The Importance of Renewable Resource Over Fossil Fuels - Case Study Example

Khaled Almenhali Josh Ballard ESL 1080 10 APR Sustainable Energy Source Renewable energy benefits surpass fossil fuels. Thus, it is emerging as an alternative energy form that is sustainable and addresses energy concerns of the present century. Notably, renewable energy responds to the 21st-century energy concerns in regards to transport, heat, and production processes. Renewable energy is the power that is gathered from the sun, wind, and water. The mentioned natural resources renew or replenish through natural processes (Demirbas 45). Given the sustainability and abundance of the resources, many nation tap the resources to produce wind power, hydroelectric and solar energy. In the same measure, fossil fuels also form a significant component of energy sources. Fossil fuel includes coal, natural gas, and oil. They form from organic material decay. Nonetheless, fossil fuels are non-renewable, as they will run out with time. The widespread use and preference for the two energy sources facilitates debates about their sustainability based on several factors like environment and health issues. The debates in turn facilitate studies about the significance of renewable energy and fossil fuels. Therefore, this work majorly focuses on the importance of renewable resource over fossil fuels. As highlighted above, renewable is the perfect solution to the global energy challenges. Its advantages over other energy sources define the strengths and benefits it offers the final users and the environment. First, renewable energy sources are gifts of nature. Therefore, they are found everywhere in unlimited quantities depending the time of the day and the season of the year (Dave 2013). The sun, wind, and water are freely available for harnessing through appropriate technologies since their production do not entail any cost. The sources are more reliable and more resilient. Renewable energy covers more land unlike fossil fuel machines. The distribution can take place over a large geographical area. The modular systems have each solar panel and windmill in different arrays and in high numbers that make them efficient (Dave 2013).When encountered in awful weather conditions renewable energy has better chances of surviving than its compotators. The use of fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, and nuclear power require a large amount of water for cooling. Regions with no water or more periods of drafts put electricity generation at risk. When it comes to water supply solar photovoltaic systems and wind systems, do not intend to use it. Second, renewable energy is a self-sustaining source of energy. There is the sustainability of energy from the sun, water, and wind. The energy has an infinity of sustainability, and we will never run out of the source of power. The high winds, moving water, and the shining sun can supply a constant and a vast energy resource. Whereas, with fossil fuels, the fuel formation process cannot take place at the rate to meet the needs of the current and the future energy demands. Fossil fuels are unsustainable because the deposits are finite, and continuous use reduces the available quantity. For instance, the amount of the North Sea oil is on the decline due to the overexploitation. The controversy is that despite the rate, 93% of the consumable fuel in the world comprise of fossil fuel and the nuclear energy (Demirbas 41). However, this is not guaranteed of their future sustainability as they are depleted with days. Third, renewable energy is kind to the environment, and it is considered a clean source of energy. The energy is clean and gives little or no greenhouse and net carbon emissions. The renewable source of energy has minimal, if any, adverse impacts on the environment. The utilization does not deplete natural resources. It has no waste products such as Co2 and other toxic substances (Beckrich 167). It can bridge the chasm between environmental protection and economic growth. The wind and the solar energy do not need water for power generation and does not pollute water resources. Therefore, this source of energy helps us protect the environment from the toxic pollutions, thereby keeping people and our environment healthier. With fossil fuels, the process of mining of oil and other fossil fuel such as underground drilling or excavations cause irreparable damage to our ecosystem. The mining process destroys the ecology. Therefore, leads to degradation of the ecosystem. Burning of fossil fuels in energy generation causes air pollution and produces greenhouse gas. Thus, coal mining, processing, and use contaminate air and in turn find its way to its victims lungs (Dave 2013). Fossil fuels detriments human health and causes respiratory diseases. Therefore, fossil fuel use is harmful to human health. Fossil fuels promote climate change and global warming. It generates carbon dioxide gas that adds to global warming. The impact of global warming on the ecosystem is extensive. The warmer temperature melts the ice in the Arctic and the Antarctica, leading to an increase in the sea level. The Rise of the sea level may result in the displacement of human beings and land animals (Beckrich 356). Combustion of fossil fuel also leads to acid rain. The fuels generate nitric acids, carbonic and sulphuric acids that fall to earth as acid rain. Acid rain dissolves monuments and sculptures made up of limestone and marble. Air pollution resulting from burning of the fuels also leads to smog (Rosa 27). Fourth, renewable energy is cheap and economically sound in the end. The installation of the facilities for tapping renewable energy is a one thing activity and requires minimal and occasional maintenance. On the other hand, fossil fuel production plants such as coal stations need skilled engineers to ensure efficiency (Dave 2013). The skilled workers who operate such plants require appropriate remuneration in exchange for their services. Usually, the high salary demands strain the facilities. Hence, they employ few skilled workers. On the contrast, renewable energy already saved people by providing thousands of jobs (Dave 2013). An example includes the American condition in which the windmills ensured 75,000 jobs in 2011. In the same year, the solar industry employed about 100,000 people. 