The World of Alternative Energy Sources - Term Paper Example

? The World of Alternative Energy Sources The World of Alternative Energy Sources Introduction The world’s oil and fossil fuels are running out and therefore global economic forces are on the hunt to search for sources of alternative and renewable energy. However, humanity has thus far failed to find any provable and operational model for energy production other than fossil fuels and water. Additionally developed nations are currently working on generating electricity from nuclear power. But this technique is not cost effective whereas other energy generation projects are presently in the initial stage of development. Nevertheless world is going to need alternative energy sources sooner or later because of this reason the America has started a war against Iraq in the name of uprooting global terrorism. But in reality America wanted to get its hands of Iraqi oil fields. On the other hand US have indulged itself with a useless military confrontation in Afghanistan so that it can get near to the hot waters of Pakistan. The American nation is getting ready to fight a future war that will be fought on the water disputes. The western nations are increasingly concerned about the futuristic outlook of the world regarding energy production while under developed nations are not bothered by the griming condition of world’s most significant oil producing nations such as Saudi Arabia. Furthermore an interesting note has been shared by a research which conveyed that humanity is wasting two barrels of oil in order to extract a new one. The above mentioned statement pointed out to the fact that oil extraction and refinement systems are not efficient because they are presently consuming more oil than their production, this is causing the net availability of oil products to decrease on a worldwide basis. Moreover oil producing companies are reportedly believed to have been involved in hindering the development of alternative energy sources because these projects can cut down oil producers’ margin for good. The supporters of alternative energy are considering battery power as a bailout for energy crisis of the world. Some of the pranks say that wind energy can save the world from acute lack of energy sources. But the problem is that all of the ideas are innovative but impractical at this time because they need financial muscle to prove their applicability on the vast scale. Yet the world’s oil supplies are going down this is a given and in the few years world will turn to renewable energy sources. Meanwhile the countries should enhance the efficiency of oil extracting and refinement processes in order to minimize the wastage of oil while it is being produced. In addition The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ ability to form an oligopoly should be minimized with the help of implementing stricter trade and commerce laws on oil business. The global oil regularity authorities are suggested to conduct an impartial assessment of current level of oil left in the earth. The oil producing corporations are also known to expedite oil extraction projects without the consent of surrounding population which causes a huge population displacement. These oil extraction processes are also notorious for causing immeasurable pollution and weakening the structural integrity of the ground that makes it prone towards experiencing seismic activities such as earthquakes of higher magnitude. The global political scenario is also playing a significant role in terms of not letting the alternative energy projects to propagate freely. But, they are advised to support these alternative energy ventures because they may represent humanity’s only chance against serious power shortage in the future. Finally if humanity fails to fight the threat of oil shortage then humans have to revert towards simpler existence that may include the use of horses as transportation mean and wood would be used to generate heat and cook food. Literature Review In the view of Dresselhaus & Thomson, (2001) world needs the alternative energy projects to save itself from an upcoming shortage of energy. The study added that these oil extracting projects are one of the most significant sources of producing carbon monoxide and greenhouse gases. These lethal gases are causing the ozone to thicken that in turn does not allow harmful ultraviolet gases and compounds to escape the Earth’s atmosphere. The aforementioned process is a source of many problems humanity is facing such as skin diseases and an uncontrollable surge in global temperature. According to Stacey & Davis, (1977) thermal energy is the most environmentally harmless methods of generating energy, but this process is not recommended as its acquiring and operating costs are too high. In the current day scenario the applicability of solar energy appears to be more than possible because scientists have made quite a notable strides in terms of driving the costs of the technology down. In the US a significant number of households have adopted solar energy as a mean of generating energy. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has been working to promote the use of eco-friendly technology and basic materials so that the economy can minimize the negative impacts of manufacturing on the natural environment. However, MMS has the necessary system employed that can help vast scale deployment of alternative energy sources as well. Additionally it is very important to know that wind energy project needs a specific wind speed and latitude in order to generate adequate energy (Michel, et al., 2007). Many corporations are currently engaged in marketing and advertising themselves as environmental friendly because customers are getting more and more concerned about buying and using environmentally harmless products. In the light of above argument, it can be established that the consciousness about the betterment of the natural environment is growing in people. Still, the sense of duty in terms of caring about the environment is limited to the population of developed nations. However in developing nations, the information about environmental degradation is not widely spread and therefore care-levels about the environment are also low. The true and only way of counteracting global power shortage is to minimize energy consumption and search for alternative energy sources. It