Renewable Energy versus Fossil Fuel - Research Paper Example

Renewable Energy VS Fossil Fuel In recent times, there have been worries in the energy sector over the possibility of clean energy instead of using the type of conventional fuel that pollutes the environment, affecting it negatively. There has also been question over the possibility of depletion of current fossil fuel reserves, where only certain states are able to produce these fossil fuels on a commercial scale and supply them to the rest of the world making them their chief economy driver. There are different types of fuel that fall under either fossil or renewable and each has its own distinct characteristics setting it apart from the other. Fossil fuels are those that emanate from changes in the atmosphere from the carboniferous era and entail gas, petroleum and natural gas, where they were formed from high pressure and drastic environmental changes. On the other hand, renewable energy is that which originates from materials that receive continued replenishment from nature and include sunlight, rain, tides, wind and geothermal heat. Fossil fuels Fossil fuels that include coal, petroleum and natural gas have their advantages in the world in which we live, and they have not just began as they have been used since their discovery. Fossil fuels are deemed easily available to any interested party that would like to use them, where they occur in huge quantities. As such, they have been used for many years and in modern times with improved technology; there are attempts to find out more reserves of these fuels. In addition, technology has improved how these fuels can be harvested for use and processed for better use in relation to efficiency and quantity, where it is because of technology that fossil fuels are available in abundant amounts for use by all. Another advantage of fossil fuels lies for energy that they produce in relation to the amount of fuel burnt or consumed to produce energy. Little amounts of fossil fuels are required to produce large amount of energy to power large equipment and machinery that makes life easier. Fossil fuels, by having a composition of carbon and hydrogen molecules, have high stability such that they are not explosive under normal environmental conditions. This further makes them easy to store as they do not even form other compounds when left in storage for extended periods, which makes them easy to transport (Srivastava). One of the biggest advantages of fossil fuels is the ease with which they are extracted from their sources, which makes them inexpensive as they are harvested and processed at a relatively low cost, and is then transferred to consumers. Disadvantages of these fuels lie in their makeup, where they release too much heat and toxic gases when combusted such as carbon dioxide, which is a danger to the environment by causing global warming. In addition to this pollution, methods used to curb and control pollution around the globe consume much of the resources that are produced from the use of the fuels, which is a counteractive measure, economically. A major demerit of the use of fossil fuels is oil spills that occur from time to time in the extraction of petroleum from sea beds and leaks in oil tankers. Renewable energy comprises wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydro power and biofuels, which are advantageous, but are little used in the world currently despite being the best form of alternative energy. Looking at these sources of energy reveals that they are easily renewed by the environment continually and are to at risk of running out at all. As such, wind, solar and water as sources of energy can never be depleted as the sun keeps shining meaning it is an eternal source of energy provided they are harnessed efficiently("The 6 Primary Types…”). Due to their ease of replenishment, they need little maintenance as a onetime installation is enough with periodic checks to ensure that they are still in working order, and there are not many variables to affect functionality negatively. In addition, they are clean, which is the best part when compared to fossil fuels, as they do not produce carbon dioxide to pollute the environment to cause global warming. Factoring in their ease of use and maintenance, they are beneficial in that they can be installed in any place that suits the bill such as buildings for solar, hills for wind, and across rivers for hydro (Hicks). Comparisons between the two types of fuels reveal that there are opinions as to why renewable energy cannot replace fossil fuels owing to the unreliable nature of renewable energy, where it needs to be available as is the case of wind and solar energy, as well as hydro and geothermal. With this, opinions are that these are intermittent sources of energy meaning that they cannot be used on an industrial scale (Parker 28). In addition, they cite that energy produced by renewable sources cannot meet the energy requirements of fossil fuels as amounts required to