Environmental Science Unit #3
Law of Conservation
The law of conservation describes the way that energy is not lost or created but cycled through the energy system. That means that energy moves in a closed system unless energy is added or subtracted. Even though energy moves through a closed system it can be converted from one type of energy into a different type of energy. Kinetic energy is the amount of energy minus the potential energy. When a car sits at the top of a hill there is potential energy present, when the car gets shoved down the hill that is kinetic energy. Both geothermal and coal can be used to heat a room and that kind of energy is thermal energy. Kinetic energy can be turned into thermal energy with steam or mechanical energy in a motor or turbine. (Stegner, 2001, 42)
Energy Sources: The Pros and Cons
The positive view of continuing to use fossil fuels is that the distribution system is already in place. Also the people who are in charge of fossil fuel production would continue to make money. The negatives of continuing to use fossil fuels are many more than any positive reasons. The fossil fuels of oil, natural gas and coal, add more carbon in the atmosphere. The pollution they cause is hard on human health. Many people are experiencing lung problems and children have a lot of problems from allergies due to bad air. Parker (et al., 2009, 140) report that summer exposure to higher levels of the pollutants cause an increase in ozone levels and that causes an increase in childhood allergies compared to areas with less pollutants.
Nuclear energy does not add carbon to the atmosphere and that is considered an advantage. The problems include the process uses radioactive materials. There is no know way to make the process 100 percent safe and there is no guaranteed way to safely store the waste products. The Union of Concerned Scientists have pointed out that it would take so long to build high quality nuclear facilities in the US that it really is not an acceptable alternative. (USC, 2007, uscusa.org)
Solar power does not make any pollution. It is renewable every day and sustainable. It is suitable for all countries (and for remote locations), there is no noise and it is efficient. Solar energy is for water heaters in Vermont and in different countries in the world so the technology is well known. The problems are that it is expensive to come up with money for start up. The downside is that solar can be very expensive to buy. Also in highly polluted areas the solar cells cannot collect sun energy efficiently. (Pros, 2012, Clean-Energy-Ideas.com)
Wind power is good for making energy for one house at a time or in wind farms with a lot of wind turbines sited in one field. The cost of putting up a wind turbine can be paid for by the money saved from buying energy from a company. The place where the turbine is placed is very important without any wind the turbine will be wasted. Wind is not always reliable because of weather changes. Putting up a wind turbine can be very expensive. There is noise associated with the wind turbines. (Wind, 2012, Clean-Energy-Ideas.com)
Hydropower is made from water running over dams. This creates a lot of energy but it damages the natural path of rivers. The reservoirs that are made by the dams also cover up land which may have been used for housing, farming or forests. There are some inventions which may be used to take the power of the ocean waves and turn them into energy. (Natural, 2012, Clean-Energy-Ideas.com)
Biofuel is talked about a lot for using to make ethanol, a replacement for gasoline to use in cars and small trucks. Other biofuels are “biobutanol, biodiesel, biogas, and vegetable oil (Biofuel, 2012, Clean-Energy-Ideas.com). The argument against biofuels is that when crops and foods are used to make ethanol then some people do not have enough food to eat.
Energy Policy Act (2005)
The 2005 Energy Policy Act was passed in order to encourage alternative uses of oil instead of relying so much on imported oil. Different types of incentives are offered by the government to encourage people to switch to biofuels, geothermal, coal and other types of energy. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that the following types of energy issues and energy production are included in the Energy Policy Act (2005).
(a) energy efficiency, (b) renewable energy, (c) oil and gas, (d) coal, (e) Tribal energy, (f) nuclear matters and security, (g) vehicles and motor fuels, including ethanol, (h) hydrogen, (i) electricity, (j) energy tax incentives, (k) hydropower and thermal energy, and (l) climate change technology. (Summary, 2012, USEPA)
Government subsidies are allowed for incorporating solar energy for use in a home. Title II Section 211 defines “renewable energy system’ as one that is set up in a home or a place where people live, that transmits or uses alternative energies like solar, geothermal, and biomass. Wind energy is included if it is not being used for business residential buildings. The alternative energies have to meet certain criteria for “performance and quality standards” (Energy, DOE, 63). For example solar installations have to meet a 15 percent thermal efficiency rating. Biomass is defined as organic material that has been recycled or is regularly available and can include farm, garden, forest wastes from pruning or weeding, left over wood, grass, plus animal and municipal wastes. (Energy, DOE, 63) It also describes government initiatives to use alternative energy like a photovoltaic (solar) system for the headquarters of the DOE.
(a) increase in fuel efficiency by at least 10 percent, (b) nitrogen oxide (NO) emissions need to be reduced by 70 percent during landing and takeoff, (c) research for other advanced technology that could be used, other propulsion alternatives and “non conventional turbine-based” systems, and (d) types of alternative fuels that could be used in new types of turbine-based systems. (Energy, DOE, 241).
The act also describes both non hydroelectric projects that can be started on public lands in Section 211 and for leasing federal land for gas or oil exploration in Section 353. (Energy, DOE, 68 & 122) Management of resources, research and development, types of technology, subsidies and grants are described in the Act. The end of the act describes environmental impacts that have to address having to do with building potential hydroelectric plants even the impact on wildlife has to be addressed. (Energy, DOE, 550-551)
References
Biofuel Definition & Additional Information. (2012). Clean Energy Ideas. Retrieved from http://www.clean-energy-ideas.com/energy_definitions/definition_of_biofuel.html
Energy Policy Act. (2005). 119 STAT. 594. PUBLIC LAW 109–58—AUG. 8, Department of Energy (DOE). United States of America Government. www.gpo.gov. Retrieved from http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-109publ58/pdf/PLAW-109publ58.pdf
Natural Energy Sources. (2012). Clean Energy Ideas. Retrieved from http://www.clean-energy-ideas.com/articles/natural_energy_sources.html
Parker, J. D., Akinbami, L. J., Woodruff, T. J. (2008). Air Pollution and Childhood Respiratory Allergies in the United States. Environ. Health Perspect. 117(1): 140-147. doi:10.1289/ehp.11497
Pros & Cons of Solar Energy. (2012). Clean Energy Ideas. Required from http://www.clean-energy-ideas.com/articles/pros_and_cons_of_solar_energy.html
Stenger, V. J. (2001). Humanity in time and space. Free Inquiry. 21(2): 42. Retrieved from www.questia.com.
Summary of the Energy Policy Act 42 USC Sect. 13201 et seq. (2005). (2012 February 24). Laws and Regulations. United States Department of Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/epa.html
UCS Position on nuclear power and global warming. (2007). Union of Concerned Scientists. http://www.ucsusa.org Retrieved from http://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear_power/nuclear_power_and_global_warming/ucs-position-on-nuclear-power.html
Wind Turbines. (2012). Clean Energy Ideas. Retrieved from http://www.clean-energy-ideas.com/articles/advantages_and_disadvantages_of_wind_energy.html
