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the advantages of natural gas as being less polluting, the possibility that natural gas will run out earlier might increase.
The third fossil resource that will run out is coal. This source of energy will probably last for the next 100 years. Due to its inefficiency compared to the other fossil resources it is questionable whether this source of energy is really the best alternative to the others.
When moving away from fossil fuels to another traditional energy source – uranium – the calculation is also no reason for optimism. The supply for uranium will not last forever, either. The prediction when uranium will run out is in the middle of the 2030s.
In the end, it does not matter whether one expert publishes a different number as another expert. Fact is that all the traditional energy sources will run out.
The running out of all the traditional energy sources bears great potential for conflicts. These conflicts will not start the moment when those resources will run out; instead they will start much earlier. Since these resources are concentrated in view parts of the world and the consumer (essentially Western industrialized countries) is usually located in a different area as the producer (essentially Third World countries) the competition will become stronger and stronger. Essentially, it is already apparent today, that not only states will compete for those resources but behind those states big multinational companies are playing their part as well.
The result will be the widening of the gap between those that produce and those that consume in respect to the development of the countries in the Third World and the rest. But what is the solution to this problem?
The solution widely accepted today is renewable energy sources. To give this argument more importance this third part of the article will deal with the economic and socio-political aspects of these renewable energy sources.
The case of RES is quite different as the one of traditional non-renewable energy sources. Fossil/traditional energy sources mean the centralization of energy production and consequently also a centralization of power in the hands of a few. On the contrary, renewable energy sources implemented in an ideal form means decentralization of energy production and decentralization of power. Essentially, the consumer and the producer, in the case of renewable energy sources, is the same. Energy production becomes decentralized and local. The competition for securing energy sources becomes unnecessary.
Even though there are still arguments that question the availability of renewable energy sources, the exact opposite is true. It has been widely proved by many scholars that renewable energies are available in such huge quantities to mankind that the energy demand can be covered more than once. But what is the advantage of decentralization – economically and political?
With the decentralization of energy production different regions become energetically autarkic – independent. By gaining this form of independence, different states and regions are able to get independent in a positive way form from big multinational companies and other states.
“You see, we should make use of the forces of nature and should obtain all our power in this way. Sunshine is a form of energy, wind and sea currents are manifestations of this energy. Do we make use of them? Oh no! We burn forests and coal, like tenants burning down our front door for heating. We live like wild settlers and not as though these resources belong to us “ -Thomas A. Edison, 1916
The industrial revolution has started around 200 years ago. In order to win the race of industrialization, it became evident, that the securing of resources became crucial. During this period the world stood at two crossroads. Those two roads were in one direction the road called “Renewable Energy (RES)” and in the other direction the road called “Fossil/Traditional Energy”. The first one would have led to a decentralized energy production, the second one to a centralized. Unfortunately the “Fossil/Traditional Energy” road was taken. This road led to an increase in centralization of energy production, consequently to increase of the centralization of resource availability.
This article should serve as an introduction into the field of renewable energy sources and will show that the “RES-road” will eventually be inevitable should humankind wish to survive. In order to support my arguments this article will be divided into three main parts. First, the various forms of renewable energies will be explained at a glance. A more detailed description of those will follow in the other articles belonging to this series of articles. Second, the dilemma of securing the flow of resources will be explained and third the social-political and economic aspect.
RES can be divided up into the following categories: the use of sunlight in its direct form to produce heat (warm water collectors) or electricity (Photovoltaic elements) and the use of wind, which has its origins in the exchange of warm and cold air. The air gets warmed up by the sun. Therefore it can be said that wind power is the indirect use of sunlight. The third form is the use of biomass/biogas. Biomass can also be seen as the indirect use of sunlight since the biomass is fundamentally produced by means of photosynthesis – the synthesis of high energy molecules with sunlight as its driving force. Biomass is the only RE source where the energy is stored naturally without any additional means. The last category of RES is water. Today, hydro power is the widest accepted RES and the equally the most popular. Austria is producing a main proportion of its energy out of hydro power plants. The disadvantage related to this form of energy sources is that hydropower plants with considerable size have a negative impact on the environment.
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Comments
The problem is implementation Antony Felix O. O. Simbowo | May 7th, 2005
Its sad that places like Sub Saharan Africa with plenty of sun and wind are still wallowing in energy deficits...
Pundits like you should help people like us in the developed world to lobby our governments to form tangible frameworks on the wholescale adoption of renewable energy sources. The winning of the Nobel Prize by Prof. Maathai adds a voice but still seems inadequate...Its here that we need vocal back up...For how long are we going to depend on hydro electricity with the perilous global warming catching up on us?
Eco dome. Shevnin | Feb 2nd, 2007
Coming from that that main sign alive material is his
desymmetry , sending at interaction him with
surrounding ambience, modern sources to energy, such, as atomic
and hydrogen , on the strength of their lethargies i.e. the
absences dominating spirals, turned out to be to be bad for
alive fabrics mankind, t.k. the gradual accumulation opposite
spiral alive material in organism of the person has brought
about contamination natures incompatible with life radioactive and
chemical element. In chemistries, for instance, organic sugar is
adopted by organism, but received by chemical way no. On bad
influence opposite spiral alive indicates and V.I. Vernadskiy
Natural result these output is a question: What realize the
accumulation to energy right in human organism to account slow
and free taking away her from surrounding cool tel?"Appeared
the integer a direction about work with shaft hutch and not
only shaft.
The Problem so important and actual that it without exaggeration
possible to refer to one of central in all modern.
After all with decision it, what notes K.E. Ciolkovskiy,
mankind is opened future, independent from solar energy and even
internal independent heat of the land . This else alchemists
concerned with with timeses of the muddle ages.
Already presently possible find some headwaterses of the approach
to decision of this problem on fetter of the development of the
thermodynamics of the inconvertible processes of the cool
thermonuclear syntheses in plants and resulting thereof
thermodynamicses of the biological processes , according to
which biological system (in our event human organism), must
be thermodynamic open, like plant and, besides, capable to direct
the flow to energy from external, more cool space inside itself or
artificial shell of the building (the condition, equivalent mode
heat pump ). The premiseses At observance of these conditions for
realization of the process, favouring unceasing, in the course of
time, increasing the influx to energy inside biological system.
Entered I.R. Prigozhinym so-called criterion to evolutions ,
according to which stability of the biological structures comes
to light the вдали from conditions of the balance. For instance
jumping with hummocks on hummock on marsh, space to lifes ,
become easier, curvilinear and more varied,
under vastly smaller expenses to energy
and material. So so it is important to prepare
project production available and autonomous vein for selfsurvival,
mastering swamp and wood without damage to nature.
The Development of the project ecotheatre - a construction
museum-workshop on education children and student production folding
net framework allowing minimize the energy expenseses a
production and displacement material for construction
in wood and on swamp area, traditionally unfit for construction
vein.
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