Category: Alternative Energy

The Rationale

Industrial-scale desalination plants cannot be scaled down for use in remote areas due to the complexity of the technology. Therefore, the need for scaled-down desalination plants to meet specific consumer needs for clean water particularly in remote desert and semi-desert areas cannot be overemphasized. That reinforces the need to research tested and approved technologies. That is further reinforced by the fact that different technological innovations that use solar energy to desalinate seawater have emerged in the recent past (Manwell & McGowan, 1994). Desalination technologies are applicable in different environments with different background solar radiation. These solar-powered thermal desalination plants rely on the technique of thermal collectors as the source of heat. The solar collector mechanism is briefly discussed below followed by a detailed discussion of new technological advances (Manwell & McGowan, 1994).

Characteristics of Solar-powered Thermal Distillation Machinery

The nomenclature of solar-powered thermal distillation machinery is characterized by a heat absorber that is made of either aluminum or copper. Comparatively, aluminum has overtaken copper since it has a higher thermal conductivity than copper. Other characteristics include radiosity which is determined by the region where the desalination plant is located, the thermal conductivity of the conducting materials, the cross-sectional area of the thermal conductors which determines the amount of exposure to the sun, and the thermal energy absorbed due to that exposure. The heat capacity of the input fluid and heat effects are other characterizing variables.

Technology

One of the technologies that have been developed which use the principles of thermal desalination is the solar thermally driven stand-alone desalination system. The system has an estimated capacity of 20 m³/d and uses a membrane distillation (MD) technique. The systems integral components are internal and external heat recovery mechanisms that use high-efficiency thermal collectors as the source of heat. The thermal collector is resistant to the corrosive effects of seawater, a critical advantage of the system. A typical economic evaluation of the system indicates that expensive components such as the heat exchanger are not incorporated into the design (Ophir & Lokie, 2005). Besides that, no pump is used in the design, guaranteeing a further reduction in the use of costly components. On the other hand, cost savings due to the control unit used by the collector loop is technically feasible (Ophir & Lokie, 2005).

The MD Technique

The membrane distillation (MD) technique is based on the principles of partial pressure. Typically, the system consists of membranes with a pore diameter of 0.2 µm made of a hydrophobic polymeric material that separates the membranes. The separation is designed to enable the system to achieve the partial pressure required to wet the membranes. However, the system reaches a limiting pressure beyond which wetting does not occur. Water molecules pass through the membranes in the form of steam as illustrated below.

Condenser foil

A description of the principles of operation of the membrane can be analyzed using a typical component of a desalination machine. In the setting, seawater at a temperature of 80 ºC is used on one side of the membrane while on the other side of the membrane the temperature is at 70 ºC. The temperature difference between both sides of the membrane causes partial pressure to be experienced causing water to evaporate through the membranes. Finally, a low-temperature distillate is formed at the low-temperature side of the membrane (Qiblawey & Banat, 2007).

A critical analysis of the application of the system calls for an evaluation of the environment in which the system is intended to be used. In practice, semi-desert and desert environments do not get any power supply from the grid systems, hence relying on the solar energy that is available through radiation. The system has to be cost-effective and be energy efficient to be applied in desert or semi-desert areas. That calls for the need to incorporate the concept of an efficient heat recovery system to drastically reduce the demand for extra energy is critical. Therefore, a heat recovery system must be integrated by the use of either an internal or external heat exchange mechanism with the feed water acting as a coolant for the system.

An examination of the principle of the internal heat recovery mechanism is illustrated in the diagram below.

The rationale of the internal heat recovery mechanism is to reinforce the need to efficiently prevent and recover any heat losses in different climatic conditions. However, the system can be used in semi-desert and desert conditions with special emphasis on remotely inaccessible areas where the supply of electricity from the national grid system is not possible (U.S. Department of the interior, 2002).

The technology integrates the use of three channels consisting of interchangeably organized condensers at different intervals with the evaporator and the distillate. An impermeable compartment consisting of the condenser foil separates the condenser and the distillate in the system. Typically, the functionality of the system is discussed here. Assume that the hot water used in the above demonstration is also used in the current setting. The hot saline water moves along the system membrane passing through the condenser channel, causing an aggregate warming effect, and eventually dropping the temperature to 75 ºC from 80 ºC. The temperature difference between both sides causes some partial pressure to be experienced causing steam to flow throughout the membrane (U.S. Department of the Interior, 2002).

Typically, the condensation of water along the foil causes the heat from the evaporation to be transferred to the flowing water, thus recovering the heat in the process. It is important to note that the temperature of brine due to the saline water drops as a result of the recovery of heat from the system. A critical analysis of the system indicates that the liquid distillate is obtained at the outlet of the system where the difference between the inlet and outlet temperature is 5º C. That is meant to create the desired temperature gradient (Office of Saline Water, 1971).

A critical analysis of the thermal efficiency of the system indicates that the volumetric flow rate coupled with the temperature gradient of the system defines the thermal efficiency of the system. Typically, the thermal efficiency of the system depends on the output ratio (GOR) gained by the system and is calculated based on the latent heat of the system and the input energy (Mcelroy, 1993).

To evaluate the satisfaction derived from the technical and operational feasibility and efficiency of the system, it is important to note that the system has been tested on a small scale with satisfactory results. The system that was tested consisted of an MD component, a solar collector designed to be corrosion-resistant, a pump and a hysteresis controller, and a number of sensors for detecting temperature, volume flow, and pressure changes as experimental variables (Lu, Walton, & Hein, 2002). When the system performance was analyzed, it was established from experimental investigations that the system was flexible to handle and had the advantage of low maintenance cost coupled with high operational efficiency (Mcelroy, 1993).

A critical evaluation of the system during the investigation indicated that the operating temperature of the system was compatible with the optimum operating temperature of the solar collector. The optimal operating temperature of a solar collector lies between 60 ºC and 80 ºC, a critical advantage of the system.

In a typical operating environment, fouling and scaling effects are bound to occur which could adversely be affecting the overall performance of the system (Al-Shammiri & Safar, 1999,). However, the system has been tested and found to be free from fouling and scaling effects. On the other hand, chemical feed pre-treatment is not required as integral components of the system. Another technical and functional benefit of the system is that the membranes are never in danger of getting damaged due to crumbling when they become dry. On the other hand, high-quality water and system efficiency are additional factors that reinforce the cost-benefit analysis of the systems economic and technical feasibility.

