Category Archives: Civic Issues

A Promising Future

Oil and natural gas are the primary sources of energy in our world today, and they will clearly remain so for decades, if not centuries. Nevertheless, oil and natural gas will slowly begin to take up less and less of the energy pie and become replaced by more efficient renewable energy sources. As I discussed in my last blog post, the wind power industry is already growing at an incredible rate, increasing by about 30 percent each year. Still, various additional energy sources are constantly booming throughout the world, changing the way the world functions.

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Many people actually oppose the progression of wind power, and instead argue that power provided by the ocean is the true solution to the energy crisis. While wind power is very limited and inconsistent, waves and tides are constantly being produced by the wind and gravitational force of the moon. While specific methods of how to actually transfer waves into electricity are still being explored, it is clear that ocean waves are a clean and renewable source of energy with a tremendous potential of generating electricity. In fact, it has been discovered that “the density of the energy that is transported under the waves under the ocean surface is about five times higher compared to the wind energy 20 meters above” (Maehlum). So, if fully exploited, the ocean has the potential to supply about 40 percent of the entire world’s power supply.

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Another fast growing industry is solar power, which currently only produces 0.1 percent of the world’s energy, but is expected to grow to 10 percent within the next 20 to 30 years. As the manufacturing and accessibility of solar cells improves, solar power will surely be implemented throughout millions of homes and businesses in the United States and throughout the rest of the world. The rapidly decreasing solar costs and rising utility rates for electricity also make solar power much more appealing to investors and customers.

While these commonly explored energy sources, along with various other forms of energy continue to expand on a large-scale, the thing that is truly going to change the world is how renewable energy can improve on a smaller scale. Throughout the next few decades, power sources are likely to move much closer to the home, causing local energy to boom. Homes and businesses, especially those gifted with lots of sunshine, wind, or strong rivers, will begin producing their own energy, which will deliver energy from as well as to the home. This shift to “smart infrastructure” is bound to occur throughout each type of energy source and particularly with solar or hydro-power. For example, as hydro-power begins to develop in America, it won’t be massive like the Hoover Dam, but micro-hydro, only providing power to select areas. Areas such as sub-Saharan Africa, which are still unconnected to large scale energy grids are even more likely to take advantage of such local-level options within the near future.

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The various solutions to the energy crisis that are constantly being explored and advanced provide the world with a bright, promising future. However, the alternative energy sources do not end at solar, wind, and nuclear power. New ideas could also turn into future energy sources. Within the next century, we could see sugar, feces, or even algae providing power to our cars, homes, and technologies. With all of these new developments, it is possible that by the time the world’s oil reserves finally dry up, we will be prepared for a future without fossil fuels.

algae-biodiesel

http://energyinformative.org/wave-energy/

http://www.economist.com/node/11580723

Wind Power in the United States

Throughout the past decade, researchers, scientists, and environmentalists have been working to establish new sources of energy that will replace coal. Various sources of renewable energy are constantly being explored including hydrogen, solar, geothermal, and nuclear energy. However, none of these forms of alternative energy are growing faster than wind power. In fact, wind, the same technology that pushed boats up rivers as early as 5000 B.C., and pumped water in China thousands of years ago, is currently the fastest growing energy source in the world.

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Since 2009, the number of wind turbines throughout the United States has doubled, and by 2015, wind energy is expected to make up 4.6 percent of total U.S. electric power generation. Although this may not seem like a large percentage, this would amount to 77,000 megawatts of wind power nationwide, and just one megawatt of power is enough energy to provide electricity to over 300 homes.

The expansion of wind energy throughout the United States is certainly advantageous for obvious reasons. First of all, wind is a renewable resource, meaning that there is no possible way for it to be entirely used up, unlike commonly used nonrenewable resources such as coal or oil. Also, wind mills provide relatively cheap, clean energy that does not release any greenhouse gases or toxins. Once they are established, there is essentially no cost involved with maintaining or utilizing the wind mills in order to provide electricity.

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Unfortunately, wind power does have a few disadvantages which are primarily a result of the large sizes of industrial wind turbines. These can often damage the appearance of certain areas and serve as a disturbance to nearby residents. However, not only are wind turbines large and protruding, but they may generate loud noises, which could also disturb those living near wind farms. Fortunately, today’s high efficiency turbines spin at lower speeds and produce less sound. This also allows turbines to be even more environmentally safe, as the amount of bird fatalities due to wind mills is decreased with slower and smoother turbines.

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Since the benefits of wind power clearly outweigh the costs, various technology is being developed to increase the usage of wind power across the United States. For example, within the next few years major cities such as New York and Chicago are likely to have access to a program that will allow homes to be powered by wind energy through the local utility. This power is provided from wind farms that have been established throughout the entire United States, and are continuing to be built in even more rural areas. An interactive map on the U.S. Department of Energy website shows the vast growth of wind farms throughout the country over the past 20 years. According to the map, turbines initially only existed in Southern California, but within just 20 years, they have begun to emerge throughout the entire country. Now, wind farms exist in nearly every state throughout the U.S. and offshore wind farms are continuously being explored and developed.

