The Importance of Switching to Energy - Research Paper Example

Ethical Energy ETHICAL ENERGY Titus Rock Manickam Order No. 266709 15 January 2009 Table of Contents Introduction..3 Ethical Energy.3 Environmental Benefits..4 Wind..6 How do we do it.......................................................................7 Statutory Obligation8 Increase in Demand for Power.9 Conclusion9 Sources11 ETHICAL ENERGY Introduction There is no viable alternative to energy from renewable sources. That is why it is now important to consider only energy of this type. The energy we obtain from fossil fuel is creating climatic problems. It will not be long when it will become difficult for us to breathe pure air. The world is being held ransom through use of energy made out of fossil fuels. The environment had degraded due to decades of indifference and neglect. We are now looking abjectly at the greenhouse effect and harmful consequences of the high presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. There is no way we can bring about improvement unless we start with our own resources. We have to start from the scratch and work our way to safety through correct and constant use of the clean and renewable alternatives. It is important to begin making moves that will impact intake of energy from alternative and renewable sources. The change is beginning to happen but it is not to the desired level. We receive 8% of global energy production from renewable sources and another 6% comes from nuclear sources. This leaves 86% of our energy coming from coal, oil or natural gas (Our Climate). Ethical Energy Ethical energy is green energy obtained from renewable sources. It gives us a million reasons to smile. It is clean. It is efficacious. And it only costs little more than the conventional energy provided by fossil fuel and nuclear energy. Considering the advantageous, long term effects of the renewable sources, it is only fair and right to opt for such sources whenever the opportunity is present. The importance of switching to energy from renewable sources cannot be overstated. Now it is easier to switch over to this form of energy although supply is scarce owing to the huge cost in capital investments. The plan to switch over to renewable energy is gaining grounds in many parts of the world, notably Europe. In other regions also, wherever the feasibility is present, governments and commercial organizations set up plants to produce energy from renewable sources. The problem created by emission of carbon dioxide through the use of the conventional coal, oil and natural gas has become enormous and is making governments and commercial corporations to sit up and take notice. One does not have to be an expert to realize the gravity of the situation arisen due to unfettered use of conventional energy. Changes in the climate affected largely due to carbon emissions from energy producing coal, oil and natural gas plants are making conditions in the world difficult for man and beast. It is high time to think about moving away from environment degrading sources and link up with ways and means of producing energy from clean renewable sources. There are a number of ways to change over to energy from renewable sources. One way is by buying them from those who product them. Another way is by producing it yourself (Good Energy). Environmental Benefits Moving to renewable sources for energy is the best bet to undo the harmful effects we have created for ourselves with decades of use of fossil fuel. It is said that the high capital costs and uncertainty of renewable sources are limiting the possibilities to change over to these sources. However, in the long run the effects of renewable sources are extremely beneficial to our environment. They will make our world better place to live in. It will be possible to have clear environment where one can gaze at the stars that has been inhibited due to the thickness of the carbon dioxide in the air. People who have installed the "green" energy have the assurance that they have their homes powered by renewable sources. They are more than compensated for what they use. And in the days and years to come, they will look back with satisfaction that they have left the world a better place to live for their children. The company hosting their power usage will redouble their efforts to carry forward their plans and expand their activities so that they could spread out to more people. Most people using electricity do not think of the environment when dealing with this energy. One-third of the global carbon dioxide emissions come from power stations using coal and natural gas. The greenhouse effect and global warming is the direct result of the increase in the carbon dioxide component in the air. Now it has become so enormous that climatic changes are occurring in many parts of the world and the natural habitats for flora and fauna are experiencing erosion due to erratic climate and rise in the sea level. Thus, it is more important than ever before to look at ways and means of changing the supply from power stations based on coals and natural gas to those with renewable sources. Large corporations and institutions like the Oxford University run on 100% renewable energy. So the perceptible shift from the conventional energy is taking place although not in the desired scale. The United Kingdom which has 1% of the world's population emits 2.3% of the world's total emissions of carbon dioxide. Apart from their degradation to the environment, fossil fuels are finite and their supply will cease to exist one day. The nuclear energy is not a viable option although it does not produce carbon dioxide because it produces dangerous radioactive waste with lifespan running into thousands of years. Renewable sources of energy are the safest form of power generation with zero or minimal environmental waste (Good Energy). Productions the world over is increasing all the time. Along with productions, consumption of energy too is rising because productions are dependent on energy. In order to reduce the harmful effects of producing energy we have either to reduce its intake or switch over to energy which does not have harmful effects production source. It is not possible to tell the world to reduce production. But we can certainly get people to change their attitude and energy intake to