MaureenIntroduction
Although U.S. energy demands rely heavily on fossil fuels, a green energy alternative would cause a reduction in our environmental impact because they have less physical impact on the environment, they reduce the level of greenhouse gases produced, and are easily sustainable. Without a reliable, sustainable source of energy for the future mankind will face continued environmental destruction and continue to contribute to the growing problem of global warming. In order to stop the environmental damage that is being done we need to switch to an environmentally friendly energy production system.
Since early on, mankind has been using fossil fuels to supply its power needs. It started with the use of wood to fuel fires and drive steam powered machines. Over time as technology has changed the fuel sources have changed. Mankind began to use coal, petroleum products and eventually nuclear products. Extracting energy from each of these fuel sources relies on the idea of breaking down the material in order to extract energy from it; coal and petroleum products are burnt and even nuclear elements are broken down. These processes leave behind toxic residues and wasteful byproducts that have to be dealt with for years on end. The future lies with systems that eliminate these toxic and wasteful by products; only by switching to fully renewable energy systems will humanity be free of these toxins.
Current energy production facilities that rely on fossil fuels are responsible for contributing to our nation’s total output of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are gases like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons that are responsible for trapping excess radiation from the sun in our atmosphere. By trapping this excess radiation our planet slowly begins to warm and our environment changes. Naturally these gases do appear in our environment, yet they appear in much lower concentrations than what we are seeing today. The increasing amounts of gases are largely coming from our energy production facilities; these facilities are not only wasteful, they are expensive to operate and maintain. Fossil fuel based power plants are inefficient, wasteful, and dangerous; we need to invest in smarter, cleaner energy solutions.
Environmental Impact of Fossil Fuels and Green Energy Reductions
The current environmental impact of fossil fuel based power plants reaches beyond that of the harmful gases and toxic byproducts that they create. Environmental impact of these power plants also includes the effects of mining/drilling the fuel and the changes to the environment that the installation affects. Green energy solutions such as wind turbines and solar panels (the two that will be discussed in this paper) have limited environmental impact because their energy sources are renewable and the power generation systems themselves don’t change their surrounding environment greatly. Currently 21.3 billion tonnes of carbon-dioxide are produced globally on an annual basis from the use of fossil fuels (U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION). If new, green energy systems aren’t implemented the world will be covered in ash once again, but this time, it will be mankind’s fault.
Wind energy comes from wind turbines that are installed in areas with high volumes of wind passing through, or as some call them, wind tunnels. The environmental impact of a wind turbine is extremely low since it’s energy source isn’t mined/drilled and it barely affects it’s environment. The limited environmental impacts from wind turbines come from three sources: the installation itself, bird/animal implications, and the noise factor (BLM). The wind turbine itself has little effect on it’s surroundings and takes up very little room. The placement needs to be taken into consideration so as to be located away from migratory bird routes and if done properly will have little to no affect on wildlife. Location is also important due to the noise created by wind turbines which can vary depending upon wind speeds.
Solar energy technologies, largely solar panels, are another viable option in mankind’s search for an energy substitute. Solar power relies on the concept of harvesting the sun’s energy in the form of solar photons and transforming them into a usable source of energy such as electricity or heat (Fahrenbruch). Solar energy solutions have little to no environmental impact on their surroundings and once in place are rarely noticed. These make for an optimal solution in areas with little available room due to a high population density and lots of available sunlight. Solar panels can also be used in areas with vast open spaces such as the desert and can work, when coupled together, as large power banks and can generate large amounts of energy.
Current Levels of Greenhouse Gas Production and Green Energy Advantages
Current greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. due to fossil fuel energy productions are staggering and as the population increases so will energy demands and emissions. By switching to a green energy alternative such as wind or solar these emissions due to energy production would drop to zero. While total reliance upon green energy may be far off, the time to start is now. With 2009 greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Totaling 6,576 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent the fact can’t be ignored any longer that something needs to be done (EPA).
