subject: To Renew Or Not To Renew; An Overview Of Renewable Energies [print this page] Each year as new innovations are made and discovered, the landscape of energies and powers are constantly changing. In the past fifteen years alone, countless improvements have been made to the way that we power our homes, appliances and even our cars. As our Earths valuable and limited supply of fossil fuels are depleted the need for a sustainable and renewable alternative becomes necessary. Below are some of the greatest improvements that have been made in the world of energy, how they are used today and the impact they can have on our future.
Perhaps the most popular renewable energies comes from the wind via turbines and wind farms. In a study put out in 2010, wind power accounted for only .51% of the worlds energy. While this number seems high on a global scale, the Unites States enjoys about 8% of its totally energy from renewable power. Wind energy generally comes from wind farms. Wind farms usually house hundreds of wind turbines that make use of the Earths natural wind power. As wind hits these turbines, they are made to spin. The spinning action then creates a series of movements and reactions within the turbines housing that results in electricity. While the overall percentage of this energy does seem low, scientist and environmental experts hope to see increased gains in the coming years as it has in the years that followed.
Another energy source that has been making waves (so to speak) over the last couple of years is the increased attention and innovation that hydropower is getting. Traditionally, hydropower consisted of a complex series of dams and riverways. Construction and upkeep of these dams was often an expensive endeavor, and when they fail, a lot of serious harm can be done to both human life and the environment. Kinetic energy derived this was is harvested via wave patterns. As waves enter the harvesting machine they push against a turbine, with the help of a generator and air flow, the water is pushed back out. Similar to the function of a wind turbine, this energy is extracted in a similar manner. Today, there are few of these structures in the worlds oceans. But as scientist begin to give them increased attention and a better understanding of ocean lifes interaction, they hope to see more of these being used to power homes across the globe.
Other ways of acquiring energy are also acquiring increased attention. One such example is biomass energy. Rather than piling the garbage into landfills, burning the garbage in facilities that are capable of turning the waste into energy is becoming more attractive. The gas that is burnt off is referred to as biogas and is a great alternative to the natural gas that we use to give life to our heating systems and stoves. With the right treatment, the biogas can also be turned into a gasoline like substance, ethanol. Out of all the renewable energies that the United States uses, biomass account for the most, at a whopping 53%