produce energy are more than those of fossil fuels can. Consequently, this makes it a huge disadvantage, for renewable fuels in replacing fossil fuels. In spite of quoting their nature in being clean, inefficiency is cited as the main disadvantage even if the renewable sources were working at 100% capacity, where fossil fuels at a fraction of that produce more energy. In addition, there is citing of instability of renewable sources of energy, which brings in nuclear power, where little amounts of disturbance can cause disaster. This is as seen in the case of Japan, where an earthquake caused a nuclear meltdown and led to leaks of radiation (Holley). This caused evacuation of the area around it and caused scandals of suspicion, where Japan sought to create plutonium as a source of virtually unlimited energy to replace fossil fuels. Disadvantages of Renewable Fuels There are a few disadvantages of using this type of energy just as was the case with fossil fuels, only that renewable energy has fewer demerits in comparison. Their major challenge lies for space consumed in their installation, when done in conventional spaces such as land, especially for solar and wind power, where they take up large tracts of land (“Wind Power - Discovery Channel”). In addition, they suffer a significant amount of inefficiency due to lack of technological advancement, but they are still better than fossil fuels. In addition, there are disadvantages of using renewable energy as can be seen in the application nuclear power in Japan, with the issue of suspicion and cost of generation, as well as the amount of funds used in its production. It is because of this that it is viewed as risky due to the instability of the elements used in the production of nuclear energy. In addition, there is mention of the high cost of production of renewable energy, where in spite of the presence of these fuels in abundance, the cost of renewable energy is higher than that of fossil fuels, which makes it prohibitive to use. Despite mention of renewable energy being clean, it is not entirely clean because conversion of certain materials to energy releases toxins to the environment affecting it adversely (Katz 2). Reliance on oil and other fossil fuels stands to ruin the environment on an overall scale, where pollution will not be a thing of the past but progressive. As such, water will face severe contamination from leaks where certain countries continue to export their fossil fuel resources such as oil and petroleum. This leads to adverse consequences on the environment with it losing life and even the aesthetic value deteriorates. Studies on the use of fossil fuels indicate that countries that apply fossil fuels increase carbon dioxide emissions as they seek to develop electricity, which leads to global warming (Hans-Holger 186). If there are no alternatives to nuclear power, on the other hand, there is risk of radiation pollution, such as the one that occurred in japan, when even to date researchers say that people living around nuclear plants could be affected by radiation and their agricultural products face a similar fate (Holley). In relation to energy crises, they remain to a major source of headache for the world pollution owing to the difficulty that researchers are facing in creating new technology to eliminate the use of fossil fuels and embrace renewable energy such as wind, solar, hydro and biomass. This further leads to disputes amongst countries that produce energy as seen in those that produce fossil fuel, where they only seek to prospect more sources of fossil fuel. This is with other countries contradicting the dominance of fossil fuel producers by those taking the challenge to move towards renewable sources of energy (“Fossil Fuels vs the Development…”). This is the case with Venezuela and Germany, where Germany is taking the challenge to shift towards renewable energy sources, while Venezuela only focuses on satisfying global demand for fossil fuels. Since renewable energy is not as reliable as fossil fuel, it cannot replace fossil at this moment due to the diverse potential of fossil fuels as opposed to the developmental level of renewable energy. However, humanity should not give up on finding other way to solve this problem, as they already exist such as enhancing efficiency. Works cited "Fossil Fuels Vs. the Development of Renewable Energy." Wall Street Journal (Online): n/a. Dec 25 2012. "The 6 Primary Types of Renewable Energy." Renewables Guide RSS. Renewables Guide, 08 Jan. 2011. Web. 27 May 2013. "Wind Power - Discovery Channel." Wind Power - Discovery Channel. Discovery Channel. n.d. Television. Hans-Holger Rogner, Deepak Sharma, and Irej Jalal Ahmed. "Nuclear Power Versus Fossil-Fuel Power with CO2 Capture and Storage: A Comparative Analysis." International Journal of Energy Sector Management 2.2 (2008): 181-96. Hick, Matthew. "Advantages and Disadvantages of Renewable Energy." Alternative Energy - ProCon.org. 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