The need for a critical study of other desalination systems that have been developed most recently is vital. That is typical because of the call for a reduction in capital investments and the cost of desalinated water targeting users in semi-desert and desert areas. One of these technologies is the Low-Temperature Multi-Effect Distillation (LT-MED) (Barron, 1992).

Low-Temperature Multi-Effect Distillation (LT-MED)

The efficiency of the Low-Temperature Multi-Effect Distillation (LT-MED) has been tested, evaluated, and economically proven to be efficient, calling for a critical discussion of the system as a viable option. An important characterizing element is its good thermodynamic functionality. That is coupled with significantly low-pressure drops accompanied with high volumetric efficiency of vapor flows providing economic feasibility of using low-cost durable materials (Barron, 1992).

A critical evaluation of the systems indicates that the technical construction of the system using aluminum alloys that provide an efficient transfer of heat within the system ups its operational efficiency. That is typically due to the fact that the thermal conductivity of aluminum is higher than that of copper, making the material specifically suitable for providing superior thermal functionalities (Office of Saline Water, 1971)

In the construction of a typical system, aluminum provides a higher heat transfer per ton of water than copper when the same investment cost is calculated for the two materials. That has the overall effect of causing an effect on temperature drop to be lower when using aluminum, allowing for the incorporation of a bigger number of effects for an equivalent investment of aluminum compared with copper. In practice, the economy ratio is very high as has been proven with similar plants that have been used at the Virgin Island plants (Barron, 1992).

Another merit reinforcing the use of aluminum over copper is to make optimal use of the energy component where low-grade and low-cost heat can be used efficiently by making it available through cogeneration schemes. The technology incorporates inexpensive centrifugal compressors which demand minimum inputs for pre-treatment machines (Barron, 1992).

Consider a Multi-Effect Desalination (M.E.D.) plant. Established MED plants are constructed using horizontally arranged aluminum alloy tubes with an evaporative condenser that consists of falling films in a serial arrangement (Al-Shammiri & Safar, 1999).

The arrangement of tubes defines the operational efficiency of the system. The tubes are serially arranged to optimize the production of multiple amounts of distillate in a repetitive process involving evaporation and condensation. Several evaporative condensers are used for the recovery of heat in the process. However, the system can be optimized with the latter arrangement. The availability of low-grade heat and the investment cost is influencing variables that determine the optimal efficiency of the system. Technically, the temperature difference between the steam and the inlet temperature of seawater affects the overall number of effects. The minimum temperature difference allowed for each effect is also influenced by the arrangement of the aluminum tubes (Barron, 1992).

Operationally, the input seawater is divided into two streams at the inlet after it has been deaerated and preheated. At this point, one stream is allowed to flow into the sea as a coolant, and the other acts as the input source for desalination. The heating process is done at the heat rejection condenser. Afterward, the water to be distilled is allowed into the lowest temperature compartment, referred to as backward feed flow. That is influenced by the need to optimize the thermodynamic efficiency of the system which is achieved by controlling the mixing of colder seawater with the higher temperature effects (Barron, 1992).

Other technologies

It is important to note that the source of power for thermal energy is solar energy. However, it is important to discuss further other solar thermal desalination technologies to crystallize the most economically feasible technology that can be widely applied in semi-desert and desert conditions with technically proven operational efficiencies. The technology employs direct solar desalination techniques that have been modified. Typical systems include basins still, diffusion, and wick stills, among others. Basin still is characterized by single slopes, cover cooling, and a condenser. On the other hand, a wick still is made of radiation absorbing elements to absorb thermal energy for use in heating the saline water. These technologies use harnessed solar energy to provide thermal energy. The solar energy sources include a parabolic trough collector, evacuated tube collector, and Salinity-gradient solar ponds, among other solar technologies (Mallikarjunaiah, 1988).

Salinity-gradient solar is designed with a shallow pond where desalinated water remains at the top of the salty water while the salty water settles at the bottom of the bond, a process caused by a vertical differential gradient in the concentration of salt. The technique causes water at the lower end of the pond to attain a temperature range of 70 ºC and 80 ºC (Mallikarjunaiah, 1988).

Another solar technology that can be integrated into the system is a flat plate collector which is a technique used to transfer heat using heat absorption pipes. The system assembly consists of transparent pipes that are arranged on a flat surface which are coated to minimize heat losses and optimize the absorption of incident radiation (Mcelroy, 1993).

Another technology that has been operationally tested and found to be effective is the evacuated tube collector. Here, heat losses are minimized by an evacuated receiver. The technology is either designed with two coaxial tubes with seals at both sides and glass to a metal seal with a metallic receiver. Comparatively, evacuated tubes provide better operational efficiency compared to flat plate collectors. Evacuated tubes are more expensive than flat-tube collectors. Despite that disadvantage, evacuated tubes require less surface area usage than flat tubes. One of the solar collector technologies is the parabolic trough collector. Its principle of operation is discussed below (Mcelroy, 1993).

The Parabolic trough collector

The technology has a linear collector consisting of a parabolic cross-section. Solar energy in the form of light is concentrated by the solar reflectors into the focal point of a receiver tube where the fluid in the tube is heated and transferred to the designated point for desalinating input water. It has been demonstrated through theory and practice that the parabolic trough collector is more economically feasible for desalination purposes compared with other techniques (Mireles, 1991). In addition to that, solar ponds are widely used technology for desalination, though the parabolic trough collector provides a higher thermal efficiency compared with solar ponds technology (Mallikarjunaiah, 1988).

Comparatively, solar collectors are very expensive and it is recommended that solar ponds be the most suitable method for use where land is in plenty and cheaper (Mallikarjunaiah, 1988).

Another solar desalination technology that has received continued improvements is direct solar desalination. However, this technology has evolved through widespread modifications. The modification consists of a solar collector attached to a hot water storage tank with a desalination unit. This configuration relies on natural confections to achieve the distillation objective. The technology of the parabolic trough collectors principle of operation is discussed below.

Picture of a practically installed optical collector.

Principle of operation

The performance of the above system has been tested for its appropriateness in tapping solar energy. Findings were represented graphically as shown. Moreover, the experiment was done at TRY of Copenhagen.

