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Essay / Preparing for the future of renewable resources
Table of contentsIntroductionThe future transition to renewable resourcesFossil fuels: from discovery to exhaustionCurrent issues: global warming and environmental impactFuture solutions: implementation of renewable resourcesPotential future energy sourcesConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionIn order to change and start preparing for the future, we need to know the past and the present. Currently, non-renewable resources include terrestrial minerals, fossil fuels and terrestrial ores. Many of these non-renewable resources were discovered early in civilization. The discovery of these resources led to many years of innovation, the beginning of the oil economy and the industrial revolution. Although fossil fuels are still used today, they create health and environmental problems. Furthermore, we are depleting these resources to the point of extinction. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Future Transition to Renewable Resources Since the problems presented by fossil fuels can be detrimental to humanity, the transition from non-renewable to renewable resources is essential for our future on this planet. Every person is affected by the availability of fossil fuels. If no changes are made now, there will be no future and no survival of humanity. Once we have secured our immediate existence, we can prepare for the future. Preparation includes research, engineering and study of future projects. These preparation stages have been underway for many years. However, current methods of survival have pushed the limits. Organizations around the world are working effortlessly to advance the implementation of new alternative energies. The formulation of new alternative energies poses many problems. These issues can include the cost of capital, technical setbacks, and stipulations enforced by the government. Even as we prepare for the future, we can learn how this difficult situation came to be. Since the beginning of time, non-renewable resources have been the main source of energy for many years. Gold Price, a gold investing website, states: “In 3,600 BC, Egyptian goldsmiths learned to extract precious metals (earth minerals) from earth ores. » This field of work is called metallurgy. From metallurgy, gold was produced as well as copper and lead. At that time, gold was not considered rare or finite. In other words, gold had no monetary value, but it held a place in society. Another earth mineral was lead. Lead was used at this time to make water pipes and the lining of bathtubs. Since lead was not as malleable and strong as copper, the Egyptians used copper to make gardening tools, cooking utensils, and weapons. Despite the usefulness of these metals, early humans did not value gold, copper, or lead the way we do today. Fossil fuels: from discovery to exhaustion Fossil fuels are part of the spectrum of non-renewable resources. Fossil fuels were produced unintentionally from fossilized organic matter. Much of this organic material comes from dinosaurs, plants and marine fossils that fossilized during the Paleogene extinction. The main resources derived from fossil fuels arecoal, oil and natural gas. These three fossil fuels are commonly used today, but, according to Eric McLamb, CEO and President of Ecology Communications, "...these three fossil fuels were discovered by the Chinese between 981 and 500 BC." discovery of a fossil fuel for the first time. The Kentucky Coal Education Project, an informational website on the history of coal, mentions that "coal was man's first source of heat and light." We know that the Chinese used coal more than 3,000 years ago. The first discovery of coal in this country [United States] was made by French explorers on the Illinois River in 1679...commercial mining took place near Richmond, Virginia, in 1784." After the establishment from the commercial exploitation of coal, the industrial revolution took place. Coal now provided energy for steamships, railroad locomotives, iron and steel forming. By the late 1800s, coal was used to generate electricity, and by the early 1900s, coal had become the primary source of energy in the United States. Coal had remained the primary form of energy until oil appeared in the mid-1900s. Oil was the second fossil fuel discovered in the world, according to Ekinteravtive, an interactive oil educational site, states : “The Chinese had discovered oil. in 600 BC, and transported oil by bamboo pipelines... In America, Colonel Drake Herald had discovered oil in Pennsylvania in 1859." Today, with the discovery of oil, an oil economy has emerged materialized. Oil had changed everything, machines became faster, engines became more powerful and cars were given a new form of fuel. The first production of oil was in the form of kerosene. Kerosene had replaced the "coal oils" that had previously powered lamps, and by 1919 automobiles, ships, and engines had switched to gasoline. Gasoline is the leftover heated oil (petroleum). The last fossil fuel discovered would be natural gas. According to Natgas, "it was not until 500 BC that the Chinese discovered the possibility of using these fires to their advantage... Britain was the first country to commercialize the use of natural gas." Around 1785, natural gas was used to light houses and street lamps. Manufactured natural gas of this type was first purchased in the United States in 1816 and was used to light the streets of Baltimore, Maryland. Natural gas mainly helped heat homes, light streets, houses and also created a continuous flame for the stove and water heater. Additionally, the Bunsen burner was invented using natural gas. Although we know that oil and coal can provide the same equivalents as natural gas, natural gas is a cheaper and more affordable fuel than oil and coal. Fossil fuels and earth minerals are considered non-renewable resources because once we use these resources, there is no way to recover or reform them to their previous state. Fossil fuels, as we already know, were deposited in the earth's crust millions of years ago following the extinction of the dinosaurs. Terrestrial minerals, on the other hand, have been found in the earth since its formation. Although fossil fuels and earth minerals are considered non-renewable resources, fossil fuels are used as a form of energy