Energy of the future- Alternative Energy: Renewable Energy Articles: Eco20/20

Energy of the future- Alternative Energy

Many conflicts in our modern time are caused by the increased energy needs in the world. Steadily, the oil, coal and natural gas supply on this planet is diminishing, and the consumption of these limited resources is increasing at an alarming rate, particularly in developing countries. Many of these countries have either spent their own stocks of these resources or sold their reserves to developed nations, and now are themselves dependent on third world countries for their energy resource needs. This frequently leads to military confrontation over limited energy resources; mankind's answer is in energy of the future being renewable and readily accessible and available to everyone.

The world's scientists collectively estimate that the current trend in utilizing hydrocarbon fuel is that these stocks will last on Earth for another 60-100 years. The saddening truth lies in the fact that using these forms of energy are intensively having a negative impact on the environmental conditions on Earth, caused from the pollution and mining and harvesting of these resources. Many of the environmental changes have become irreversible and will forever affect life on this planet.

As of the year 2010, alternative energy provides just 3% of the world's energy needs. Energy of the future belongs to renewable sources, many industry experts argue over how long current world fossil fuel stocks will last, but they do all agree that the use of these hydrocarbon energy sources will eventually end. The worlds governments and industries need to invest seriously and soon on the source of the energy of the future will come from, a renewable energy source.

Energy from Solar Power

Photovoltaic setups known as "solar cells" capture light from the rays of the sun and convert them into electricity. Solar units such as these are already powering every kind of thing from homes to commercial buildings and industrial equipment, to personal computers and even automobiles.

Recent photovoltaic technological advances have produced a high-tech thin film coating that converts surfaces that are covered with this film into a solar power source that produces electricity.

Energy from Wind Power

Wind power is a great renewable energy source although it is not as consistent as solar power. A positive new trend in American and European states is the construction of offshore wind farms, which are groups of electricity generating turbines in areas with regular strong winds.

Energy from Geothermal

What could be as natural or plentiful as energy from the Earth itself, heat from inside the planet is the source for geothermal power. Geothermal facilities produce electricity in a number of ways, utilizing heat generated from hot springs, volcanoes and geysers.

Energy from Hydrogen

Hydrogen is the most plentiful element in the universe and is truly a gift of nature, and is the best renewable energy source to meet mankind's needs and become the energy of the future. Currently economic and technological barriers exist before hydrogen can become the solution for the energy needs of the planet.

Water H2O is made up of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen; the oceans of the world become the logical future source of hydrogen production.

Conclusion

It is evident that choices of energy of the future are numerous; the obstacle is a multi-sided international political and economic equation, that will demand the next generations continued optimism to face the energy and environmental challenges that are ahead for mankind.