The technology was satisfactorily proven to work even in colder climates such as in central Europe. Technically, the collector was identified to be characterized by economic and energy efficiency. However, performance improvements of the technology were based on low-cost high reflector collectors, minimal thermal losses due to the use of specialized coatings, and other minimum design improvements (Mcelroy, 1993).

However, the system calls for further improvements to optimize its efficiency in the collection of solar power. The improvement should target enhancing the reflectivity of optical reflectors, incorporating end-loss optical reflectors, and a thorough investigation of the performance of the optical systems.

The Economic Rationale

The economic efficiency of solar-powered thermal desalination plants revolves around the fact that investment capital on water costs is reduced by 8% and 17% for desalination water, facts established from research that has been conducted on the technical and economic feasibility of solar-powered thermal desalination plants (Mireles, 1991). Further economic facts indicate that MED has the advantage of offering further reductions in costs, a comparatively more efficient technology compared with the others discussed above (Swift, 1988). To further realize the benefits and optimize MED and other newly evaluated systems including LED-MED, researchers should factor the use of improved antiscalants and multiple wetting techniques factoring in the use of intermediate pumps that rely on solar power to function (Glueckstern, 1995).

The internal rate of return (IRR) on such an investment in the costs-benefit analysis mechanism has been demonstrated from research findings to be 8.5% less costly compared with the use of gas as an economic favorability particularly in cold countries ( Mireles, 1991). However, it is important to conduct an environmental impact assessment of the adverse effects of desalination when selecting the most appropriate technology to use (Morton, Callister & Wade, 1996).

References

Al-Shammiri, M. & Safar, M., 1999, Multi-Effect Distillation Plants: State of the Art, Desalination, 126 (1999): 45-59. Web.

Barron, J. M., 1992, Installation and Operation of A Multi-Effect Multi-Stage Separator Coupled with A Solar Pond, Masters Thesis from University of Texas at El Paso Mechanical Engineering Department.

Glueckstern, P., 1995, Potential Uses of Solar Energy for Seawater Desalination, Desalination, 101 (1995): 11-20.

Lu, H., Walton, J. C., & Hein, H. 2002. Thermal Desalination using MEMS and Salinity-Gradient Solar Pond Technology. Desalination Research and Development Program Report No. 80. Web.

Mallikarjunaiah, K.J. 1988, Performance of a Solar Pond Coupled Multistage Flash Desalination System, Masters Thesis from University of Texas at El Paso Mechanical Engineering Department.

Manwell, J. F. & McGowan, J. G., 1994, Recent Renewable Energy Driven Desalination System Research and Development in North America, Desalination, 94 (1994): 229-241.

Mcelroy, R. I., 1993. Mechanical and Thermodynamic Performance Analysis of a Multistage Desalination System, Masters Thesis from University of Texas at El Paso Mechanical Engineering Department.

Mesa, A. A., Gomez, C. M., & Azpitarte, R. U. 1996, Energy Saving and Desalination of Water, Desalination, 108 (1996):43-50.

Mireles, E.P. 1991. Economic Feasibility of Utilizing Solar Pond Technology to Produce Industrial Process Heat, Base Load Electricity, and Desalted Brackish Water, Masters Thesis from University of Texas at El Paso Mechanical Engineering Department.

Morton, A.J., Callister, I.K., & Wade, N.M. 1996, Environmental Impacts of Seawater Distillation and Reverse Osmosis Processes, Desalination, 108 pp. 1-10.

Ophir, A. & Lokie, F. 2005. Advanced MED Process for most economical seawater Desalination. Desalination, (182), pp. 187-198.

Qiblawey, H.M., Banat, F. 2007. Solar thermal desalination technologies. Web.

U.S. Department of the Interior. 2002. Thermal Desalination using MEMS and Salinity-Gradient Solar Pond Technology. Web.

Office of Saline Water, 1971, Saline Water Conversion Engineering Data Book, Second Edition, United States Department of the Interior. Swift, A.H.P., 1988, Solar Engineering 1988, ASME (1988): 14-16.

The usage of gas in our everyday life is inevitable. Natural gas is one of the best alternatives to oil. It is also very much convenient for the environment. Natural gas is given the status of the cleanest of the fossil fuel (Eric & Smith 39).

The united states have an ample reserve of natural gas. Natural gas plays an important role in the development of the socio-economical condition of the country. Households and large-scale commercial industries largely depend upon natural gas. So any interruptions in the supply of natural gas can hamper the smooth flows of our daily life. The demand for natural gas is increasing rapidly.

Because of new houses and industries which run on natural gas are establishing day by day. This increasing demand for natural gas makes an imbalance between the supply and the demand process (Weissman par. 4). This imbalance keeps the prices of natural gas up.

Another vital reason for increasing the prices of natural gas is higher oil prices, which is demonstrated all over the world. Because of the increasing price of natural gas, households expenditure are becoming larger, and natural gas-operated industries are spending a huge amount of dollars on the supply of natural gas. So the production costs of the industries are increasing.

The higher price of natural gas is draining billions of dollars from the economy. The experts consider that the price of natural gas will also increase in the future because of fast-growing demand, instable oil price, and unpredictable economic conditions like inflations. So it is time to think about the alternatives sources of energy so that our production and daily life remain on the right track.

The alternatives source of energy can be the best solution for rapid energy demand. The sources of energy, which are considering as an alternative to gas, are solar power, wind power, and biomass or bio-fuel, etc. Sawyer pointed out that several reasons are related to the increasing prices of natural gas (p.8).

The interaction between the supply and the demand for natural gas and the price of oil are the main factors to enhance the price of gas. Other important factors are weak production, state policies, transmission and distribution cost, and influence of the weather.

We are using natural gas from the kitchen to electricity generation plants. Natural gas has made transportation cost cheap. So the use of natural gas is spreading over various areas. Few of them are mentioned below:

Households are the main user of natural gas. The demand for natural gas in the household sector is increasing day by day. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, electricity was the preferred space heating source for newly constructed single-family homes.

In 1979, for example, 51% of new homes were heated with electricity as opposed to only 39% with N.G. Over the past decade. However, N.G. has clearly become the fuel of choice in 70% of new homes with electricity dropping to 27% (Clemente).

