and expels more acid-rain-causing gases than oil. Others argue that nuclear-generated power produces no greenhouse gases and no other atmospheric pollution. Critics argue that there is presently no long-term location to store the radioactive waste that will be generated and question the safety of nuclear power. Over the life of the plant, nuclear is the least expensive option, followed by coal and then oil.…
The book mentions that air pollution from coal-fired power plants is estimated to cause more than 13,000 premature deaths each year. Coal pollution is implicated in causing thousands of heart and asthma attacks. Coal power generation is the leading source of carbon dioxide emissions. The other dirty side of this “power generation coin” is nuclear power. The process itself, when regulated and maintained correctly, is quite safe. Incidents like the 1986 Chernobyl plant meltdown and the incident mentioned in this book, the 2011 Fukushima Accident caused by the tsunami can have disastrous consequences. So what can be attributed to the closing of coal plants and the decline in construction of nuclear power plants? Well, the price of natural gas, which by the way is a cleaner form of power generation, has been linked to the decline in coal usage. Air pollution regulations are becoming stricter across the world. Needless to say, the initial costs of constructing a nuclear power plant are enormous and the strict regulations that govern the storage, operation and waste disposal of materials can be powerful deterrents. Not to mention that the Fukushima experience has caused widespread public opposition to nuclear power in Japan (Brown 2015), and in my opinion around the world as well. Renewable Energies The solar and wind revolution is upon us, along with tapping the wind, earth’s heat and using the power of water to create energy. These renewable energies are becoming more accessible and efficient. Solar cells (solar photovoltaics/PV) have come a long way since 1954. At first they powered satellites and now they can provide power to common households and in the very near future automobiles. Many countries around the world are investing on solar power technology and its paying off. Consumers are able to purchase these solar panels cheaper, according to the book,…
Energy is an important part of our everyday lives. Energy can come in many different types, and forms it can be used for many different purposes. Energy has many different usages and can be converted from one form of usage to another form of usage depending on what the need is. One form of energy conversion is the use of food to supply people's bodies with energy. Another form of energy is how coal is converted into electricity. Fuel is another form of energy that can be used for many different usages as well. Fuel is used for much different reason such as allowing our cars to function and our lawnmowers to cut grass. There are many different reasons why people use energy in the many different ways that we use it. Even though people rely on energy usage, some of the forms of energy we use are very harmful to the environment and even dangerous to ourselves. The harmful and dangerous fuels that we use can be changed to alternative methods of energy usage. There are two different types of alternative energy, which is known as renewable energy. Renewable energy is very resourceful and is able to be used because it is all around us there will not be a shortage of material and it is safer on every living thing and being. Energy and fuel usage just like everything else in the world has its advantages and disadvantages about using it. We must collectivity figure out which source of energy is right for everyone but for now we will find out which is best to use in your…
Coal mining has been around for decades since the 1800s and coal has been powering our lights even till today. The documentary called, "Burning the future: Coal in America" presented a lot of vital information about how the coal industries work and how coal helps the nation stay lit. Countries that build the world 's biggest coal plants are the United States, China and India. The states that practice coal mining are Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. Coal power plants emissions contain many elements and compounds including sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide and other elements including one of the largest sources which are carbon dioxide. Burning the future discusses the many factors that cause devastating outcomes. Mountain top removal and strip…
* Although coal-fired power stations still provide 34% of total electricity, the domestic coal industry is a shadow of its former self. Coal-fired power stations are less polluting than they once were, but still produce large amounts of greenhouse gases. However, some believe the emerging technology of "carbon capture", in which emissions are not released into the atmosphere, could see a new lease of life for coal.…
Climate change is a changing the world. Unfortunately, many people are unaware that the basic use of electricity contributes to climate change. Climate change is the release of greenhouse gases, which slow the rate of energy escaping from the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases act like a blanket by keeping the Earth warm (“Understanding Global”, n.d.). Duke Energy is one of the leading electric power holding companies in the United States (DiSavino, 2014). Currently, Duke Energy’s means of generating electricity is causing the climate of our Earth to change negatively, by generating stronger storms, extreme weather, droughts, and extreme snow storms. Duke Energy’s livelihood of electrical generation is attributed to climate change (“Extreme”,…
energy is safe, clean (the answer to global warming) and an economical way to produce…
