Significance of Energy Conservation - Term Paper Example

? Energy Conservation of the Physics (Including Earth and Space Sciences) of the Concerned October 4, Energy Conservation There is no denying the fact that the humanity has to pay a big price for industrial and economic development and sustaining high standards of living, and pollution and the consequent global warming caused by an extensive usage of the fossil fuels are a part of that dilemma. It is indeed true that the usage of fossil fuels offers many advantages (Borowitz, 2004). First and foremost the fossil fuels happen to be easily accessible. Fossil fuels are found in abundance on the planet earth and can readily be extracted and used to meet the human energy needs (Borowitz, 2004). The other thing is that the fossil fuels could yield large amounts of energy and happen to be easily combustible (Borowitz, 2004). Fossil fuels are portable and have been in use since centuries. Fossil fuels happen to have a high calorific value and do yield large amounts of energy on combustion (Borowitz, 2004). That is why they are the most preferred source of energy on earth. The other good thing about fossil fuels is that being primarily composed of carbon and hydrogen atoms; they are very stable and easy to handle unlike other sources of energy like the nuclear energy (Borowitz, 2004). Fossil fuels are thereby hassle free and risk free. In the contemporary context the fossil fuels happen to be the most affordable and cost effective source of energy (Borowitz, 2004). However, the one big lacuna with fossil fuels is that they cause pollution and global warming. The burning and combustion of the fossil fuels produces gases like carbon-dioxide, carbon-monoxide and methane that not only pollute earth’s atmosphere, but also cause global warming. The earth has a natural green house effect that traps the sun’s heat from escaping the earth’s atmosphere and keeps the planet’s temperature suitable and comfortable to sustain life on earth (Posner, 2004). However, the burning of fossil fuels produces carbon-dioxide that adds to the quantum of the greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere and thereby leads to an enhanced greenhouse effect (Posner, 2004). This added quantum of greenhouse gases caused by the combustion of fossil fuels stops the sun’s infrared radiations from escaping into space and thereby increases the temperature on earth (Posner, 2004). This global warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels gets further augmented by the other polluting human activities like deforestation, which not only denude the earth but also hamper the natural processes that lead to absorption and assimilation of carbon-dioxide and other green house gases produced by human activities like industrialization, transportation, thermal energy generation, etc (Posner, 2004). Thereby fossil fuels are one major cause of global warming. To understand the threat posed by global warming to earth’s environment and ecosystems, the thing that needs to be kept in mind is that the life that evolved on the planet earth over millions of years could only thrive and sustain itself in a specific climate and temperature. Till now the earth’s natural greenhouse effect had kept the temperature on earth ideally suitable for the survival of the dependent flora and fauna and ecosystems (Posner, 2004). However, with the accelerated greenhouse effect caused by pollution unleashed by the rampant and sustained usage of fossil fuels, the temperatures on earth are gradually augmenting. This is giving way to climate change, which simply means that owing to the rising pollution, around the earth the temperatures are raising, sea levels are rising and seasons are shifting (Posner, 2004). The survival of life on earth requires resources like food and water. However, with the augmenting global warming a day may come when the phenomena like droughts, storms and hurricanes, threatened ecosystems, and changing landscapes caused by global warming may threaten the existence of life on earth. To restrain and slow down the negative climatic activities caused by the extensive usage of fossil fuels, energy conservation is the need of the hour. Simply speaking, energy conservation tends to refer to the efforts being made to reduce the consumption of energy on earth (Goldemberg, 2011). The task of energy conservation tends to be dependent on a range of steps imminent on the human populations. One way to conserve energy is to resort to more efficient and productive approaches towards the usage of energy on earth (Goldemberg, 2011). Decreasing the consumption of energy is one other step that aids the task of energy conservation (Goldemberg, 2011). The primary objective of energy conservation is to reduce the production and generation of energy through the combustion of conventional sources of energy like fossil fuels. The energy conservation is a step that is fraught with immense benefits and possibilities and could greatly ameliorate the risk posed by global warming and the commensurate climatic changes (Goldemberg, 2011). However, energy conservation is an approach that requires immense commitment on the part of governments and human