Various large-scale industries are operated through natural gas. The pharmaceutical industry requires natural gas to run its operation. The fertilizer producing industries are also running on natural gas (Wenzel par. 1). So there is a huge demand for natural gas in the field of industry.

In America, electricity is generated from three sources, such as coal, nuclear power, and gas. Demand for electricity has steadily increased over the past half-century, and that growth has accelerated over the last 15 years. In 1991, for example, the U.S. consumed about 2,762 billion kilowatt-hours (kwh) of electricity.

By 2004 demand reached 3,550 billion or an increase of 29%. Coal provided half of this electricity, nuclear 20% and N.G. 17 % (Clemente). The application of natural gas in the production of electricity is increasing rapidly. New electricity generation plants are establishing based on gas.

The number of gas-based cars, trucks, and buses are increasing every year. This type of car, trucks, and buses are good for the environment compared to oil-based ones. Because gas-based engine produces less quantity of toxic gas. Natural gas also reduces the cost of transportation, because it is cheaper than other fuel. So people prefer to use natural gas. For this reason, the demand for natural gas in the area of transportation is increasing.

The natural gas, which is consumed by the citizen of the USA, comes from three sources, such as domestic gas production (82%), imported from Canada (15%), and imported from LDC (3%). But the supply of gas is not stable; because wells are depleting and production is decreasing. Another reason is that  Canada is facing some internal problems to export gas.

Therefore, it is essential to keep the balance between supply and demand for natural gas to maintain a stable price of gas. If the demand becomes higher than the supply, the price of gas will go up. So, additional demand is one of the reasons behind the higher gas price.

The increasing oil price is another crucial reason for the increasing price of natural gas. Some large-volume customers (primarily industrial consumers and electricity generators) can switch between natural gas and other fuels, such as petroleum products, depending on the prices of each.

As a result of this interrelation between fuel markets, when oil prices rise, the competitive pressure to maintain low gas prices diminishes, and the shift in demand to natural gas drives prices upward. Crude oil prices have increased to as much as $69.91 per barrel in trading during August 2005. (EIA Brochure).

Fuel markets, i.e., coal, gas, and oil market, are interrelated to one another. While the price of oil becomes higher than the consumer increases the use of gas as a compliment of oil. Nowadays, the oil price is becoming higher because of its worldwide demand. The oil market also does not remain stable due to several reasons like production disruption, political instability, and bad weather. So higher oil prices also cause higher gas prices.

Natural Resource Defence Council points out that [t]he United States consumed 22.42 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of natural gas in 2004, to satisfy the needs of manufacturing, electric generators, residential customers and commercial consumers.

The increasing gas price has a great impact on social life as well as economic life. Nowadays, we are using various kinds of natural gas-driven devices, which make our life comfortable. Higher gas prices will force us to avoid this type of device. Several impacts of gas price areas-

The continuously increasing trend of gas price is one of the reasons for high living costs. People use gas driven air cooler system in summer, and gas drove air heater in winter. So a family has to spend more dollars than before on maintaining this type of system for increasing the gas price.

Pharmaceutical and agricultural products will be costly because of the increasing price of gas.

Electricity production will be hampered due to the increasing gas price.

Natural gas or other fossil fuel such as oil and coal will not be able to meet the future demand of the fuel. Alternative energy sources should be found out to cope with the additional demand for fuel. An alternative source of energy are sources that are not derived from fossil fuel alternative energy does not harm the environment and does not consume natural resources. So we can say that alternative energy is a non-tradition source of energy.

Because of higher oil and gas prices, people are now concentrating on alternative sources of energy. It is the only solution to reducing higher living costs.

Many vehicle companies are producing a special kind of vehicle that can be operated through alternative energy. This type of vehicle will be able to minimize the cost of transportation. Different businesses can use alternative energy like solar energy to operate the lighting and air conditioning system.

There are some alternative sources of energy. Some of them are described as follow:

Bio-fuel is one of the best alternatives to fossil fuel. The use of bio-fuel is increased all over the world. Biofuel industries are expanding in Europe, Asia, and in the USA (Tardieu and Schultz 28). Human has used biomass fuel for heating and cooking since the discovery of fire.

Crops such as grain, vegetable, oil, and sugar are the main component of bio-fuel. Bio-fuel resources are available in every country. It will reduce the emission of greenhouse gas, and it is cheaper to produce. Bio-fuel can be used to generate electricity. It is also able to operate vehicles. We can cook by using bio-fuel.

Solar energy can also be an alternative source of energy. We can easily obtain electricity from sunlight. There are several kinds of devices that are available in the market that can convert sunlight into electricity. We can use solar power for various purposes such as 

Space heating and space cooling system can be operated through the solar system (Lof). It can be used for lighting. Many solar energy-driven cars are available in the market. Solar energy can be used for cooking. The main advantage of solar energy is, it is cheaper and positive for the environment.

Fuel demand is increasing with the increase in population. Natural resources like oil gas are limited, and it will be exhausted in the course of time. So, an alternative source of energy can be the best solution for the future demand for fuel. If we are able to explore alternative renewable energy sources, it will reduce our dependence on natural gas.

References

Clemente, Frank. The Problem with Natural Gas. EnergyPulse. 2005.

EIA Brochure. Residential Natural Gas Prices, Residential Natural Gas Prices: What Consumers Should Know.

Eric R. & Smith, A. N. Energy, the Environment, and Public Opinion. Rowman & Littlefield 2002.

Lof, G. O. G. Solar Space Heating with Air and Liquid Systems. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Vol. 295, No. 1414 (1980), pp. 349-359.

Natural Resource Defence Council. Managing Americas Latest Natural Gas Crisis. Issues: Oil & Energy. 2005.

Sawyer, John E. Natural gas prices affect nitrogen fertilizer costs. ICM (Integrated Crop Management). 2001. IC-486 (1). 2001.

Tardieu, Henri. and Schultz, Bart. Draft Paper on 5th World Water Forum. International Commission of Irrigation and Drainage (ICID). New Delhi, India, 2008.

Weissman, Andrew. Natural Gas Supply, Demand and Pricing. Thursday, 2003.

Wenzel, Wayne. Fertilizer Rising: Manufacturers adapt to a changing market. Firm Industry News. 2004.

