Introduction The development of industrialisation and advanced technology has played an important role in increasing energy consumption in the world. This increasing use of energy pattern has also brought a number of both environmental and human health problems such as greenhouse emissions. Despite this fact, most of the world’s energy is produced using fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas. For example, in 2008, Australian energy production was 302.13 million tonnes of equivalent oils (Mtoe) while the consumption of energy was 240.40 terawatt hours (TWh) and these amounts of energy consumption and production caused 397.54 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (Mt CO2) emissions to the world’s atmosphere (Drachman & Richard, 2010, p. 48). In addition, million tonnes of equivalent can be defined as the unit of energy measurement that one Terrawatt hour (TWh) equal to 0.086 million tonnes of equivalent (Drachman & Richard, 2010, p. 60). However, Australia generated 10.7 per cent of its energy from renewable sources including wind, solar, biomass energies while coal was the major source of energy with 84.5 per cent, gas 5.1 per cent, and oil 0.3 per cent between 2000 and 2001 (McNeil & Cleaver, 2005, p. 7). On the other hand, there is no doubt that coal is very substantial energy resource in Australia because it has a huge amount of coal resources compared with other countries. It was estimated, in 2002, that proved resources was 101.9 billion tonnes and proved recoverable reserves was 78.5 billion tonnes with its ranking fifth in the world (Alan, & Judy, 2004, p. 18). The difference between proved resources and proved recoverable reserves can be defined as not all mineral resources can be extracted in terms of economic and technology ... ... middle of paper ... ...son, K., & Roberts, A. (2002). Australian energy: Key issues and outlook to 2019-20. Australian commodities, 9(1), 198-208. Drachman, & Richard, J. (2010). Key World Energy Statistics 2010. France: Soregraph. Klaes, G. D. (Ed.). (2010). Clean Coal Technologies. New York, the USA: Nova Science Publishers, Inc Kuwahata, R., & Monroy, C. R. (2011). Market stimulation of renewable-based power generation in Australia. Renewable & sustainable energy reviews, 15(1), 534-543. Little, M. G., & Jackson, R. B. (2010). Potential impacts of leakage from deep co2 geosequestration on overlying freshwater aquifers. Environmental science & technology, 44(23), 9225-9232. McNeil, L., Cleaver, C. (2005). Energy: Future Challenges (21st Ed.). Deakin West, A.C.T.,: Australian Science Teachers Association. Tollefson, J. (2011). Japan faces power struggle. Nature, 472(7342), 143-144.
Our energy needs have significantly changed since the first Industrial Revolution that took place in the period from about 1760 to sometime between 1820 and 1840. Before this time period, our energy needs were modest. For heat, people relied on the energy of the sun, but when it failed them, they burned wood, straw and dried dung. For transportation horses and the power of the wind was used in sails. For agricultural work animals were used to do the jobs that could not be done with man labor. By harnessing the power of steam and wind simple machines could be run to grind our grain and pump our water. The Second Industrial Revolution, also called the Technological Revolution is considered to have begun around the time of the introduction of the Bessemer steel in the 1860s. This technological Revolution is considered as the second phase of the Industrial Revolution that resulted in factory electrification, mass production, the creation of production lines and the development of machine tools. With the appearance of the low cost automobile and the wide spread of electricity our society's energy needs have changed forever. Since the modest beginning of the oil industry in the mid 19th century, petroleum has risen to global dominance leading to mass consumption as the primary fuel to generate electricity, heat, to power our homes, cars and to support economic growth. Unfortunately, as a consequence of industrialization, atmospheric CO2 levels started to rise in proportion to the usage of fossil fuels. This trend raises some concerns about the well being of our environment, and researchers around the world started to look for alternative, cle...
The myths must be dispelled. First of all, coal is not a bountiful. It is a nonrenewable resource and, according to a United States Geologic Survey, it is only expected...
James, Tom, and Peter Fusaro. Energy and Emissions Markets: Collision or Convergence? Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc, 2006. Print.
From the home to factories, families and industries are reliant on the use of nonrenewable fossil fuels to feed the needs of the everyday human. Fossil fuels are the main source of energy over clean, renewable sources such as the use of wind, solar energy, and water to power our homes, schools, and industries. In fact, about 85% of energy use comes from fossils fuels. The main reason being that using fossil fuels is cheaper than wind and solar energy. “For nearly two centuries, fossil fuels have been the cheapest source of energy” and widely abundant (Marburger, A global framework: international aspects of climate change). However, overtime fossil fuels will disappear due to the lack of time to replenish itself with the human races rapid use of it. Despite its current status of availability, there are many controversial issue in using fossil fuels; the most prominent issue being that it is the cause of rapid climate
Coal is one of the world’s most abundant fossil fuels. Coal was formed during the Carboniferous Period when dead plant material was buried and subjected to high pressure and heat. Coal is classified by moisture content and composition. There are four d...
