The race to produce clean, abundant, and renewable fuels has already begun. Since the 1990’s wind farms have popped up around the world, powering towns and even whole cities. In the deserts of Arizona, new solar collectors are dotting the maps. There is only one problem. Can we produce enough of these renewable energy sources before fossil fuel and coal become extinct?
Currently 85 % of energy used in the United States comes from fossil fuels. They are estimated to run out by the year 2065. What will we do to stop this ever approaching deadline? Many energy experts believe in Uranium. This radioactive isotope powers 15 % of the world’s electricity. Most of the reactors are located in Russia, China, France, and the U.S. Nuclear energy has many downsides. Right now, political battles are being waged in the Middle East. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants the ability to take advantage of this great resource. But with the destruction of Japan in 1945; we experienced sheer devastation and realized that nuclear energy is deadly and dangerous in the wrong hands. The disaster at Chernobyl in 1986 proved again, that nuclear energy needs to be contained. The last commercial reactor build in the U.S. went on-line in 1997 (Watts Bar 1). The people of the United States have come to fear nuclear energy and its devastating force. The 3 Mile Island meltdown in 1979 showed that even the best build, and well managed stations cannot contain the great energy. The future of nuclear energy fueling the world’s needs by 2065 could be achieved, but it would require the trust the skeptic people.
The quaint sight of windmills dotting the lush, green landscape is all about to change. Brand new windmills are reshaping the coasts of Denmark, Spain and Germany. Wind power is responsible for a mere 1 % of energy production, yet its potential is enormous. Since 1997 production increased by 22%. The demand for clean energy has been meet. Only, there are some problems. First of all, there are limits in terms of location. One can’t just place a 250 foot tower in the middle of nowhere. Meteorologists team up with Geologists, who in turn meet with designers. By the time all this is done, only a fraction of locations meet up to specifications. Secondly, these things are ugly and noisy. Most windmills are white with red strips to warn incoming aircraft or birds. As you can imagine, this is quite visually intrusive. In terms of noise production, as the blades slice through the air it creates an annoying, constant rumble of about 44 db. Lastly, most wind farms today are not replacing coal or fossil fuel power plants, they are simply responding to the needs of the worlds growing energy demand. “Farming wind” may be a small solution to the energy crisis, but it will defiantly not replace fossil fuels by 2065.
Water is the foundation of life. Is it possible to turn to it for energy? The answer is, yes. Already, hydroelectric power contributes almost 19% of energy production around the world. Many different ways of capturing water have made their way into rivers and stream everywhere. Waterwheels, the first use of hydro energy, paved the way for the industrial revolution, powering mills and machinery. Next came the most common form of capturing the water’s energy; dams. These behemoths use sheer weight and engineering to “hold up” entire rivers. Now, high tech wave power converts the ocean’s waves into usable electricity. However, these machines have an Achilles Heel, they are extremely expensive. Unlike easier methods, such as tried-and-tested Wind power, one wave energy collector would take years to pay itself off. Dams, also, have an Achilles Heel. Every new dam built floods miles and miles of land, whether that’s whole cities, as seen in the building of the Three Gorges dam, or rainforest (the Itaipu Dam). The construction of new dams is under much controversy between environmentalists and economists. If no new dams mega-hydroelectric dams are constructed, hydroelectricity will loose the renewable energy race.
The sun is the single largest supplier available to man. Every second the sun dispenses the equivalent of 70 hydrogen bombs. Humans have attempted to harness that energy for decades. In ancient times, humans collected solar energy through the use of stones. They would heat stones in the heat of the day, at night; the stones would provide a warm bed for the cold nights. In modern times, the use of solar panels has provided energy to thousands of homes. One could walk into Home Dept™ and purchase their own solar collector. Just recently, the New York Times published an article about a house which creates its own energy, and is not dependant on public services. It uses the sun to heat its water and power lights and appliances. In many cities in the Middle East this method of sun collection is widely used. It is estimated that if every home in the U.S. purchased one 2’x6’ solar collector, it would decrease energy consumption by 10%. Using the sun is very practical for many reasons. First, it is easy to set up. One could hire an electrician to install it. Second, one could place a solar collector almost anywhere, as long as the panel is facing the sun. There are many other ways to capture the sun’s massive energy. In Australia, there are plans to build a machine capable of heating air under a massive glass panel. The heat would eventually rise to a central tower where it would spin large turbines. As radical as these ideas may seem, they just might work. If the sun’s massive energy could be harnessed quickly, fossil fuels might be given more time until they run out, giving us humans more time to think about what we will do without them.
The future of fossil fuel is facing a dead end. The world is struggling to cope with the ever growing demand for oil and fossil fuels. The race for a quick renewable energy race was won by a very unlikely competitor. The fact that solar collectors are cheap to manufacture, and provide such drastic results, means that humans can rely on them when our familiar fuels run out. Nuclear, wind, and water energy are all great energy advancements; however, the quest for a cheap, clean, harmless energy gives solar collectors an edge. We will soon see great leaps in the technology of solar collectors. New plans to build massive “solar plants” are already on their way. We are exiting the age of oil and gas, and entering the age of the sun.