populations. Energy conservation directly checks the pollution of the earth’s atmosphere and the underground water resources (Goldemberg, 2011). Fossil fuels contaminate the air and the underground water resources and render them unfit for human and animal consumption. Energy conservation also checks the rapid destruction of eco-systems and the associated flora and fauna (Goldemberg, 2011). Energy conservation also limits the quantum of green house gases like carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere and thereby restrains global warming and the consequent climatic changes (Goldemberg, 2011). The irony is that though at present many concerted, dedicated and sincere individuals and groups are dedicated to the task of energy conservation and the facilitation of technologies and approaches that could lead to immense energy conservation, yet the approaches of the governments around the world regarding the issue of energy conservation are lackluster and non-committal (Goldemberg, 2011). The contemporary human civilization is based on energy consumption and the governments around the world are dedicated to lower the cost of the conventional energy sources, so as to aid and bolster economic growth (Goldemberg, 2011). The developing nations like India and China are using augmenting amounts of fossil fuels to meet their growth and development requirements. Research is taking place around alternative sources of energy like solar energy, hydroelectric energy, and geothermal energy; however these sources are being resorted to on a selective basis and it is primarily the fossil fuels that are pushing the economic development and growth. Human transportation is one major source that consumes large amounts of fossil fuels, thereby polluting atmosphere and adding to global warming. Thereby, one major plan that could significantly reduce the levels of carbon emissions is to phase out the fossil fuel driven cars and vehicles in the country in the next 10 years and replace them with electric cars. In the United States alone there are roughly 246 million vehicles that run on fossil fuels (Coalition for Clean Air, 2013). Out of these it is the cars that account for the maximal consumption of fossil fuels. It has been found that it is the cars only that release twenty percent of the planet’s total carbon-dioxide, seventy two percent of the total nitrogen oxides and fifty two percent of reactive hydrocarbons into the earth’s atmosphere that cause global warming an climatic change (Coalition for Clean Air, 2013). It has also been estimated that in the United States alone approximately 30,000 people die annually of diseases caused by car emissions (Coalition for Clean Air, 2013). Thereby, if the cars using fossil fuels are replaced by electric cars in a time bound and planned manner in the nation within the next 10 years, it could drastically reduce the quantum of greenhouse gases and carbon emissions. The electric cars happen to be emission free and do not cause any pollution. The problem with electric cars at present is that the technology that goes into them is very costly right now and the available electric cars command a high price (Doyle, 2000). Many of the users simply do not afford to buy electric cars and thereby they opt for fossil fuel driven cars. The other issue with electric cars is that it takes much time to get their batteries charged and they are relatively slow as compared to fossil fuel driven cars (Doyle, 2000). To deal with these technological constraints one requires much commitment and dedication on the part of the governments and the car makers. If the governments the world over chalk out a plan to phase out the fossil fuel driven cars in a time bound manner, it will stimulate the car companies to carry out extensive research on electricity driven cars so as to deal with the imminent technology constraints and lower the electric car prices. The governments around the world need to extend incentives to the local car makers to stimulate research in electric cars technology and to make them more affordable. A thorough commitment and sincerity on the part of the car makers could make the electric car technology quiet pragmatic and affordable, quiet soon. The governments should also extend incentives to the individuals and families opting to buy electric cars. The imminent risks posed by global warming facilitated by the rampant and extensive usage of fossil fuels tend to be a collective human problem. Energy conservation and investment in technologies that aid energy conservation is one way to deal with this issue. This requires commitment on the part of governments, societies and communities. References Borowitz, S. (2004). Farewell Fossil Fuels. New York: Plenum Trade. Doyle, J. (2000). Taken for a Ride: Detroit’s Big Three and the Politics of Pollution. New York: Four Walls Eight Windows. Goldemberg, J. (2011). Energy: What Everyone Needs to Know. New York: Oxford University Press. Posner, R.A. (2004). Catastrophe: Risk and Response. New York: Oxford University Press. Ten Air Pollution Facts. (2013). Retrieved October 4, 2013, from Coalition for Clean Air Website, http://ccair.org/facts-about-air-pollution/10-air-pollution-facts Read More