The Development of Renewable Energy - Term Paper Example

Since time immemorial, ancient man had made use of animal dung and wood to provide his energy needs but the discovery that peat found in swamps provided better energy supply caused a transition of preference to coal in all its forms i.e. peat, lignite, bituminous, anthracite and coke. Coal mining was practiced throughout Europe by the 13th century although it had been known in China and the Roman Empire as early as 1 AD (Kranzberg & Pursell 1967,p.83). The Industrial Revolution created an even keener demand for it although petroleum in the form of liquid gas and natural gas took over as the mode of preference because it is more abundant, cleaner and cheaper than coal.

Petroleum eventually became the mainstay of industry and civilization in the 20th century. After the first oil well was drilled in Pennsylvania, USA in 1859 (Jenkins 1986,p.345), the petroleum industry has rapidly grown that in 2006, it now comprises While coal, petroleum and nuclear energy have provided the world with its energy needs yet they simultaneously cause catastrophic perils to the world which some doomsayers opine might bring humanity to the brink of extinction. First, it had been proven that there is an alarming depletion of the earth’s ozone layer resulting in a yawning hole over Antarctica.

Then, it had been noticed that the earth is getting warmer and in fact has warmed by “0.76 degC on average and the rate of warming has further increased” (IPCC WGI Report,2007) resulting to thawing of glaciers, the rising of sea levels, emergence of freaky weather conditions that result to drought and famine, floods, landslides, forest fires, desertification and deaths of animals, plants and people (Suplee 1998,pp.38-58). Pinpointed as the culprit are man’s total addiction and dependence on fossil fuels i.e. coal and petroleum which has caused the emission to the atmosphere of toxic pollutants such as mercury, lead, arsenic, nitrous oxide and especially of the “greenhouse gases” mainly CO2 which result to global warming or climate change.