Geology and the Environment - Research Paper Example

Topic: As the world gets bigger, as economies get larger, as the human population increases, the demand for energy also amplifies. Everyone wants the maximum amount of energy that can be produced; over the centuries, man has found numerous ways to bring power into their lives, ranging from combustion of fossil fuels, to wind power. This essay will compare and contrast two of these possible energy sources, coal with solar energy, and attempt to find out which source produces energy in the most effective and desirable way. One stark benefit of solar energy is that it does not release any green house gases (Whitburn, no date). Fossil fuels like coal need to be burned or combusted in order to release the energy within them, and there are a lot of harmful by-products released into the environment as a result of this. Carbon dioxide is the most significant harmful by-product, and it was found in 2011 that 79% of America's carbon dioxide production came from burning coal ("Coal," page 7). Carbon dioxide is a green house gas, since it "absorbs and retains heat in the atmosphere," ("Coal," page 7), and because of the huge emissions of it from the burning of coal, it is building up in the atmosphere and causing temperature changes across the world. However, the burning of coal releases other harmful substances too; fly ash, mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides are by-products that are detrimental to human health, ("Coal", page 7). In contrast, solar energy "produced by conducting the sun’s radiation – a process void of any smoke, gas, or other chemical by-product," (Whitburn, no date). In terms of negative externalities, solar energy is clearly more advantageous as compared to using coal to produce energy. Solar power is more environmental friendly as compared to power released from coal, in terms of the physical effects it has on the environment. As mentioned earlier, solar power is generated using only radiation from the sun; we receive sunlight every single day on earth, and solar panels only have to capture this radiation and convert it into power to use. Generating power using coal, however, requires coal to be dug out from the ground. There are several ways of extracting coal from the ground, including strip mining, surface mining, open pit mining, mountain top removal ("Coal," page 4). These types of mining inflict tremendous amount of damage to the environment since they involve the complete destruction of all trees, mountains, rivers, anything that is in the vicinity of the coal mine. Apart from completely ruining the scenery, mining for coal can also lead to the pollution of the air and water bodies near the coal mine (Shah, 2011); toxic materials from the mining process can get washed away into rivers or lakes that are near the mining site ("Coal," page 8). Also, the removal of trees can lead to increased chances of landslides and subsidence ("Coal," page 4). All in all, the process of extracting coal leaves behind a barren, ugly landscape, whereas solar power is generated in a way that does not harm the physical environment. Solar power also means no more grid systems (Whitburn, no date). Solar power can be generated using solar panels that are attached onto the roofs of houses, there is no need to be connected to electrical grids to receive power. This feature of solar power is particularly useful to the people living in isolated areas far away from electrical grid, since it means they no longer have to face the problem of "frequent power-cuts," and expensive electricity, (Whitburn, no date). Indeed, this "transmission infrastructure," is the "major culprit behind skyrocketing electricity prices"; also, reliance on off-grid solar power means that the 7 - 10% line loss that occurs as power is being transmitted along the power lines, can be avoided, (Land use: Solar Power Vs. Coal Fired Electricity Generation, 2010). Energy produced by coal however, does require the support of grid systems to transfer it to people. How do people working in the coal mining and solar power sectors fare? Mining is considered one of the most hazardous jobs in the world ("Coal", page 8), and miners face many more dangers to their lives as compared to those working within the solar power sector. Shah notices that coal mining has lead to the deaths of thousands of miners every year (Shah, 2011), ranging from in China to America to New Zealand. These deaths are caused by mine explosions or even mine collapses ("Coal," page 8). Sometimes, fires can suddenly start in the mines when a particular level of "heat, pressure and ventilation" are reached ("Coal," page 7). It is clear that a miner's life is at danger while in the mines. Apart from this immediate danger, miners can also suffer from various respiratory issues as a result of the poor ventilation deep down in the mines. For instance, "Black lung," is a respiratory disease common in miners; the dust that flies off when men are digging for coal collects up in the air because of poor ventilation, and soons becomes absorbed into the lungs of the miners ("Coal," page 8). With solar power, the jobs are less life-threatening, since they do not involve any situation where the workers have to do physical labor in dangerous locations, as is common with coal mining. Jobs within the solar power sector range from "manufacturing, installing, monitoring and maintaining solar panels, to research and design, development, cultural integration, and policy jobs," (Whitburn, no date); they are white-collar, non-physical jobs, where there is no physical danger to an employee's life. Lastly, it would be important to note that solar power is a renewable energy source, whereas coal is a non-renewable energy source; this means that while the source for solar power is infinite and its supply will never run out, the supply of coal is finite and once its supply runs out it will not be produced again. Although there is a very large supply of coal available throughout the world, enough that will last another 200 years (Shah, 2011), its supply will run out in the future and there will be a need to look for another energy source. This is where solar power can provide a viable solution, since its supply is infinite and cannot run out. As it is clear, coal loses in the race for sustainable and safe energy generation, whereas solar power is the clear winner. The most undesirable feature of using coal to produce energy is the fact that coal is a non-renewable energy source, whose extraction process results in degradation to both human health and the environment. Solar power is particularly attractive because it is a renewable energy source and does not pose any threat to human life or the environment. Works Cited "Coal." Education.nationalgeographic.com. N.p., n.d. Web. . "Land Use: Solar Power Vs. Coal Fired Electricity Generation." Energymatters.com. N.p., 19 Nov. 2010. Web. . Shah, Abhishek. "Disadvantages of Coal Energy- Biggest Contributor to Global Warming Is Coal’s Biggest Drawback." Http://www.greenworldinvestor.com/. N.p., 9 Apr. 2011. Web. . Whitburn, Greg. "13 Fundamental Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Energy." Http://exploringgreentechnology.com/. N.p., n.d. Web. . Outline Introduction: introduce the concept of energy demand, energy sources, and thesis statement i.e. compare and contrast the pros and cons of solar power and energy generated from coal First paragraph: solar power benefit 1 (no green house gases or harmful byproduct). Compare this with energy generated from coal Second paragraph: solar power benefit 2 (environmentally friendly). Compare this with energy generated from coal Third paragraph; solar power benefit 3 (no grid system). Compare this with energy generated from coal Fourth paragraph: solar power benefit 4 (safe jobs). Compare this with energy generated from coal Fifth paragraph: solar power benefit 5 (renewable energy resource). Compare this with energy generated from coal Conclusion: solar power clearly better than coal at generating power in a safe and sustainable way. Sources for data: "Coal." Education.nationalgeographic.com. N.p., n.d. Web. . "Land Use: Solar Power Vs. Coal Fired Electricity Generation." Energymatters.com. N.p., 19 Nov. 2010. Web. . Shah, Abhishek. "Disadvantages of Coal Energy- Biggest Contributor to Global Warming Is Coal’s Biggest Drawback." Http://www.greenworldinvestor.com/. N.p., 9 Apr. 2011. Web. . Whitburn, Greg. "13 Fundamental Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Energy." Http://exploringgreentechnology.com/. N.p., n.d. Web. . Read More