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Nurture future with renewable energy

Nurture future with Renewable Energy

Energy is the ability to do work. All the sources of energy provide us the energy we need to live our busy lives. This energy comes in different forms. For example- heat (Thermal), light (Radiant), mechanical, electrical, chemical and nuclear energy. Energy is in every thing. We use energy to do every thing we do, from making a jump shot to baking our favorite cookies, to sending astronauts into space.

There are two types of energy-

1-Stored (Potential) Energy

2-Working (kinetic) Energy

On the basis of replenishment, energy is of two types

1-Renewable Energy

These are the sources of energy that can be replenished naturally in a short period of time after being used.

2-Non-Renewable Energy

These are the sources of energy that can not be replenished in a short period of time. Non-Renewable energy sources come out of the ground as liquids, gases and solids. Right now, crude oil (Petroleum) is the only natural liquid commercial fuel. Natural gas and propane are normally gases and coal is a solid. Coal, Petroleum, natural gas and propane are all considered fossil fuel because they are formed from buried remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. Uranium ore, a solid, is mined and converted to a fuel. Uranium is not a fossil fuel.

Detail explanation of renewable and non-renewable energy on the basis of timescale is given ahead.

India is speedily developing country. Now-a-days there is a conflict between various countries of the world for development. At present era, development of country is the capacity of that country to imbibe technology. Of course use of technology is directly related with consumption of energy. So availability and consumption of energy decides level of development. Here a question arises. Development should be only for today or it must be a sustainable development.

Here a need of discussion on sustainable development is being experienced.

Sustainable development was defined by Brundtland Report of the world commission on Environment and Development (United Nations, 1987, p.43) as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".

The practical realization of this concept depends on the timescale to which it is applied. For sustainable development renewable energy sources must be used. At the extreme, all resources on this planet (except sunlight) are finite and can therefore be exhausted (thereby denying access to future generations, Richards, 2006). In practice, however, most non-renewable resources (metals, minerals) with the exception of fossil fuels, are not destroyed by their usage and with efficient recycling these materials can be renewed. They are only considered non-renewable in the sense that natural formation of new economic deposits of these materials occurs on timescales that greatly exceed human experience (e.g. tens of thousands to millions of years).

For most of the non-renewable materials that is being used in the present time supply has crossed the demand over the last century. New resources are continually being discovered and new technologies increase the efficiency of mineral extraction and processing. Hence in short to medium term, future generations are not being disadvantaged by our current usage. New sources and new developed technologies are available for next generations. In the longer term however, easily mined resources will be harder to find i.e. near surface and high grade resources will be depleted. This will cause price increase. In longer term only deeper and less accessible, that is called lower grade and harder to reach, deposits will be available.

In contrast, there are many of the renewable resources that face the greatest risk of exhaustion. In the case of living resources (plants and animals), potential extinction and renewable resources depletion such as deforestation over fishing, soil degradation and river and ground water drawdown is possible. It can cause long term damage to eco systems. This damage is far in excess of that caused by extraction and use of non-renewable resources, with the exception of changes to the earth's atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels are called non-renewable sources of energy. Actually fossil fuels are an exception to the effective inexhaustibility of non-renewable resources. Fossil fuels are destroyed by there use. Natural reformation of coal, oil, and natural gas from CO2 released into the atmosphere by burning of fossil fuels occurs on timescale of millions to hundreds of millions of years and so it is effectively non existence of these resources from the human perspective. But actually reformation of these sources is possible. Although new reserves of hydrocarbons continue to be found and coal is in plentiful supply, consumption of fossil fuels is increasing. So sources of these fossil fuels are being exhausted.

Of course every one will expect for sustainable development. The sources of energy that are generally being used rapidly are non-renewable sources of energy that is not able to provide sustainable development. Use of non-renewable energy sources is also providing global threat of climate change.

Climate change is already happening and represents one of the greatest environmental, social and economic threats. The European Union is committed to work constructively for a global agreement to control climate change, and is leading the way by taking ambitious action of its own.

The human activities that contribute to climate change include in particular the burning of fossil fuels, agriculture and land use changes like deforestation, these cause emission of carbon dioxide, the main gas responsible for climate change as well as of other green house gases. To bring climate change to a halt, global green house gas emission must be reduced significantly.

So the only way to get sustainable development and to reduce the problem of global threat of climate change is to turn towards the renewable sources of energy.

It has been discussed that renewable and non-renewable sources are decided on the basis of timescale. The non-renewable sources are called so because these can not be replenished in a short period of time. So its too much use may deplete its sources, which can not be reformed in a short time and hence these sources may not be available for future generation. But if these sources are allowed for limited use and proper recycling of material, where it is possible, these sources may contribute to sustainable development. But we must pay attention on global threat of climate change. So the use of sources of energy responsible for climate change must be avoided. So, proper use of all renewable sources of energies is the solution of all these problems. The proper use suggests here, the use of renewable energy in such a way so that these sources are not depleted. As discussed above depletion of renewable energy is too harmful.

Various renewable sources of energy are available, for example- Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Hydro-power and Bio-Diesel etc. Bio-Diesel is also an important renewable source of energy. All the renewable sources of energy are equally important. But the detail discussion of Bio-Diesel and solar energy is being done here. The interest has been deviated towards the discussion of only these two. It is because of the visit of some research work related to these fields.

Bio-Diesel refers to a nonpetroleum based diesel fuel consisting of long chain alkyl (Methyl, Propyl or ethyl) esters made by trnasesterification of vegetable oil, animal fat (tallow), which can be used (alone or blended with conventional petrodiesel) in modified diesel engine vehicle. The trnasesterification process involves mixing vegetable oil, alcohol and sodium hydroxide. This is simple enough that many people do it at home. The reaction also produces glycerol as a product (~ 10% by weight). Bio-diesel is distinguished from the straight vegetable oil (SVO) (Some times referred to as "waste vegetable oil""WVO""used vegetable oil" "UVO""Pure plant oil""PPO") used (alone or blended) as fuels in some converted diesel vehicles. If use of Bio-Diesel becomes practical from all angles, it will be too beneficial for society. It is the time of Diesel and petrol crisis. Easily accessible sources of diesel and petrol are decreasing and hence their rates are increasing. Dependence on only diesel and petrol shows insecure future. Transport is the base of development. Now-a-days transport is mainly based on availability of diesel and petrol. So for a safe and developed future, bio-diesel may prove a prominent base. But bio-diesel is still under research.

The next topic of interest is solar energy. Solar energy is the primary source of energy for our planet. It is radiant light and heat from sun that has been harnessed by human since ancient time. Solar energy refers primarily to the use of solar radiation for practical ends. Increased utilization of the same would result in all round benefit, both in terms of cleaner environment and monetary gain, for individual user as well as the nation. All other renewable energies other than geothermal derive their energy from the sun.

Solar power technologies provide electrical generation by means of heat engine or photovoltaic's.

Solar energy is being used for water heating, space heating, space cooling and process heat generation.

Solar vehicles are being used.

Solar energy is being used for Water Treatment i.e. it is being used in solar still, solar water disinfection, solar desalination and solar power desalination unit. Not only these, various different solar devices have been developed and most of them are being used. Researches are going on various solar devices to have better use of solar energy.

References-

http://en.wikipedia.org-vegetable oil refining-Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://www.eia.doe.gov

www.greenfacts.org/en/climate-change-ar4/index.htm#2

www.mumbaijunction.com

Prepared By

Kalpana Ajay (Mrs Kalpana Singh)

About the Author

Episode 15: GFS SVO WVO Valve Test - Part 1 of 2