is also important to note that most of the people are not aware of the true demand and supply situation of oil products. Therefore it is extremely necessary for the governments of various nations to conduct an unbiased evaluation of current oil fields’ ability to support industrial processes. But according to latest studies few generations will have the luxury of using oil as a power source. Mathioulakis, Belesiotis, & Delyannis, (2003) said that scarcity of fresh and drinkable water is also a major problem because it is an essential requirement for the survival of humanity on earth. It is recommended that global human welfare organizations along with governments should take concrete steps regarding purification of water. Henriques, I & Sadorsky, (2008) told that technological change in conventional energy production sector has the tendency to benefit those companies that are in the business alternative energy majorly because technology change causes the energy prices to experience a significant jump. On the other hand prices of alternative energy remain reasonably static which compels growing number of customers. The most important and famous types of alternative sources include the names of solar energy and wind energy. China and Japan are notably using both of the sources respectively. However these sources are helping featured nations to control the prices of energy and therefore helping them in keeping the local economy stable. According to Hamilton & Manne, (1978) the use of nuclear energy as a mean of producing power is not recommendable because it will increase the radioactivity in the environment and degrade ozone layer as well. In this way the large scale use of nuclear energy will aggravate the problem of global warming. Siddiqui & Fleten, (2008) commented that governments have the required financial resources and infrastructure to support alternative energy ventures. Ghanadan & Koomeyb, (2005) argued that California will have to introduce alternative energy in the economic sectors of commuting, electric power generation and industrial power. The scholars added that the introduction of alternative energy in the above mentioned areas will help the state in maintaining its economical smoothness during the upcoming years. The research work also revealed the fact that over-dependency of transportation on natural fuel can cause problems for state administration therefore it is imperative that California should promote the use alternative energy in vehicles. Industrial pollution is also known to cause health problems such respiratory problems, toxicity in the air and skin problems. Kruger, (2006) discussed the human need for inexcusable energy sources. But up till now humans have not found any energy source that would not deplete over time for example fuel gets consumed, brake oil experiences contamination with prolonged use. Interestingly wind turbines have been noticed to go through wear and tear due to friction. On the basis of above argument it is safe to assume that every energy source has to be maintained and replenished after a specific period of time. Thus the desire to have unlimited energy remains a dream even in the 21st century. Garcia, Plaza, Navas, Benavente, & Luna, (1998) found that use of solar energy will assist the countries in controlling emissions of greenhouse gases. The study highly recommends the use of solar technology as a source producing electricity in the geographic locations with higher concentration of greenhouse gases. The decrease in the ratio of greenhouse gases will cause the temperature of the area to decrease and will elevate public health standards as well. The research on the topic of alternative energies recommended that economies should use conventional and non-conventional methods of power generation so that they can get better results out of every source. For instance fossil fuel is considered ideal for powering vehicles and construction units whereas solar and wind energy are identified as an effective means of supplying energy to the households. The underdeveloped economies are using a mixture of cattle’s waste material and water to produce methane gas that is deployed to run electric generators. The application of alternative energy is increasing in all parts of the world. The following graph represents the prices of crude-oil from 1959 to 2011 (www.googleimages.com) The above figure illustrates the fact that oil prices remained steadily lower in 1970s and then they started to experience a surge in 1980s whereas in 2000s things got worse and oil prices climbed most significantly in this period. The upsurge of prices reveals the increase in demand whereas the supply of crude oil depleted. This graph also tells humanity to work towards development of alternative energy sources because use of oil will not remain viable in a few generations from now. Alternative Energy Projects and Planned Economy The planned economy will provide best system and infrastructure for implementation of alternative energies because in a planned economic system, government has the ultimate authority of committing resources. As the governmental body will always look for the benefit of the public at large therefore the notion of making a profit becomes secondary. Based on the above statement the government should apply various alternative energy sources in order to balance the expenditure on oil by the certain economy. Furthermore free market economy is not an ideal one for vast scale execution of alternative power means because in this kind of system the government follows the rule of no interference with corporate activities until it becomes necessary. Free market economy thus gives the power of committing resources in the hands of businessmen and they are however notorious for making investment decisions which maximize the margin. Yet business professionals sacrifice the greater public good in order to make money. Nonetheless, the time has come when humans get out of the concept of making a profit and ponder about the survival of their next generations that will have to live without electricity, mechanical and chemical power, if current generation does not foster the idea of alternative energy in the present. Global Pooling of Resources and Alternative Energy The era of nationality has long gone and the concept of globalization is now prevailing in the world. Yet the nations are reluctant to