It is important to note that modern human civilization is high energy-dependent, which means that energy is a key determining factor of human prosperity. However, energy can come from a wide range of different sources, some of which are not as environmentally friendly as others. Although the majority of energy sources originate from or rely on fossil fuels, there are green energy alternatives. However, one should be aware that green energy is not always the same as clean or renewable energy, even if they are usually used interchangeably.

Firstly, to understand what makes green energy green, it is of paramount importance to define it. It is stated that green energy comes from natural resources like water, wind and sun, which provide the energy we turn into electricity (Inspire, 2021, para. 4). In other words, if the energy comes from a natural source, then it is called such. The other terms are stated as clean energy are those types which do not release pollutants into the air, and renewable energy comes from sources that are constantly being replenished, such as hydro power, wind power or solar energy (TWI, 2022, para. 39). Thus, green energy can also be clean and renewable, or only clean and green. Clean energy results in no pollution, such as clean air, whereas renewable sources are recyclable (Group PLC, 2022). Therefore, being able to distinguish between these terms allows one to understand what makes green energy green.

Secondly, in conditions of the high dependence of humanity on energy, the study of the possibilities of additional energy sources plays a significant role. As one of the fundamental sectors of society, electrical energy is indispensable in the industry for putting various mechanisms into operation, in transport, in everyday life, and the development of space and computer technology. An important distinguishing property of electrical energy is its ability to be converted into various types of energy with low losses, as well as to be transmitted over considerable distances. The main problem of traditional energy sources is their limitation, such as their expensive use and cause of enormous harm to the environment. A way out of this problem can be found in the development of green energy.

Thirdly, to ensure widespread use, alternative forms of energy must be publicly available and environmentally friendly. In practice, they also need to be safe and have high efficiency. In addition, their most important property is an inexhaustible nature, and the main advantages of the development of green energy are, firstly, environmental friendliness. In the generation process, green energy need not emit carbon dioxide, which would contribute to global warming. As a result, the environment is less polluted, and the population becomes less susceptible to various diseases, which reduces both mortality and medical costs. The second advantage is inexhaustibility, that is if the generator or station is installed, a specific area will be fully provided with electricity for an unlimited time due to the renewable nature of such a source.

In conclusion, a precise definition of green energy is manifested in its source, which must be natural, such as the sun or geothermal sources. However, green energy can also reflect renewability and cleanness, and the ideal source should have a combination of all three. The current state of human advancement is highly dependent on energy, which is why green energy needs to be efficient and competitive with fossil fuels.

References

Group PLC. (2022). What is green energy? National Grid.

Inspire. (2021). What is green energy? Inspirecleanenergy.com.

TWI. (2022). What is green energy? (Definition, types and examples). TWI ltd.

Introduction

With the increasingly high prices of gasoline in particular and fossil fuels in general there is a need to find an alternative source of energy. But at the same time the use of fossil fuels and the rapid increase in world populations is exerting pressure on natural resources. There is a need not only to find suitable alternative energy sources but also to develop water management strategies. In order to achieve these twin goals it is time to look another type of decision-making processes. In the past the top-down approach has proven to be ineffective because it does not allow for public participation a key ingredient when it comes to gathering the needed data to make correct decisions as well as to increase acceptance and support of policies and plans implemented in relation to the use of alternative energy sources as well as managing precious water resources.

Renewable Energy Source

In recent years it was made clear to all that there is a limit with regards to the amount of fossil fuel that can be extracted from the earth. With a constantly growing global population and the continuing insatiable thirst for energy, more and more oil fields are being depleted. Prices are soaring high while the stability of nations dependent on fossil fuel  such as those in the Middle East  is being threatened. For instance, wars and rumours of wars can easily disrupt the supply of oil or cause another series of price hikes. Stability in terms of supply and crude oil prices are important issues because oil supply is dwindling. Even if new oil fields can be discovered in this century, the fact remains that there is a finite amount of fossil fuel buried underneath the earths soil and something radical has to be done in order to reverse the negative trend.

Once global oil supply reaches a critical level, disaster is merely a word that could not begin to describe the aftermath. But there is also another problem with regards to fossil fuel and it is the pollution it creates. It is an energy source whose potential can only be used by burning and therefore harmful by-products is released into the air. The combustion with oxygen releases the power stored in it and therefore it can now be used to power cars, factories, and power plants but at the same time carbon dioxide and other pollutants are being released into the atmosphere. So progress comes at a steep price. In order to sustain the high standard of living brought about by advancements in technology through the use of machines and electrical equipment, humans are forced into a corner and given no choice but to continually destroy the planet because there is no alternative that can help in reducing dependence on fossil fuel.

There is no other way to emphasize the importance of fossil fuel in this country. Looking around at the various industries and businesses that require electricity, this will easily convey the great need for a stable source of energy  it is needed not only in transportation but also in powering up factories and homes. There is also a need for fuels that will not add chemicals and pollutants into the air. According to Mark Jaccard and a host of other energy conscious researchers and scientists, the United States and other industrialized countries are completely dependent on fossil fuels  coal, oil and natural gas (2005: 1). Jaccard added that these are non-renewable resources that someday will be exhausted and perhaps much sooner than is expected. This type of pronouncement is nothing new.

In the 21st century there is also the concern not only about supply and pollution but also about global warming and its impact on the planets ecosystem. Without a doubt the solution calls for the development of alternative energy source. There is consensus right now among those greatly affected by the crisis that they had to either postpone the inevitable by maximizing fossil fuel supply or to totally become independent of the same  a 180 degree reversal of the current position. Now, it is not surprising to hear politicians and private citizens to be very passionate about these problems. It would be an important issue for any politician  energy security is equal to the economic security of civilized society. Aside from that the benefits of an alternative energy source  if well implemented and proven practical  are simply enormous; this will allow every stakeholder to reap some form of a reward in terms of savings and protection of the environment from environmental degradation.

The problem with fossil fuel does not only end with regards to shortage of supply and high demand. Many had come to understand the impact of global warming and an environment threatened by excessive pollution coming from burning fuel. There is now an urgency to develop alternative sources of energy. Two of the most promising areas in the field of renewable energy sources are in solar and wind energy (Berger, 1997: 171). Lakin and Patefield reported that solar energy belongs to the top of the renewable energy list (Dolan, Duffy, & Percival, 1996: 100). There are at least two major ways to harness the power of the sun. The first one is through the more popular method of designing photovoltaic cells (Gordon, 2001: 145). These are specially designed mechanisms that would convert the power of the sun into electricity. The second method is a more direct approach.

