Energy and Sustainability: the need today
For the last decade or two, energy and sustainability were just a question of availability of energy and the amount which was used. Now in today’s developing world, with the industrial growth rate affecting the environment too, there are many other factors which are of equal importance. What has to be taken into account is the waste product which is produced by the many manufacturing units and industries. Apart from increasing the availability of energy especially for the future, the safety factors also have to be taken into consideration. Before we think of more growth and the requirement we also have to think of the effects of using energy and global warming. The greenhouse effect has been enhanced and we as responsible citizens have to think about the welfare of the world and about how we utilize energy requirements on a basis which is sustainable.
Some things are bound to change like the growth of population on our globe a few decades hence. This will mean a higher requirement of energy and power. For this kind of power requirement it is left to be seen how the power supply will be distribute, whether there will be grid systems or whether the power will be supplied in lots according to the requirement in particular areas. In urban areas there will be constant power requirements and the same will be in industrial areas too. Thus the power supply will not only have to be reliable but will also have to be qualitative.
The question arises as to where this power will be supplied from and how electricity will be generated. Some sources of power supply are wind energy and solar energy. This is a constant source which required no other requirements apart from the plant. Harnessing energy from the solar power and the wind energy does not deplete the earth of any resources. At the same time it does not pollute the water or the air. Some decades ago there was no technology discovered for power generation from wind and solar energy or from water. Sunlight and wind are not always constant, so this energy will have to be conserved when it is at its peak so that we can have a nonstop supply of electricity.
Wind turbines are another source of energy supply, but here again it is not constant or reliable. There are wind farms which help harness the wind power and provide a supply of energy. The only problem here is that many object to the turbines which are not very aesthetic to view. Mineral resources like uranium and coal could also be utilized for uninterrupted and reliable power supply and there is no immediate fear of these minerals getting depleted. However, for environment friendly power supply at a low cost there has to be new technology to be tapped. The next thing to be tapped is nuclear energy so that we can have more dependable sources of power generation for our globe to survive and sustain itself.
This entry was posted on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 12:20 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.