Energy for Tomorrow, Research Paper Example

Abstract

Every process in the Earth’s system requires energy. There are many different forms of energy, such as electromagnetic, electrical, chemical, nuclear, thermal or mechanical. Energy use on Earth has also been changing over time and was first used hundreds of millions of years ago. Currently, the world population is almost 10 billion and relies on energy to continue the standard of living. In addition, with the increased population comes a decrease in natural resources such as oil and natural gas. Furthermore, with the changing increasing populations, a change in different ways of energy consumption is needed. The change in how people derived energy was observed greatly during what is known as the Industrial Revolution and the invention of steam as the main energy source. The European countries started using fossil fuels to steam the fuel and by the nineteenth century, coal was being used as the main source of energy for steam engines in the United States. The use of fossil fuels resulted in environmental pollution. The modern era and change in society views and the development of newer technologies, such as nuclear energy, space exploration, and computerization brought the realization of the exploitation of fossil fuels and the fact that the fossil fuels were not renewable and could be depleted. Green technology was then developed in order to help increase environmental protection and sustain economic growth. The concept was formed in order to avoid any economic loss that could occur with environmental degradation, as well as protect the Earth and its inhabitants. Overall, renewable energy seems as the most effective measure that can help reduce cost and keep up with the energy demands in the future.

Introduction

Energy is defined as the ability to perform work. Every process in the Earth’s system requires energy. For instance, any type of matter requires energy and is considered active even at the smallest molecular level. Kostic (2007) referred to Energy as “a fundamental property of material systems and refers to the system’s potential to influence changes to another system by imparting work (forced directional displacement) or heat (forced chaotic displacement/motion of a systems microstructure)”. There are many different forms of energy, such as electromagnetic, electrical, chemical, nuclear, thermal or mechanical. Energy is also responsible for many important aspects on Earth, such as warming the planet, moving cars, planes, and boats, baking food, and even providing energy to our bodies. Energy over the course of history has been used to facilitate people with conducting work and make it easier, as seen in the technological advances over time. Energy use on Earth has also been changing over time. Energy was first used hundreds of millions of years ago in developing the landscapes on Earth, as well as during the emergence of the human species. Currently, the world population is almost 10 billion and relies on energy to continue the standard of living. In addition, with the increased population comes a decrease in natural resources such as oil and natural gas. Furthermore, with the changing increasing populations, a change in different ways of energy consumption is needed.

The current paper discusses the history of energy and the current changing situation of obtaining energy due to the global energy problem. The current global energy problem requires new advances and changes in technology and living situations in order to adapt to the changes and increases in energy needs. Energy is used in many different forms in the current society in order to provide the needs for human activity. For instance, the current energy usage can be broken down into four different categories such as residential, commercial, and industrial and transportation. Residential uses include basic lighting, heating, water heating and air conditioning. Commercial uses include the basics of lighting and heating, as well as ventilation. Industrial uses are used in water and steam boilers, machines, energy processes, etc. Transportation uses energy in automobiles for individual and commercial transport for land, sea and air. In addition, in all of the sources mentioned, electrical energy is used as a secondary source of energy that is acquired from the primary source of energy. The changes that have been documented throughout history begin with the use of energy in the first humans, the discovery of fire, the domestication of animal usage and power, and the evolution from hunting and food gathering to the cultivation of crops. In addition, developments were seen with the use of water and wind power, copper and iron ores, charcoal, guns, and ships. Furthermore, the Industrial Revolution played a major role in the development of energy uses through the invention of the steam engine. However, the abundance of fossil fuels that were once realized is no longer available. As mentioned previously, the increase in population and energy needs has been depleting the Earth’s natural resources and increasing global pollution. There are many different outlooks and positive movements towards the change in energy usage. (Kostic, 2007) The current paper therefore discusses the energy changes over time from the beginning of history to the current strategies to help improve the global energy problem.

Energy and the history of civilization are thought to be linked. Humans have utilized energy stores for millions of years and have relied on chemical energy for thousands of years. The earliest form of energy used in human history is through food consumption. Energy was transformed from matter into a form of energy through the metabolism. In fact, it is suggested that the early human consumed around 1500-2000 calories per day. It further be suggested that humans were used as machines for energy; however, the physiology of the animal body only converts about 20 percent of the input into actual energy. Therefore, out of 1500-2000 calories, only 20-400 calories are transformed into work and the rest of the input is used to maintain metabolism or disperse into the environment as heat or waste products. In addition, the early humans spent most of their time hunting for food and gathering food in order to survive. (Malanima) The next transition from hunting and gathering food was the discovery of fire. This is considered the second phase of human technology and is also seen as a major conquest to the history of energy development. Scientists have found that the first evidence of fire was dated back to between one million and 500,000 years ago. The discovery of fire therefore resulted in firewood as the main source of energy for several thousand years. It is suggested that firewood consumption ranged from 1 kg per person per day to 10 kg per person per day in colder climate regions. In addition, it is thought that the consumption of firewood in African continents were less due to the warmer climates, but increased as human spread out of Africa to other continents with varying temperatures. Fire usage was the main source of energy because not only did it provide a means of heat and light, it provided a means for cooking and protection against animals. (Kostic, 2007)