Thousands of computer-controlled mirrors will help focus a concentrated ray of heat that will heat-up water from a furnace (Lakin & Patefield, 1998: 239). After heating up the water, the boiling liquid will produce steam and therefore move turbines that would in turn create electricity. The technology of using the suns rays to heat water and generate steam that will in turn move turbines to produce electricity is nothing new (Lakin & Patefield, 1998: 239). But this time there is renewed interest in this type of technology as fossil fuel supplies become erratic in the past few years. This time instead of solar panels those harnessing the tremendous power of the sun rely on mirrors (Jones, 2003: 15). These specially designed mirrors focus the power of the sun into one spot, heating the fluid and create steam.

Another alternative source of energy that is clean and inexhaustible is wind power. Much better than solar power, wind power requires very little scientific know how to build and use. This fact has been demonstrated by the ancient use of windmills and sails (Chambers, 2003: 8). According to one report this is how many Americans and Europeans use this technology, Wind turbines, like aircraft propeller blades, turn in the moving air and power an electric generator that supplies an electric current (Chambers, 2003: 8). Modern wind turbines fall into two basic groups: (1) horizontal-axis variety, like the farm windmills, and (2) vertical-axis design like the eggbeater-style (Chambers, 2003: 8). This is a promising alternative energy source indeed.

While it does not require a rocket scientist to understand the importance of solar and wind power as alternative sources it is much harder to understand why there are obstacles to the development of these types of energy resource. In the case of solar power it is the significant amount of money needed to install and maintain highly-sensitive photovoltaic cells. Wind power energy on the other hand is less complicated than solar energy but the huge structures needed to harness the power f the wind can destroy the landscape and create noise (Wolsink, 2007: 2695). In order to ensure smooth implementation of renewable energy policies, government agencies must learn how to disseminate information and at the same time send and receive feedback from stakeholders (Mostert, et al., 2007: 1). One way to do this is to adopt collaborative approaches in decision-making processes.

Water Management

Aside from energy security a related issue is environmental degradation brought about by the exploitation of natural resources and pollution. As population growth and consumerism becomes an unstoppable trend in the 21^st century, mankind will continue to feel the impact of pollution and environmental degradation and one direct consequence is limited availability of clean water. In this regard there is a need for better water management practices. But this is easier said than done. Just like the problems associated with developing alternative energy sources there socio-economic factors that must be considered before policymakers can create laws and for their constituents to follow the same.

This calls for greater cooperation and collaboration (Beierle & Konisky, 1999: 1). But again this is easier said than done. There are numerous problems associated with water management as there are numerous agencies and communities involved in the discussion (Hindmarsh, 2008: 189). In the case of renewable energy sources there are also many people that are involved in the decision-making process but when it comes to water management there is more at stake other than the pollution and economic factors. Many of the stakeholders can easily observe the impact of water management policies for they live near bodies of water affected by such policies.

Obstacles

Before going any further it is important to understand the various problems that hamper the development and adoption of renewable energy sources as well as the implementation of water management strategies. In the case of renewable energy sources, it requires a significant amount of scientific knowledge to build a system that will generate clean energy (Wolsink, 2007: 2695). This is especially true when it comes to those light capturing equipment that could convert solar power to electrical power, good enough to be used at home to power appliances, as well as to provide power for manufacturing plants and automobiles. The high level of technical knowledge needed means more expense as more people with specialized skills need to get on board not only in the building stage but even so in the maintenance phase of the operation.

Furthermore, alternative sources of energy in order to be successful require the support of consumers. It is impossible for investors and other stakeholders to finance and exert effort in the creation of alternative energy sources if no one will purchase the necessary equipment to harness wind or solar power for instance. Aside from the consumers it is also important to look into the reaction and the opinions of those who are supposed to operate the new facility or new equipment. In the case of factories and key installations that will use solar and wind energy, these people must not only have the required technical competence to operate the new equipment but they must also accept that this is the best way to improve the cost-efficiency of the facility. In many cases, it would require a significant change in the mindset of management and the various technical supervisors who will have to shift their orientation from the old way to a new method of doing things. It will be shown later why it can be a daunting task to incorporate solar power to an existing management scheme. And it has to do with solar powers downtime  phases in the cycle where solar cells could not efficiently generate power.

Thus, the possible consequences will not simply be limited to training personnel but a radical transformation of personnel management to overall management of factory equipment and resources. They have to adjust to the necessary change in adapting to a power source not coming from power plants fired up by oil or coal but to photovoltaic cells. While it requires cooperation and collaboration from various stakeholders to successfully change the current way of doing things  from fossil fuel to alternative energy sources  there is a need to change the current strategies when it comes to implementing a directive from government agencies. The top-down approach rarely works according to numerous studies (Wolsink, 2007: 2695). In this regard, it is time to look into the flaws of the traditional approaches to decision-making and find out how to ensure cost-effective means of implementing new policies that will increase the number of people and businesses that will use alternative energy sources.

Top-Down Approach

At first it seems that there everyone is on the same page when it comes to the search and development of alternative energy source  that in spite of the obstacles linked to the use of non-fossil fuels, the commitment to break free from the use of oil and coal is a primary objective of all leaders in government and in business circles. But a casual overview of related literature and other reputable websites relating to this subject matter will reveal that not everyone is in agreement when it comes to the use of specific alternatives to fossil fuels. This means that everyone does not want the financial burden and the pollution that fossil fuel brings to the equation but there is disagreement on what type of alternative energy source must be used in the local community or even in the national levels.

In a desperate attempt to remedy the problems brought by fossil fuels, it is common to find government agencies to implement policies without consulting the public (Barlow & Clarke, 2002: 230). Those who are in-charge may find it more practical to develop strategies and implement it using top-down approach but more and more studies confirm the idea that unless stakeholders are involved in the decision-making process, the greater is the possibility of conflict with those who will be affected by their policies (Marshall, 2005: 37). It will also forestall the implementation of policies aimed to reduce dependence on fossil fuel as well as improve water management.