while earth minerals are used forformation of jewelry, conduction products or status symbols (fortune, marital status, engagement, promises, etc...).Currently, the world as a collective uses fossil fuels as our primary source of energy . Compared to other forms of energy, "fossil fuels account for 85.8% of global energy", which is consistent with BP's 2018 World Energy Statistical Study. With this information provided, this means that only 14.2% of the world's energy is consumed. renewable, this shows how important fossil fuels are in our daily lives. So while fossil fuels provide the world with energy, they also pose a whole host of problems for the future and present. Looking to the future, fossil fuels are running out with no way to replenish them quickly enough. Tibia Puiu, science author, says: “...oil will be exhausted in 53 years, natural gas in 54 years and coal in 110 years. » At this rate of depletion, there will be no more fossil fuels (energy) to power homes, cars, factories, businesses, hospitals or anything that requires these types of fuels. This can prove very catastrophic for many people who thrive on the use of fossil fuels, whether for their businesses, the fuel for transportation or the energy to run healthcare equipment, all equipment based on energy will become useless. Current Issues: Global Warming and Environmental Impact Since we can now see the future of fossil fuels, let's talk about the current issues we face regarding fossil fuels. Currently, the use of fossil fuels is leading us to the global warming epidemic. Global warming is a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the Earth's atmosphere due to the greenhouse effect caused by increasing levels of carbon dioxide and other pollutants. Fossil fuels are what we call hydrocarbons, hydrocarbons are a carbon-based compound that produces carbon dioxide as a byproduct. Since hydrocarbons are the main source of energy and its byproduct, carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide produces the largest greenhouse gas affecting global warming (climate change). If the use of hydrocarbons is not reduced, our ozone layer will gradually begin to deteriorate. Once the ozone layer is completely gone, UV rays will be able to penetrate the earth at a higher frequency, causing childhood malformations, cancers and various health problems. Along with these issues, we will have temperatures ranging from 120 degrees Fahrenheit to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. . Remember, water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 32 degrees Fahrenheit off the boiling point of water. Future Solutions: Implementation of Renewable Resources Now that we have discussed fossil fuels and the problems they present, we can now talk about earth's minerals and how they can affect the present and future. Earth's minerals are almost never seen in their natural state of matter, unless we mine them. We normally see earth minerals as earth minerals, earth minerals are elements derived from earth minerals. For example, how many people have seen the earth mineral Bauxite? Probably no one! But if we were to ask, who has seen the earth's mineral, aluminum? Almost everyone would agree that they have seen some form of aluminum. Aluminum is aterrestrial mineral (earth element) derived from the earth's ore, bauxite, through processes of extraction, refining, and disposal. Earth minerals such as gold, copper and lead do not have as detrimental an effect on the global environment as fossil fuels do. However, the process by which we acquire a dose of earth minerals poses a threat to the immediate environment. We acquire earth minerals through mining, refining and disposal processes. Each process creates a specific problem depending on the mineral. The first process, mining, is the physical extraction of minerals underground. Mining procedures include the use of heavy machinery that opens large holes in the earth. This procedure harms thriving ecosystems in the immediate area of the mining site. While the mining procedure has taken place and the earth ore is extracted, the refining process takes place. Refining is the process of isolating earth minerals from earth ores. This process uses acidic concentrates to acquire the desired minerals. Once the desired product is acquired, the matching parts must be eliminated, creating the “elimination process.” The disposal process involves removing debris at mining sites, byproducts of acid solutions, and metal particles from refineries. These three by-products, if poorly disposed of, contaminate water sources. According to MIT, a technology education institute in Massachusetts, cites: "Water is contaminated in three ways: sedimentation, acid drainage, and metal deposition." In order to avoid global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel depletion, water contamination and health problems, we must implement renewable resources. We can implement renewable resources in the future; Among those in use today are wind power, biomass, hydropower and solar power. These resources provide an alternative form of energy that can replace the non-renewable forms we use today. This renewable energy can be produced in different ways. Conversion to alternative energies is the best way to preserve the future environment. According to Enerdata, a global statistics website, their global energy consumption chart for the year 2018 shows that 26% of the world's energy is renewable. This includes solar power, hydropower, wind power and biomass fuels. Solar energy uses nuclear fusion energy from the sun and the use of photovoltaic cells to produce electricity. Although solar energy shows great promise, the initial cost of the product is very high. This can be annoying for most people. Hydropower, another renewable energy, uses circulating water and a pump-like mechanism to produce electricity. Although hydropower produces a lot of electricity, it also endangers wildlife habitats, fish migration and water quality. Wind energy, the most advanced renewable resource, uses wind turbines to produce electricity. However, windmills are known to be very noisy and cause a high mortality rate in bats and birds. The last of the four renewable energies is biomass. Biomass fuels are produced from the process of photosynthesis from organic matter. Ethanol, a fuel we use for our cars, is a product of biomass fuels. This/