Climate change is a big issue these days. Climate change is a change of climate caused by human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and intensive agriculture. Earth’s average surface temperature has risen about 2.12 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 19th century. Some effects of climate change are loss of sea ice, rise in sea level, more droughts and heatwaves, and intense storms. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecasts that there will be a temperature rise of 2.5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century. As a solution to this problem, people have been trying to utilize renewable energy including wind, solar, hydro, biomass, and geothermal energy.
Solar energy is powerful energy made by solar power. Solar power can be used as a heat source, as well as an energy source. Solar energy is created through a process called photovoltaics (PV). Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight into electricity. Climate change continues. This would be a bigger threat. Solar panels are an example of photovoltaics. These days, people often use solar panels for houses. An advantage of solar energy is that it is very efficient and lasts a long time. The sunlight touching Earth in one hour is enough to power the world for 1 year. However, it has some disadvantages, too. As it requires sunlight, there is no power at night. Also, it costs a lot of money because solar panels use a lot of high-purity silicon.
Another renewable energy is wind energy. Wind energy is created by wind turbines. One wind turbine can only make a small amount of electricity, so there usually is a wind farm with a lot of wind turbines. The wind turns the blades of the turbine around a rotor, which is connected to a shaft. The shaft then spins the generator that creates electricity. Wind energy is efficient since it doesn’t cost a lot to operate. It is always available as wind is always accessible. Even though wind turbines are always accessible and efficient, there can be some noise from the blades moving and the machines in the turbines.
Hydro energy is made by the flows and movements of water. Hydro energy uses hydroelectric turbines. The water turns the propellers, which turn a shaft in the electric generator, the motor producing electricity. Some of the hydroelectric plants use dams to store and control the flow of water. When water is let out of the dam, gravity flows the water to the turbines. Hydro energy is a great backup during blackouts or electrical service failures, but it can also harm marine life due to construction.
Geothermal energy is created by the internal heat of Earth. Volcanoes and geysers are both from underground heat. The geothermal system has pipes buried more than 4 feet deep. There are various ways of heat extraction, but it is drawn from the earth with water and steam in most cases. Geothermal energy can also be used to heat and cool houses. The heat pump uses the cool water from the ground to create less humid air. Finally, geothermal energy can be used to generate electricity. Steam spins a turbine connected to the generator, then creates electricity. It is sustainable as it is always available, unlike some resources such as solar energy. The disadvantage of geothermal energy is that it is very expensive. It costs $2~$7 million for a plant with a 1 megawatt capacity.
Finally, biomass energy is energy created by natural materials or waste. The plants produce biomass through photosynthesis, a process of plants converting light energy into chemical energy. Then, the biomass is burned to heat water. The water creates the steam, and the pressure of the steam spins a turbine. The turbine powers the generator and electricity is generated. Biomass reduces waste because biomass energy uses waste, too. As a result there will be less pollution. However, deforestation can happen because natural materials are required.
Today, more human activities are damaging the earth, and further contributing towards climate change. It has led us to utilizing more renewable energy sources to create a safer environment. Renewable energy might not be fully developed yet, but they are healthier and safer than fossil fuels like coal and oil. Solar energy, wind energy, hydro energy, geothermal energy, biomass energy may all generate green energy, but it has some disadvantages and limitations. Even though renewable energy is’t perfect yet, the earth will be much safer when we use renewable energy.
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