The attractive nature of green energy solutions is the possibility of the renewable resource and the lower rate of environmental emissions. Wind turbine system generates zero emissions compared to their fuel guzzling opponents in place today. Since there is a zero total consumption of fossil fuels and their energy source is completely renewable they produce no greenhouse gases. Currently eighty-two percent of the U.S.’s carbon-dioxide production comes from fossil fuel energy sources (U.S. Energy Information Administration). By switching our energy production to a wind based system all energy related greenhouse gas emissions could be eliminated leaving us and our environment with a cleaner, healthier environment.
While solar energy solutions maintain a low level of environmental impact, that isn’t their only reason to brag. Solar energy solutions emit zero greenhouse gases, making them one of the few zero-emission energy technologies that we have today. Solar energy works in two different ways: the first is to use solar energy to heat water or other chemicals in order to heat buildings, the second is to capture the protons inside the solar radiation and change it into electricity. Neither process produces greenhouse gases, and once implemented, could reduce our national energy related greenhouse gas production down to zero. With a growing concern over global warming, technologies like solar energy can’t be ignored any longer.
Sustainability and Output
With current the technology of today and the ever expanding knowledge of tomorrow, wind turbines have a thirty year life span (Jha). Each turbine requires constant supervision and occasional repair due to malfunction or incident, overall though the effort to run and maintain these turbines is exponentially lower than that of traditional power plants. When looking at the combined factors of low maintenance requirements, long life spans, and a renewable source of energy, wind is an essential alternative to fossil fuel based energy and will reduce the overall impact of U.S. Energy production.
Similar to wind technology solar energy solutions have a long, sustainable life expectancy. The aggregate life expectancy of a solar panel is twenty five to thirty years (Maugeri). When looking at a solar panel and a fossil fuel based power plant side by side and running the productivity vs construction/maintenance cost equation (# of kw/year produced = {(cost to build/total operating years of the facility) + (annual maintenance costs)}) you can see that the total cost per kw is much lower for solar panels than it is for the traditional fossil fuel based power plant. Once installed solar panels require little to no maintenance and there are no additional fees associated with operating them. Also, just like wind energy, solar energy is completely sustainable and produces zero physical byproduct.
Conclusion
Solar and wind technologies are the energy solutions of the future. While mankind has enjoyed the low cost of energy for many years it has come at a high price. Our environment is starting to rebel against us, fossil fuel sources are shrinking and mankind as a whole is slowly killing itself off. In order to shrink our environmental impact, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, and maintain sustainable energy production, mankind as a whole needs to rid itself of its fossil fuel energy dependence. While wind and solar are not the only options available for sustainable energy solutions they are two of the most widely explored options. Support for alternative energy solutions needs to be increased in order to keep Earth a hospitable environment and reduce the impact fossil fuels have had.
Works Cited
U.S. Department of Energy. (January 9, 2012). State-Level Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions, 2000-2009. Retrieved From
http://www.eia.gov/environment/emissions/state/analysis/
U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. (December 19, 2011). Wind Energy Plan of Development. Retrieved From
http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/wo/MINERALS__REALTY__AND_RESOURCE_PROTECTION_/energy/solar_and_wind.Par.60333.File.dat/POD_Wind_121911.pdf
Fahrenbruch, Alan L. (1983). Fundamentals of solar cells : photovoltaic solar energy conversion. Academic Press, New York.
U.S. Department of Environmental Protection Agency. (April 15, 2011). Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Emissions and Sinks: 1990 – 2009. Retrieved From
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads11/US-GHG-Inventory-2011-Upfront.pdf
Wind Turbine Technology:A. R. Jha. (2011). Wind Turbine Technology. Retrieved From
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads11/US-GHG-Inventory-2011-Upfront.pdf
Maugeri, Leonardo. (2010). Beyond The Age of Oil : The Myths, Realities, and Future of Fossil Fuels And Their Alternatives. Praeger, Santa Barbara, California.
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