share their resources and knowledge base with others. However the need of the hour says otherwise because now is the time when humans consider themselves as the citizen of the entire globe rather than holding only one national identity dear. Moreover the financial power required to back the projects of alternative energy can only be gathered if all of the countries contribute. The previous paragraph has attempted to illustrate a concept which appears to be alien at this point in time. But, it is assured that we as humans may witness international integration of knowledge and resources in a few years because all of the national entities are facing similar problems such as energy crisis, terrorism and food shortage. All of the difficulties humanity is facing can only be controlled and managed with the help of unity. The idea of nationalism has been an active cause of many historical confrontations. It is very painful to know that humans have killed their fellow beings with the belief that they have done a deed and they forgot the fundamental principle that considers killing a being as a distasteful decision under all circumstances. This paper wonders that how can a man kill somebody with relish. Finally as humans we must join forces in order to build a better future for the next generations and the world does not need successful people but it requires peacemakers, lovers of mankind, social workers, sportsmen. At the end, the world cannot take any wars because they are going to be nuclear ones. Findings The key findings of this study are enlisted as follows The detailed literature review of the existing studies conducted regarding alternative energy sources, found that oil producing companies purposefully sabotage the attractiveness of alternative energy The planned economy offers the best infrastructure to implement alternative energy projects at a vast scale The nuclear energy on the other hand, will cause the radioactivity to increase in the environment and will aggravate the problem of global warming further Moreover countries are suggested to use an integrative model of energy production that should use various energy production techniques simultaneously in order to put each one of them to best use The nations are also required to develop a global pooling system for resources needed to initiate alternative energy projects. Humans must consider themselves as citizens of the entire globe because they cannot afford any more armed conflicts on the basis of nationalism If the current human generation will not work towards developing energy alternatives, then the future ones will have to live without the luxury of traditional fossil fuels Furthermore the prevailing oil extraction and refinement systems are known for wasting two barrels of oil to find a new one therefore its efficiency is lower The commitment towards environmentally friendly lifestyle is growing in developed parts of the world but in developing nations people are not concerned about quality of the environment The oil extraction and refinement processes are notorious for causing population displacement and are also identified as a source of weakening the structural integrity of the ground Conclusion This paper concludes that oil supplies are depleting and therefore humans are in need of developing alternative sources of energy. However the governments are supposed to control the interference of oil companies in the developmental processes of alternative energy. The initiation of global moment towards supporting eco-friendly living is an imperative step in the direction of nurturing alternative energy on a worldwide basis. Alternative energy companies are also suggested to increase and strengthen their marketing and advertisement departments so that they can enhance their market visibility. These companies should use an intensive brand management technique in order to attract customers consistently. But for the accomplishment of the above mentioned task, it is very important for the companies to promote and support the concept of green living in the global community. Eventually humanity will revert to the simple existence because this is the only method of survival for the human race. That time is not at all far when humans use horses as transportation mean and will cultivate the land once again because technology is turning into something nasty and poisonous. The need to uproot corporate thinking of maximizing the financial return should also be eliminated because it is the time to contemplate about ways that will help save the world because at the current rate of global warming and greenhouse gases in the air, it seems that our planet will eat itself inside out in a few generations. References Dresselhaus, M., & Thomson, L. (2001, November 15). Alternative energy technologies. Nature Vol 414 , pp. pp.332-337. Garcia, J., Plaza, D., Navas, L., Benavente, R., & Luna, L. (1998). Evaluation of the Feasibility of Alternative Energy Sources for Greenhouse Heating. J. agric. Engng Res 69(1) , pp.107-114. Ghanadan, R., & Koomeyb, J. (2005). Using energy scenarios to explore alternative energy pathways in California. Energy Policy Vol 33(1) , pp.1117–1142. Hamilton, L., & Manne, A. (1978). Health and Economic Costs of Alternative Energy Sources. IAEA Bulletin Vol 20(4) , pp.44-58. Henriques.I, & Sadorsky, P. (2008). Oil prices and the stock prices of alternative energy companies. Energy Economics Vol 30(1) , pp.998–1010. Kruger, P. (2006). Alternative Energy Sources: The Quest for Sustainable Energy . Washington: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Mathioulakis, E., Belesiotis, V., & Delyannis, E. (2003). Desalination by using alternative energy: Review and state-of-the-art. Desalination Vol 203(1) , pp.346-365. Michel, J., Dunagan, ,., Boring, ,., Healy, ,., Evans, W., Dean, J., et al. (2007). Worldwide Synthesis and Analysis of Existing Information Regarding Environmental Effects of Alternative Energy Uses on the Outer Continental Shelf. South Carolina : US Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service. Siddiqui, A., & Fleten, S. (2008). How to Proceed with Competing Alternative Energy Technologies: a Real Options Analysis. Energy Economics . Stacey, F., & Davis, P. (1977). Physics of the Earth 4th Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. www.googleimages.com. (n.d.). Retrieved June 2013, 22, from www.google.com: Read More