At the end of the glacial periods, the increase in temperature brought the world of cultivation of food to human kind. The increase in energy from the sun and the development of agriculture increased the world’s population. The change was found due to the use of animals in the cultivation of food in regards to both agriculture and transportation. In addition, further advancements were seen with the invention of the wheel, metal working, pottery, agricultural machines such as ploughing, and the sail, used in ships. In fact, the use of wind was the first technique used that did not use solar energy in the form of energy. Furthermore, the development of water power came into play during the following centuries and became the main source of energy for cultivation. (Malanima)

The oldest and largest implementation of the use of solar energy was recognized in the burning of the Roman fleet in Sicily, by Archimedes around 287 BC. This event was referenced by a Greek physician in 201 AD in a book referred to as “De Temperamentis”. (Delyannis, E. and El-Nasher) The event is described as the burning of flat mirrors to repulse the Roman fleet. The use of solar energy therefore was a reusable form of energy that the people could utilize for protection and food. Solar energy was providing the people with a continuous flow of food; however, when solar radiation reaches the earth, only one percent is actually transformed into a biomass that can by used by humans and animals. In addition, with the increase in need, the exploitation of biomass of food production was also occurring. In addition, climate, temperature and weather changes were also limiting the use of solar radiation in the formation of food crops. Solar energy is not constant and with the variation in physical factors, the vegetation changes were likely to occur. For instance, warmer periods, such as spring and summer were productive for cultivators; however, the winter seasons in some areas were harmful for food production. Therefore, the change and innovation of other strategies for energy use were inevitable. In addition, the study of history and climate and temperature change have proved that energy systems are in fact influenced by both the environment and climate. (Malanima)

The change in how people derived energy was observed greatly during what is known as the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution began in England during the late 18^th century. The invention of steam as the main energy source in order to power machines and transport items was the beginning to the industrialization. The new innovation to technology brought tremendous change to the people of that time. Before the Industrial Revolution, the people were conducting manual labor and farming in order to produce food and clothing. The industrial revolution brought machinery that could produce larger numbers. In addition, the invention of the steam engine started to run the industry of transportation. (Barca, 2010) The steam engine was the main invention and known as the driving force of the industrial revolution. The steam engine was invented by James Watt in 1774. After the steam engine was developed other industries began seeing changes, such as the textile industry. The threads that were manually made began being made using a steam engine and moved to factories. In addition, ships that used sails and rowing with oars were no using a powerful steam engine and could carry large cargos with the given power. Furthermore, the development of the steam engine created the link between fossil fuels and industrialization. The European countries started using fossil fuels to steam the fuel and by the nineteenth century, coal was being used as the main source of energy for steam engines in the United States. Coal use also resulted in environmental pollution. Even during that time period, scientists were developing ideas to use renewable resources instead of fossil fuels. For instance, G.L.L. De Buffon developed an invention that was referred to as “hot mirrors burning at a long distance” during the 18^th century. There were other scientists who began to offer other ideas during the 19^th century in regard to solar energy. A French engineer, named August Mouchot, invented a solar-mechanical power and thermal conversion device. In addition, he developed multiple solar power machines and wrote several articles about the use of solar heat for industrial uses. (Delyannis, E. and El-Nasher)

Other advances in Energy development occurred during the Industrial Revolution in the physics and chemical world. Physicist and chemist were developing ways to convert mechanical energy into electricity, known as electromagnetic induction. Therefore, by the end of the 19^th century, electrical powered devices were established and put into use. In addition, by the early twentieth century, the use of electricity was the major source for transmitting energy. All of the advancements during the Industrial Revolution brought an increase in human knowledge, skills and activities, as well as population explosion. The population during that time period reached 1 billion. In addition, the changing technological world also brought a change to the world on a social level. (Kostic, 2007)