Collaborative Approach

The top-down approach is the normal way of doing things (Calder, 2005: 328). In civilized society, there is central authority wherein the bulk of policymaking is being done (Warner, 2007: 39). This is due to the need for cost-efficiency and supposedly to speed up the decision-making process (Innes & Booher, 2003: 34). There seems to be an assumption that consultation takes up too much time and at the end there is one person or one committee that will be the one to make the final decision (Koontz, 2004: 24). But years of dealing with failed projects and conflicts arising from disputes and miscommunication it is time to discover another model when it comes to developing policies and statutes regarding water management and renewable energy sources (Agranoff & McGuire, 2003: 76). One suggestion is to use a collaborative approach.

One example of a collaborative approach is to allow public participation. This will allow the greatest number of stakeholders to participate in the decision-making process. According to one study there are at least two positive outcomes when policymakers utilize public participation strategies and these are listed as follows:

• Improve the quality of decisions by better defining priorities and by gathering local data, knowledge and solutions; and
• Raise awareness and encourage stakeholders to work together and engage in a democratic process that will in turn lead to broad acceptance and support for the plans (Hopmayer-Tokich & Krozer, 2008: 247).

The key terms that must be highlighted are those that concern priorities, local data, awareness and democratic process. There is indeed a need to improve the quality of decisions and to go beyond the preliminary level of deciding to change current practices into one that is more complex and yet promises to preserve the environment and sustain Europes way of life. It is indeed hard work but worth the sacrifice and all the efforts and money expended on behalf of the initiative to reduce dependence on fossil fuel as well as to create sustainable practices when it comes to aquatic resources. But quality decisions can only be achieved if the correct strategies are implemented and have the assurance that the general public as well as stakeholders will be able to support it.

At the most basic level there is a need for awareness of the positive impact that can be achieved with regards to new policies and the adoption of new technologies (Capehart, 2007: 46). This is highly important because government agencies are dealing with a mindset that the use of fossil fuel is the most cost-efficient way of doing business (Capehart, 2007: 46). There are a lot of information dissemination campaigns that has to be completed before the general public and stakeholders will understand the long term consequence of adopting new technologies. This will require hard work and the utilization of already limited resources but there is no other way to do this. A top-down approach may bypass these activities and expenditures but it will not deliver the same results (Krajewski, Fletcher, & Mitchell, 2008: 46). Stakeholders, especially the consumers must make the decision to support new initiatives and it starts by convincing them that they too will benefit from supporting and complying with new policies regarding water management and alternative energy.

The purpose of the collaborative approach is not only to gather data and to understand the sentiments of those who are on the receiving end of new technology but also to provide feedback and access to various forms of resources so that they can formulate informed decisions (Wilkins, 2002: 104). In the case of alternative energy, stakeholders must understand the cost and impact of adopting new technology. In the case of solar and wind power they must be informed regarding not only the cost but the level of technical competence required to operate devices and equipment related to solar and wind energy.

Aside from educating the general public and providing them the needed information to make informed decisions there is also a need for government agencies and government officials to gather local data and knowledge only available to ordinary citizens living near affected areas. This is evident when it comes to managing water sources near factories and other bodies of water and river systems that are being threatened by man-made structures. These people are the best sources of information when it comes to the impact of pollution and the displacement of the population when it comes to the creation of dams and other structures that the government plans to build in a particular area.

If government agencies and those involved in the creation of dams, hydroelectric power plants and other structures that alter the landscape and the flow of water will not master collaborative strategies when it comes to making decisions then they can create laws that will be detrimental to the lives of these people. Thus, they will not support it and initiate activities that can easily hamper the success of the project. This means waste of time, energy, and money on those who are directly affected by the said policies. It would be better for government agencies to do it right the first time and before implementing any major changes, they must consult with the stakeholders, most especially to local people who will greatly benefit from alternative energy sources and better water management strategies if the correct statutes and strategies are created in the aftermath of discussion, data gathering and more collaboration.

Conclusion

There is no indeed a great need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Pollution and high gasoline prices are just some of the negative effects on the Western worlds dependence fossil fuel. There is indeed a great need to develop alternative energy sources. But this is easier said than done because there are many obstacles that can hamper the implementation of new policies and new initiatives. In order to minimise these problems it is important to apply collaborative strategies for decision-making processes. Using this approach government officials and policymakers will be able to gather local knowledge and receive feedback that will allow them to create laws and policies that stakeholders will support and make it easier for them to comply.

References

Agranoff, R. & M. McGuire. (2003). Collaborative Public Management: New Strategies for Local Governments. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press.

Barlow, M. & T. Clarke. (2002). Blue Gold: The Battle Against Corporate Theft of the Worlds Water. London: Eartscan

Berger, J. (1997). Charging Ahead: The Business of Renewable Energy and What it Means for America. CA: University of California Press.

Beierle, T. & D. Konisky. (1999). Public participation in environmental planning in the Great Lakes region. Resources for the Future.

Capehart, B. (2007). Encyclopedia of Energy Engineering and Technology. FL: CRC Press.

Chambers, A. (2003). Renewable Energy in Nontechnical Language. Tulsa, OK: PenWell Books.

Dolan, G. M. Duffy, & A. (1996). Physics. Chicago: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1996.

Gordon, J. (2001). Solar Energy: The State of the Art. London: James & James Ltd.

Hindmarsh, R. (2008). Environment, Water and Energy in the 21^st Century: The Role of Delibarative Governance for the Knowledge Society. In Hearn, G. & D. Rooney (eds.) Knowledge Policy: Challenges for the 21^st Century. UK: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd., 189-203.

Hopmayer-Tokich, S. & Y. Krozer. (2008). Public participation in rural area water management: experiences from the North Sea countries in Europe. Water International. 33(2): 243-257.

Innes, J. & D. Booher. (2003). Collaborative Policymaking: Governance Through Dialogue. In M. Hajer & H. Wagenaar (eds.). Deliberative Policy Analysis: Understanding Governance in the Network Society. UK: Cambridge University Press.

Jaccard, Mark. (2005). Sustainable Fossil Fuels. UK: Cambridge University Press.

Jones, S. (2003). Solar Power of the Future. New York: Rosen Publishing Group.

Koontz, T. (2004). Collaborative Environmental Management: What Roles for Government. Washington, D.C.: RFF Press.