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Like onshore wind turbines, offshore turbines also have significant advantages. In fact, offshore wind turbines may be even more efficient as the wind is much stronger throughout the ocean and in the Great Lakes, where there are no terrain features or structures to obstruct the wind. In addition, offshore wind mills remain far away from any residents and most wildlife, meaning that they are also less of a disturbance to our environment. Recent studies even show that offshore wind farms can tame hurricanes rather than being destroyed by them. In fact, a force of tens of thousands of turbines can lower a hurricane’s wind speed up to 92 miles per hour and reduce its storm surge by up to 79 percent.

Clearly, wind power, whether onshore or offshore, has significant benefits over various other sources of energy. In the future, we can expect wind farms to continue to flourish throughout the country and for offshore wind farms to become more prominent due to their many unique qualities.

Renewable Energy Abroad

Throughout the past century, renewable energy usage has become an important aspect of not only the United States, but foreign nations across the world. The United States is already striving to become the most environmentally friendly country within the next several decades by utilizing renewable energy sources in all areas of society. However, as I explained in my previous post, the United States government is also very dependent on oil and natural gas, as the production and usage of these energy sources can significantly boost our economy. Unfortunately, while the United States is busy trying to improve the economy, other countries may surpass the United States in overall usage of renewable energy.

The United States’ greatest competitor in energy production, China, actually produces and consumes over four times the amount of energy consumed in the United States. China is also currently the world’s second-largest consumer of oil and is projected to move from the second-largest net importer of oil to the largest in 2014. Clearly, this shows that China also heavily relies on fossil fuels, but China continually strives to increase the use of renewable energy throughout the country and has already established itself as the largest producer of hydropower, wind power, and solar power.

Hydropower is the most widely used form of renewable energy in China, representing about 17 percent of overall domestic electricity use. China currently contains the world’s largest hydroelectric dam in the world, the Gorges Dam, which generates almost twice as much electricity as the second largest hydroelectric power plant in the world as it can generate up to 23,000 megawatts of electricity. Dams such as the Gorges Dam can be extremely beneficial in reducing the severity of floods throughout areas such as China, as well as in reducing energy consumption and pollution. China is currently the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world (behind the United States), so with an increase in green energy usage, China could certainly help save our environment. Luckily, according to David Shukman of BBC news, China has recently “embarked on the greatest push for renewable energy the world has ever seen.” China has begun to expand its range of renewable energy, by installing more solar energy than any other country in the world in 2013 and also by planning to double the number of wind turbines in the next six years. As China is already the world’s largest producer of wind power and produces more solar energy than any other nation, such actions could certainly establish China as the greatest producer of green energy within the next decade.

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However, various other countries are following China’s significant investment in renewable energy. One foreign nation that could possibly take the lead over China in renewable energy investment is Denmark. Unlike in China where various methods of renewable energy are implemented, Denmark primarily relies on wind power, as it is expected to generate 50 percent of its electricity from offshore wind by 2020.

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With improving economic and financial situations in other European countries as well, nations such as Austria, Sweden, and the UK are also beginning to invest in the renewables sector as the their fiscal policies now allow for this. More developing countries such as the Philippines, Brazil, and some countries in the Middle East are also following suit to increase renewable energy investment. In fact, reports found that developing countries have already increased total investment by 19 percent from 2011 to 2012, investing over 100 billion dollars in renewable energy. However, countries in the Middle East and Africa actually had the greatest growth, increasing spending by 228 percent to 12 billion dollars.

If such an incentive to invest in and develop renewable energy continues to exist throughout the world, and especially in developing countries, we will certainly begin to see the benefits throughout the next century. Even during our lifetimes, renewable energy could solve environmental issues, create jobs, and improve political relations between foreign countries.

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http://www.forbes.com/sites/jackperkowski/2012/07/27/china-leads-the-world-in-renewable-energy-investment/

http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Renewable-Energy/Developing-Countries-Lead-the-Way-in-Renewable-Energy-Investment.html

The Economic Impacts of the Natural Gas Industry

In my previous blog post, I criticized the Unites States’ dependence on oil and natural gas due to the harmful environmental factors of such energy sources. This week, I chose to discuss the other side of the debate on oil and natural gas, how it benefits us and our country. Although it is obvious that the effects of fracking are not good for our environment, new methods for the extraction and production of natural gas are constantly being proposed that assure a reduction in the generation of greenhouse gases and other toxins.

If such safety concerns can be addressed, then natural gas could possibly become the United States’ largest source of electricity by as soon as 2030. In fact, gas power will almost entirely replace power once supplied by nuclear or coal plants. Since natural gas can be produced at such cheap costs throughout the United States, it also plays a significant role in improving in our economy.  Producing more American energy will create new jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, strengthen our national security and raise revenue to help tackle the $16 trillion national debt.