The modern era and change in society views increased the development of newer technologies, such as nuclear energy, space exploration, and computerization; however, it also brought the realization of the exploitation of fossil fuels and the fact that the fossil fuels were not renewable and could be depleted. In addition, the realization of emissions of greenhouse gases from technological advances was also recognized. The issues of greenhouse gases became an important topic to conservationists and environmentalists. Scientists were linking the global temperature rises to the release of greenhouse gases, which were produced by machines and factories from the use of fossil fuels. Therefore, not only could fossil fuels be depleted, they were causing major environmental issues. Politics debate theseissues; however, scientists have described how the greenhouse gases work. (Martinez)Scientist have found that the naturally occurring greenhouse gases, such as water vapor and carbon dioxide are found in the atmosphere and catch some of the radiation that is reflected back into space from the heat found on the Earth’s surface. (EPA, 2000) This natural occurring process is beneficial to Earth since it helps maintain the Earth’s temperature at around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. However, it is implied and proven that an increased amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere have also increased the Earth’s average temperature. Increase in the Earth’s temperature results in many different outcomes, such as rise in sea level, droughts, flooding, and spread of diseases. In addition to the environmental changes, it has become a known fact of the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, particularly. In fact, concentrations of carbon dioxide have increased almost 30%. (Martinez, 2005)

As already indicated, it is certain that the world’s population is increasing and fossil fuels are decreasing. The difficulties that will present it in the future are meeting the energy needs for the growing population. The methods that were introduced during the Industrial Revolution will not help solve these issues. New technology must be developed, and in accordance with environmental issues. Energy in the future should incorporate innovative technology that can work with the societal and expectations that the fossil fuels have provided. The new energy advances should improve the quality of life, not degrade it. In addition, the energy changes should show energy conservation and regeneration. Furthermore, renewable biomass products and synthetic hydrocarbons should replace fossil-fuels and energy storage should occur by use of hydrogen and batteries, as well as implement solar projects. (Kostic, 2007) Therefore, in the 20^th and 21^st century the development of green technology began in order to help with the environmental issues that were rising.

Green technology was developed in order to help environmental protection, as well as to sustain economic growth. The concept was formed in order to avoid any economic loss that could occur with environmental degradation, as well as protect the Earth and its inhabitants. (Demailly and Verley, 2013) In fact, the market for use of green technologies has increased. In 2011, the market reached $260 billion dollars. (Bloomberg, 2012) In addition, there has been a change to energy productivity since the year 1973. Many federal, state and local laws have been implemented in order to conserve energy. For instance, there are building codes, vehicle fuel standards and appliance and equipment standards that need to be followed. Furthermore, different states within the United States have implemented energy efficiency programs that have proven to be multi-billion dollar investments and savings. Companies have also developed programs to assist consumers and raise awareness in regard to energy efficiency. (Granade et al., 2009)

In order to implement green technology and meet the demands of the people, government agencise evaluated different aspects of energy needs and consumption. For isntance, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reports and long-term forecast on a yearly basis. The report is based on assumptions that are influenced by the economy, historical trends, future predicted prices and the state and federal legislations. In 2010, the report published by the DOE projected that the United States would need 22% more energy in the year 2035, resulting in a one percent increase each year. These types of predictions and evaluations help make decisions that could help the future. The report also indicates the what types of energy will be used. For instnace, it was predicted that half of the energy needs will be met using natural gas and 37% will be met using renewable energy, as well as 12% through coal. (National Conference of State Legistlaters, 2010)

Reports outputted by the government help drive the research and implement the required energy technology. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is an agency that conducts research into electricity generation. Through their research the most cost-effective options are evaluated in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the EPRI’s research includes a reduction in carbon dioxide emission as well and indicates that electricity would come from technology that is energy efficient. Furthermore, the EPRI’s conducts research to implement energy sources from low carbon resources, nuclear energy, and renewable energy.

In order to help find additional methods to help energy needs for our future it is important to stress that most of our energy loss is due to ineffeciences that happen in power plants, distribution systems such as heating, lighting, and cooling, as well as in transmission lines. Implementing energy efficiency could reduce the energy demand that is so high in our world. The federal government has helped conserve energy through the implementation of efficient requirements, such as appliances, vehicals and insulation for homes. In addition, the United States still relies on coal for almost half of its electricity. (National Conference of State Legistlaters, 2010) As of January, 2010, coal plants were placed under construction in order to implement new technologies that burn coal cleaner and emit less greenhouse gases. (Shuster, 2010) Natural gas power plants produce more than 20% of the electricity used in the United States. New advacements in technologies in the drilling procedure for natural gas and the process of hydraulic fracturing have opened up more deposits of natural gas, increasing the amont available to the United States. It is predicted that there is 100 or more years left of natural gas supplies. (Potential Gas Committee, 2009)Nuclear power plants is a possibility for energy generation. It is indicated that nuclear energy produces carbon-free electricity; however, there are other environmental concerns that arise with nuclear energy, such as accidents, plant saftey, nuclear waste storage and transportation. (National Conference of State Legistlaters, 2010)