Roughly 68 percent of the electricity generated in the United States of America is produced by fossil fuels. That includes petroleum, natural gases and coal. Although coal contributes around 37 percent to the factor, it is by far not the cleanest of them all. Some might argue that it is good for the economy because it is cheap and it creates jobs.. But the other side of the story portrays coal mining as a process that kills thousands of coal miners a year and that it practically destroys the environment around the mining with soot and air pollution. Mining now days is a big part of urbanization; due to how cheap the process is. There are different ways that coal mining is done. Mainly mountain top removal is done but there are many other
In economics, particularly microeconomics, demand and supply are defined as, “an economic model of price determination in a market” (Ronald 2010). The price of petrol in Australia is rising, but the demand remains the same, due to the fact that fuel is a necessity. As price rises to higher levels, demand would continue to increase, even if the supply may fall. Singapore is identified as a primary supplier ...
Coal has a very negative impact on the environment, one of the main impacts on the environment is the actual process of extracting the coal from the ground. The two ways that coal is mined, underground and surface, both have different effects on the environment. The first way that coal is mined is by digging tunnels and creating mineshafts underground and then removing the coal from th...
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, over half of the oil used in the USA is imported. Most of this imported oil is located in the middle east and is controlled by OPEC members. Subsequent oil price shocks and price manipulation by OPEC have cost our economy dearly—about $1.9 trillion from 2004 to 2008—and each major shock was followed by a recession (Reduce). We may never be able to fully eliminate our need to import oil, but we can reduce cartel market control and the economic impact of price shocks by reducing our demand (Reduce). One way we can reduce our reliance on oil is through investing in renewable energy. Solar power, wind power, and hydro power are all forms of energy which come from renewable resources. Unlike oil, solar, wind and hydro electric power is abundant and can be obtained locally.
March 17, 2014. Hinrichs, Roger ; Kleinbach, Merlin. Energy, Its Use and the Environment. 2013. The. Print.
Nelson, V. (2008). The 'Standard'. Introduction to Renewable Energy. Chicago: Springer University Press, Inc.
The world that we live into today affords us the expectation that the flip a switch will turn the lights on. As populations increase and developing nations undergo dramatic economic growth, this energy demand will only continue to grow. The International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that “the world’s energy needs could be 50% higher in 2030 than they are today” (ElBaradei). Given this projected growth, it is necessary for world leaders must take action to secure the energy supply. Meaning that world leaders need to start seriously considering an alternative to non-renewable energy sources. “In 2012, the United States generated about 4,054 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. About 68% of the electricity generated was from fossil fuel (coal, natural gas, and petroleum), with 37% attributed from coal” (U.S. Energy Information Administration). The fossil fuels that are used to supply over half of our country’s energy are in finite supply and are increasing in price to astronomical heights.
Fuels like coal, and oil that once were a fine innovation in creating energy are now rapidly deleting and one day will be gone forever; energy that won’t last is often referred to as non-renewable energy. Besides being set up to fail and become inefficient in the future, fossil fuel energy is not clean to use and poses several environmental complications. Coal, for instance is “the dirtiest of all fossil fuels. Coal combustion not only produces sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides that contribute to acid rain and snow, it generates millions of tons of particulates that cause asthma and other respiratory diseases.” As with all usage of fossil fuels, it creates enormous amounts of carbon dioxide, which contributes to greenhouse gas. Not only are fossil fuels dirty, they also pose as a security risk and unforgiving on the American wallet. (Saini)
Environmental science refers to the study of the effects that occur through natural and unnatural processes. The study involves the interactions of the Earth’s physical components that take place on the environment. Notably, the natural environment consists of all existing and non-existing things that exist on the planet. Full ecological systems that operate as natural practices without requiring the intervention of human beings are also included in the environment. Furthermore, physical units such as animals, vegetation, rocks, microorganisms, natural phenomena, and atmosphere usually occur within the boundaries of the environment (Altman and Wohlwill 113). Although the environment embraces natural resources and physical phenomena that need clear limits, it is worth noting that renewable and non-renewable energy resource is an environmental science topic that should receive top priority next year due to various reasons.
middle of paper ... ... g the Energy Revolution." Foreign Affairs. Nov/Dec 2010: 111. SIRS Issues Researcher.