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First off, the oil and natural gas boom has already created millions of jobs throughout the nation and is expected to create another 1.4 million jobs by the year 2030. Previously, the United States imported a majority of its oil from other areas of the world such as the Middle East, but with the abundance of natural gas available, this is no longer necessary. Since 2005, the United States has reduced its percentage of imported energy from 30 percent to 16 percent. By the year 2040, it is expected that only 4 percent of all energy in America will be imported from foreign nations. Clearly, this is bound to create countless jobs in an array of different industries. The natural gas boom creates many entry-level jobs such as drilling, pipeline, and distribution jobs in addition to various advanced positions, such as engineers. Although engineers make up a small percentage of the industry’s overall employment, they are still vital to the country’s natural gas production. Specifically, they create plans that detail how and where drilling should take place and they design the way that oil and natural gas are taken out of the ground.jobs_supported_by_oil_and_natural_gasdownload (2)

The oil and gas boom has not only affected the U.S. job industry, but it has also served to significantly enhance the national security positioning of the United States. The energy boom has reduced the country’s dependence on unstable parts of the world such as the Middle East, and instead has provided the United States with more diplomatic freedom and influence. However, this will only be maintained if our government continues to take advantage of new opportunities to protect U.S. interests abroad and to protect sources of new found strength at home. In order to do this, policymakers must fight to maintain certain policies that support the continued use of natural gas throughout the United States.

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Unfortunately, numerous environmentalists are constantly criticizing and arguing against the use of fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas. As these environmentalist groups become more active and gain more attention in the media, they are also shifting the views of policymakers. If they continue to significantly affect policy decisions regarding fossil fuel usage and production, America’s oil and natural gas boom could quickly come to an end. But, as long as the government continues making decisions based on economic factors, we can expect to see considerable improvements in our economy throughout the next few decades.

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From One Fossil Fuel to Another

Since the late nineteenth century, the burning and mining of coal has been damaging our health, polluting our air, and destroying our environment. Today, coal-fired power plants are the greatest contributors to global warming and air pollution, as they are responsible for over 83 percent of the carbon dioxide pollution since 1990. However, carbon dioxide is not the only harmful substance contained in coal. The burning and mining of coal emits an array of toxic elements and compounds that have significant health effects. Today, the pollution from coal-burning power plants causes approximately 30,000 deaths each year in the United States alone. To put that in perspective, that’s more deaths than are caused by drunken driving, AIDS, and homicides. And still, nearly 50 percent of our electricity here in the United States is generated by coal!Coal Power

Clearly, the United States, along with the rest of the world, must strive to reduce its use of coal as an energy source before the effects of global warming become irreversible and more people are harmed by the emitted waste and pollution. Although it is hard to believe that we can cut down on something we rely so heavily on, there are various other sources of energy and electricity that environmentalists, engineers, and even political representatives hope to implement within the near future. Unfortunately, it appears as though the next major source of energy will be another harmful, toxic fossil fuel.

During President Obama’s State of the Union Speech, Obama once again brought up his “all-the-above” energy strategy which he proposed in 2012. However, rather than an “all-the-above” strategy, he made it sound more like a “one-of-the-above” strategy. In the year 2012, Obama seemed to discuss every possible energy source in an attempt to improve the future.

“We’ve got to invest in a serious, sustained, all-of-the-above energy strategy that develops every resource available for the 21st century. We’ve got to choose between the past and the future. And that’s a choice we shouldn’t be afraid to make because we’ve always bet on the future, and we’re good at it. America is good at the future. We are good at being ahead of the curve. We’re good at being on the cutting edge.”

President Barack Obama, March 15, 2012

 This year however, Obama seemed to forget about everything except for natural gas. Although he made a brief reference to solar power, Obama said nothing about nuclear power, biofuels, or wind power. His strong interest in the usage of natural gas merely suggests that he, along with other political representatives, is willing to put the short-term benefits of fossil fuels ahead of the long term development of valuable renewables.

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Natural gas production has created thousands of jobs throughout the United States and it has slowed the growth of carbon emissions in our country, but it is still in no way safe for the environment nor for our health. For this reason, many environmentalists criticized Obama’s policy that heavily supports fossil fuel development, claiming that his “all-the-above” policy is fundamentally at odds with his goal of cutting carbon emissions. Obama argued that “if extracted safely,” natural gas is “the bridge fuel that can power our economy with less of the carbon pollution that causes climate change.”

However, the truth is that there is no truly “safe” way to extract and utilize natural gas. After all, the primary component of natural gas is methane. Even though natural gas does not release quite as much carbon dioxide as coal, it is still nearly just as harmful to the environment because methane is a greenhouse gas 20 times as potent as carbon dioxide. Therefore, natural gas is just as prone to cause global warming and other harmful effects as coal. One researcher and environmentalist even said, “Going from coal to natural gas is like switching from Marlboros to Camels” (Brune).

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As this quote shows, we need to stop alternating between fossil fuels, and instead work on developing safer and more efficient energy sources for the future. After all, fossil fuels will one day run out and we will be forced to turn to renewable energy. Whether this energy comes in the form of sunlight, wind, hydrogen, or some other undiscovered source, we must begin implementing such renewable sources now in order to cause no further harm to our environment and the world around us.

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http://energy.gov/coal

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/116397/obamas-energy-policy-all-above-meaningless

http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/coal-and-other-fossil-fuels/the-hidden-cost-of-fossil.html