250,000 people were granted a position by the hydroelectric power industry (Dave 2013). Renewable energy amenities need less amount of maintenance, thereby, reducing the costs (Dave 2013). The source of power returns the future of energy back to the people. The source of power will be owned and used by the communities, families, individuals and farmers. In decentralizing the energy resources, the undeveloped regions can capitalize by using renewable resources to enhance development. The decentralization also empowers the local people, improving on their purchasing power. Thereby the energy projects keep money circulating within the local economy. It will reduce the need in spending money in importing coal and natural gas from other places. Lastly, use of renewable energy also helps in stabilizing the energy prices. The cost of the renewable source of energy is directly dependent on the invested money. No entity can inflate the value of natural resources for self-gain. The cost of technologies for renewable sources has dropped and further decline. The drop has contributed in stabilizing the price of energy for example, a 60% decline in the prices of solar panels in 2011 (Dave 2013). The price of collecting energy using the wind has dropped 20 percent in 2010 and 2012. It even dropped more than 80% since 1980 (Smith 246). The cost is projected to reduce more as companies take advantage of economies of scale. Applying economies of scale requires low costs in its operations. Our government will have an easy task of only paying a smaller amount for the energy tapping. In contrast, the prices of fossil fuel are not stable, and they encounter many changes (Dave 2013). For example, there was a rapid increase in the coal price in the U.S due to global demand for the year 2008, followed by an early fall in the following year. The price of natural gas has also fluctuated in an excellent level since 2000 (Rosa 421). Therefore, using a renewable source of energy will help to diversify our energy supplies. The long-run advantages from renewable energy investment can be of importance in saving money for use in other developmental projects. Setbacks of using a renewable source of energy are also enormous. However, they are not as serious as those identified with fossil fuels. Some of the weaknesses of using this source of energy is as include the following. The availability of renewable energy entirely depends on natural process constituting its weaknesses. Therefore, the failure to the process limits its power generation, for example, occasions of the drought, cloudy skies, failure of high winds. In this respect, the power supply is out of control of human action because man has not capacity to determine the strength or availability of natural processes like wind or solar. On the other hand, production of fossil energy is controlled by human skills in industries. Hence, man can determine the quantity of energy supply based on demands and infrastructure (Rosa 123). Solar panels and windmills installation are also expensive. Buying and installing the gadgets may be unaffordable to some people. The resources also take large tracts of space to collect the energy due to the dilution in the atmosphere, for example, the sun rays in the morning are a form of diluted energy. Renewable sources of energy pose a challenge since they are hard to capture in an efficient and economical way. The power also requires complicated storage to contain energy. Storing such energy for the future use is also hard (Rosa 77). Despite the drawbacks, renewable energy stands out as the safest and most sustainable source of energy. Its usage does not contribute towards to the decline in its quantity compared to fossil fuel. Renewable energy is safe and friendly source of energy. It enhances environmental conservation and sustainability. Renewable energy is efficient and accessible. It is comfortable and safe for use. It is also affordable. More important, due to its non-depletion nature, it is the energy for our future generation. It empowers the society and contributes to the economic growth and regional balance. In addition, it poses less health threat if any. Fossil fuels have long-lasting adverse effects. Based on the information, the world population should promote and adopt renewable sources of energy. The renewable energy sources ensure environmental safety, efficiency, accessibility and enhanced quality of life. Works Cited Beckrich, Amanda. "The Green Room." The Science Teacher. (2014): 10-11. print. Demirbas, Ayhan. "Alternative Fuels for Transportation." Energy Exploration & Exploitation XXIV.1-2 (2006): 45-54. print. Smith, Robert P. "Is renewable energy viable?" Financial Accounting and Financial Management Journal (2014): 22-43. Print. Da, Rosa A. V. Fundamentals of Renewable Energy Processes. Oxford: Academic, 2012. Internet resource. Lochbaum, Dave. "Benefits of Renewable Energy Use." Union of Concerned Scientists. Union of Concerned Scientists, 6 Feb. 2013. Web. 5 Apr. 2015. . Read More