It is the most reliable source of energy available. There is estimated to be around 26 billion tons of coal still remaining in Kentucky. That’s a lot of coal, but it doesn’t seem that it’s going to be mined anytime in the near future. Due to all of the regulations on the coal industry and the closing of mines all across the state it’s becoming harder and harder to extract this coal. These regulations hit Kentucky’s coal industry hard. They are no longer able to produce coal on the level that they used to. Coal production has dropped dramatically in the last ten years. In 2015 Kentucky produced 61.4 million tons of coal, a decrease of 20.7% from 2014. The energy that coal produces can be used in many different ways. The most significant use of coal is in electricity generation. Coal provides 87% of Kentucky’s electricity as of 2015. The cost of electricity in Kentucky is also the fifth lowest in the country at an average of 8.03 cents per kilowatt-hour. Coal helps provide us with cheap and affordable electricity to help keep our lights…
Since the industrial revolution, our energy consumption has risen unceasingly. The majority of this energy consumption is supplied by the fossil fuels like coal or natural gas.…
Energy is an important factor in todays society, it is neccesary to power business, manufacturing and the transportation of goods and services all around the world. Solar powered energy is energy from the sun. This energy can be conerted into different energy like heat and electricity. Heat can be used to heat water or heat spaces, for example heating for houses, buildings or even swimming pools. Solar energy can be converted in two ways, by Photovoltaic or “solar cells” which change sunlight directly into electricity or by concentrating solar power plants which generate electricity by using heat from solar thermal collectors. Coal powered energy has played an important role in the advancement of civilization and will continue to be a major fuel source for at least the next quarter century. It is used primarly to produce electricty and heat through a dirty process which involves mining and combustion of the fuel. The two most common types of coal mining used today are surface mining and underground mining. In the long run, solar energy has greater potential than coal powered energy.…
The process of making electricity is the worst form of all, most electricity is made from electromechanical generators that run on gas and diesel so you are doing two processes to generate electricity. If you have a combination car (prius) it is better your car runs on gas and electricity when you drive the car the battery charges and when going slow enough the car runs on electricity rather than gas but when accelerating fast and going fast it will run on gas the car also gets 500 miles to the gallon. But most vehicles are just one kind, many people do not know how this energy is produced most people just see what they are driving thinking they are helping the environment but are really hurting…
The invention of electricity, to many, can be considered one of the greatest inventions by humanity, behind writing and the wheel. From its first discovery in the 1600s till present day, electricity has fascinated the minds of scientist everywhere. Over time society has been established with a very high dependency on this commodity. Imagine our world today without electricity or any of the inventions derived from it. Modern societies would have taken a much different path. Last year the International Energy Agency conducted a survey on the energy statistics for over 30 of the more developed countries. Around 62 percent of the energy produced worldwide was created from combustible fuel source (Monthly Electricity Statistics). When combustible fuel is burned, carbon and other harmful byproducts are released into the atmosphere. This brings about environmental injustice since every living organism in contact with the atmosphere now suffers the consequences which the few benefit from. While I believe this is the more grave concern regarding electricity, the majority of the modernized world might not have an equivalent conclusion.…
For years, the nations of the world have relied on some form of energy to sustain the populace and the industrial sectors of that nation. Fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas) are the backbone of the United States’ energy consumption. Fossil fuels are not an infinite source but a finite source. Scientists do not know the exact process behind the creation of fossil fuels, except that the creation takes a very long time. Because fossil fuels are not unlimited and speculation has some fossil fuels disappearing by the end of the 21st century, many individuals believe that the United States needs to look at other resources to fuel the country (“Introduction to Renewable Energy: Opposing Viewpoints,” 2009).…
According to (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=electricity-gap-developing-countries-energy-wood-charcoal) 130 years ago Thomas Edison had created an artificial light to be used for the humanities sake, but there is still one quarter of the world’s population or 1.5 Billion people (mostly on Africa and South Asia) that lacks on electricity despite of other nations that is continuing to grow in terms of technology and electricity like USA and China. Because this nations that lack on electricity still don’t have access on modern fuels like natural gas, kerosene and etc. Instead they are using charcoal and woods that causes pollution and health problems. Researchers are recommending these Nations to switch to more efficient energy for their own health. Some of the people think that this 1.5 billion people without electricity is a good thing because this will lessen the possibility releasing heat trapping gases that will soon cause Global Warming.…