renewable sources (Ethical Hosting). Wind Energy obtained from wind power accounts for about 1% of global electricity production. However, it is one of the fastest growing energy sectors. It grew by 25% globally in 2006 to 74 GW. Wind has tremendous potential for power generation. It may not be constantly present all the time. But wind can be harnessed to be made available whenever required. It can be stored in the form of hydrogen, pumped water, or compressed air to make it availability more constant and predictable (Our Climate). The facilities to conserve wind will be present in the plant. Wind turbines move with slow, gentle wind currents and can withstand the pressure of strong winds too (Wind Power). How do we do it Going by the available conditions in Belina in sub-Sahara Africa, there is every reason to make the choice for renewable energy. Two main towns close to each other in Belina have plans to develop factories for production of international goods. The initial energy requirement is about 1 GW, and this will increase if these towns are successful in their international venture and both production and population increase. The venture is bound to be successful due to the large number of educated people in Belina. Belina has 50,000 of the population with secondary education and 5,000 graduates. The natural sources in Belina also make the case for renewable energy very favorable. There is plenty of available space for wind turbines. There is a ridge near the towns with steady, strong wind through much of the year. The sites near the towns where the power systems could be built are either already owned by the Belina government or could be obtained through bills currently moved through the parliament. There is adequate cooling water available. And although many geologists suspect that the seas offshore of Belina cover good gas fields, they are deep and the proving costs are not currently justified. There is extensive, undeveloped and good agricultural land 20 miles within the towns' jurisdiction. We have to put our will to work and get it done. Denmark is producing 15% of its energy from renewable sources. They expect this to rise to 50% by 2030 AD (Paul Gipe). We must invite Windiber to quote and take up the job of installing wind turbines in the region for electricity production. Although the cost of the project is relatively high, and the unit generated price is medium, it will make an ideal investment due to the favorable conditions for renewable energy. Statutory Obligation In the United Kingdom, the government has made it obligatory for energy suppliers to buy green electricity. As such, from 01 April 2002, electricity suppliers have been required by the government to ensure that an increasing proportion of the electricity they sell comes from renewable energy sources. This is currently 4.0% and will rise annually until it reaches 15% in 2015 (Buyer's guide to green electricity suppliers). For the time being, this obligation is confined to the United Kingdom. However, the day is not far off when every nation in the world will face similar obligation. Increase in Demand for Power The demand for power consumption is projected to increase by 50% the world over from 2005 to 2030. It will increase by 85% in the non-Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (non-OECD) countries and by 19% in the OECD countries. The prices of oil and natural gas are rising most of the time. Oil prices in 2007 nearly doubled from oil prices in 2003. In spite of the rise in prices, the demand for oil and natural gas will rise over the next few decades. Nevertheless, the demand for energy from these sources will be impacted due to availability of energy from alternative and cleaner sources, that is, the renewable sources. The concern for greenhouse gas emissions is bound to reduce appreciably the use of coal and oil for energy purposes. As compared to coal and oil, natural gas has lesser emission of carbon dioxide. There are several factors under consideration for no or low emission technologies to replace coal-fired energy. And the price for implementing these technologies is not discouraging. Renewable energy sources are attractive for environmental reasons. Government policies and incentives to increase the use of renewable sources for electricity generation will increase the use of renewable energy even when it cannot compete economically with fossil fuels (International Energy Outlook 2008). Conclusion The conditions in Belina favor wind power. Technically, there is no alternative to this renewable source for the power requirement in this region. Even if we were to consider alternative sources, we have to consider the budget which will be on the higher side. If we were to consider coal, oil or natural gas, the costs for these are going to be very high for installation as well as supply. For this reason, simple strategy demands that we opt for renewable energy. We will have to float tenders and invite bids. There is time for that. Once we are clear with our objectives to invite tenders for the purpose of installation of plant for renewable energy, it will make our job easy to take care of the rest of the problems such as the course we must adopt for times when there will be no wind. I hope I have made my points clear and there is no scope for second thoughts. I know there will be technical questions. We can sort it out in the course of our endeavor to install the plant. In case there is any doubt about this report, please feel free to tell me. Sources: Buyer's guide to green electricity suppliers, http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/FreeBuyersGuides/energyutilities/greenelectricitysuppliers.aspx Ethical Hosting, Green Web Hosting that is 100% Wind Powered, http://www.ethicalhost.ca/renewable-energy-hosting.html Ethical Utility Providers, http://www.utilitycharges.co.uk/ethical-utility-providers.html Good Energy, http://www.ethical-company-organisation.org/114-135-GSG09-energy.pdf International Energy Outlook 2008, http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ieo/highlights.html Our Climate, http://www.ourclimate.net/altenergy.htm Paul Gipe, Energy for Life: The Pursuit of an Ethical Energy Policy, http://www.wind-works.org/articles/Ethics.html Wind Power, http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_wind.shtml Read More