Renewable energy seems as the most effective measure that can help reduce cost and keep up with the energy demands. In addition, renewable energy can help increae the use of new technologies that help the economy. Some forms of renewable energy are expensive; however, in the long run it is determined to be benefical. Examples of renewable energy sources incluse biomass, such as wood, solid wast and agricultural waste, geothermal power, and hydropower. In addition, renewable energy such as wind and solar also play a role in the renewable energy system. The future of renewable energy is promising, especially because many of the states within the United States have implemented incentives for using newable power sources. Renewable energy is still in development and it is thought that from now until the year 2035 that 40% of all new electricity that is generated will come from renewable energy. (National Conference of State Legistlaters, 2010)

The topic of energy use and consumption, as well as environmental awareness, is of major debate today. Analyses are constantly being conducted in order to predict the world’s population and the amount of energy that will be required in the future. It has been identified that some of the current methods that are used to acquire energy are inefficient, as well as finite. It is predicted that certain natural gases will only be availabe for 100 years. Througout history, the human species has found ways to generate energy. Currently, scientists have developed several methods to help increase efficiency, conserve our natural resources and decrease the degradation of our environemnt. More policies should be implemented in order to push for the use of renewable energies worldwide. The resources are avaialbe for use, it is a matter of companies and industries changing their habits and implementing new and innovate technologies to help the economy and the environment.

References

Barca, S., Energy, (2010). Property, and the industrial revolution narrative. Ecol. Econ. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800910001084

Delyannis, E. and El-Nasher, A. (1991). Renewable Energy Systems and Desalination-Vol.I-A Short Historical Review of Renewable Energy. Encyclopedia of Desalination and Water Resources (DESWARE). A Short Historical Review of Renewable Energy. Technologies for the use of Renewable Sources in Water Desalination (Proceedings CRES Conference, Athens, September 1991) (ed CRES – Commission European Communities.) Session III, pp. 62-89. Retrieved from: http://www.scribd.com/doc/95400696/A-Review-of-Renewable-Energy-Technologies-Integrated-With-Desalination-Systems

Demailly, D. and Verley, P. (2013). The aspirations of the green industrial revolution: a historical perspective. IDDRI Science Po. No. 11/13. Retrieved from: http://www.iddri.org/Publications/Collections/Idees-pour-le-debat/WP1113EN.pdf

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2000). Global Warming — Climate, at http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/climate.html [hereinafter EPA Climate].

Granade, Hannah Choi, Jon Creyts, Anton Derkachm, Philip Farese, Scott Nyquist, and Ken

Ostrowski. (2009). Unlocking EnergyEfficiency in the U.S. Economy.” McKinsey and Company. http://www.mckinsey.com/client_service/electric_power_and_natural_gas/latest_thinking/unlocking_energy_efficiency_in_the_us_economy

Kostic, M.M. (2007). Energy: Global and Historical Background. Encyclopedia of Energy and Engineering. 1-15. Retrieved from: http://www.kostic.niu.edu/Energy_Global_Historical-Kostic.pdf

Malanima, P. Energy in History. World Environmental History. Retrieved from: http://www.paolomalanima.it/default_files/Articles/ENERGY%20IN%20HISTORY.pdf

Martinez, L.H. (2005). Post Industrial Revolution Human Activity and Climate Change: Why the United States Must Implement Mandatory Limits on Industrial Greenhouse Gas Emmission. Journal of Land Use. 20(2):407-425. Retrieved from: http://www.law.fsu.edu/journals/landuse/vol20_2/Martinez.pdf

National Conference of State Legistlaters. (2010). Meeting the energy Challenges of the future a guide for PoliCyMakers. Retrieved from: http://www.ncsl.org/documents/energy/futureenergychallenges0710.pdf

Potential Gas Committee. (2009). Colorado School of Mines. Retrieved from: www.mines.edu/Potential-Gas-Committee-reports-unprecedented-increase-in-magnitude-of-U.S.-natural-gas-resourcebase.

Shuster, E.. (2010). Tracking New Coal-Fired Power Plants. Retrieved from: www.netl.doe.gov/coal/refshelf/ncp.pdf.