Krajewski, J.L., T. Fletcher, & V. Mitchell. (2008). Spatial and Temporal Scale Considerations. In T.

Fletcher & A. Deletic (eds.). Data Requirements for Integrated Water Management. UK: Taylor & Francis.

Lakin, S. & J. Patefield. (1998). Essential Science. Oxford: Nelson Thomes Ltd.

Marshall, G. (2005). Economics for Collaborative Environmental Management: Renegotiating the Commons. London: Earthscan.

Warner, J. (2007). Multi-stakeholder Platforms for Integrated Water Management. UK: Ashgate Publishing Ltd.

Wilkins, G. (2002). Technology Transfer for Renewable Energy: Overcoming Barriers in Developing Countries. London: Earthscan.

Wolsink, M. (2007). Planning of renewable schemes: Deliberative and fair decision-making on landscape issues instead of reproachful accusation of non-cooperation. Energy Policy. 35: 2692-2704.

Introduction

Wind Works Ltd, as the company, which provides the alternative energy sources, and makes them available for the wide range of the population needs to resort to a particular assessment strategies. The fact is that, environmental costs, which are required to be calculated for the entire implementation of the wind mill farm. Originally, the main aim of the paper is to create the assessment report, as if it was created for the clients, which are not professional in this sphere. The assessment strategy will be based on the generally accepted practices of calculating environmental costs for the similar project.

In accordance with the assessment practices, it should be stated that the report would entail a brief description of the key impacts of the project explaining where the main environmental costs lie. Considering this fact, the methodology for the assessment will be based on the principles of the description and capturing the analyzed environmental costs.

The survey itself, which is regarded as the key tool for the assessment strategy will be divided into 3 main parts. These are the General understanding of environmental issues, Project description and WTP using a double bounded dichotomous choice format, and standard socio-economic information.

Project Background

A wind farm which is planned to be built on the suburbs of Edinburg is a group of wind turbines Which are interconnected with a medium voltage (up to 34.5 kV) power collection system (which is a web of wires and controllers), as well as the communication network. (Vidal, 2008)

The outline development proposal is for 40 x 2.5 megawatt wind turbines. The new machines would have an 80m tower height and a 45m diameter rotor. The farm will be situated at the eastern end of the Pentland Hills along the ridge line and down the northerly facing slope. The exact layout has not yet been determined but the centre of the wind farm will be approximately at NT 218 661 GB Grid. To define the reasonable considerations and assumptions as for this location will be another task for the report.

As for the location of the wind farm, it should be stated that this factor is selected in accordance with several criteria: these are the wind speed, altitude, the wind park effect, environmental factors and the effect on the allover power grid.

Considering the fact, that Wind Works Ltd aims to provide the highest quality of the services, and create the wind farms in accordance with all the rules of effectiveness, the Wind Power Density coefficient should be considered the first.

As Haselip (2007, p. 190) emphasizes:

• A quantity called Wind Power Density (WPD) is used to select locations for wind energy development. The WPD is a calculation relating to the effective force of the wind at a particular location, frequently expressed in term of the elevation above ground level over a period of time. It takes into account velocity and mass. The results of the above calculation are used in an index developed by the National Renewable Energy Lab and referred to as NREL CLASS. The larger the WPD calculation the higher it is rated by class.

The fact is that, the location of any wind farm may be controversial, and there is strong necessity to mention that the calculations of the WPD coefficient of the Pentland Hills is regarded to be high enough for the location of the wind farm. In accordance with the map, the location is in the heights, thus, the Wind Power Density will be sufficient for providing the high amounts of energy. As for the factors of the wildlife or the previously elaborated plans of building the roads through the selected area, it should be stated that these factors have been already considered, and any of the regarded factors will not be violated by the projected wind farm. As Ellis (2006, p. 18) emphasizes:

• Access to the power grid must be taken into consideration. The further from the power grid, there will be need for more transmission lines to span from the farm directly to the power grid or transformers will have to be built on the premises depending upon the types of turbines being used. In comparison with the environmental effects of traditional energy sources, the environmental effects of wind power are relatively minor. Wind power consumes no fuel, and emits no air pollution. The energy consumed to manufacture and transport the materials used to build a wind power plant is equal to the new energy produced by the plant within a few months of operation.

Environmental Factors and Key Impacts

There is strong necessity to mention that the environmental factors, which are generally touched by the projecting of the wind farms, are closely associated not only with the factors of flora and fauna, but also with the factors of human health, nearby buildings and constructions. Infra sound, which is produced by the rotation of the mills, may cause essential health difficulties for the people, living nearby the farm. Nevertheless, in accordance with the map there are no buildings with people within several kilometers, consequently, this problem may not be taken into consideration. (Edinger and Kaul, 2003)

It has been stated that no danger is caused to birds, nevertheless, there is strong necessity to emphasize that several species of bats are endangered. Originally, the previously mentioned low frequency sound may cause serious consequences for the navigation system of the bats. As Greiner (2008, p. 210) claims:

Danger to birds and bats has been a concern in many locations. Some dismiss the number of birds killed by wind turbines as negligible when compared to the number that die as a result of other human activities, and especially the environmental impacts of using non-clean power sources. Almost nothing is known about current populations of these species and the impact on bat numbers as a result of mortality at wind power locations.

In the light of this fact, there is strong necessity to mention that Pentland Hills should be studied for the issues of bats dwelling, the location of their colonies, and routes, in order to avoid the local ecological catastrophe, as well as avoid constant repairing of the mills, caused by the impacts of disoriented bats.

The least financially important factor is the aesthetics, nevertheless, it may influence the touristic potential of the location, where the wind farm is planned. Consequently, this potential should be considered and researched for making the final decision, whether the allover outlook of the territory. At first sight it may seem that industrial constructions will only harm the natural landscape, nevertheless, as McCarthy (2008) describes in his research, the survey in Scotland has revealed the fact that more than 70% of people like such visual impact: According to a town councillor in Scotland, the overwhelming majority of locals believe that the Ardrossan Wind Farm has enhanced the area, saying that the turbines are impressive looking and bring a calming effect to the town.

Description of the Offered Methodology

The decision on the matters of the project effectiveness will be taken on the basis of considering several factors. Some of these factors have been described above, the others require more detailed explanation and the deeper analysis from the environmental, social and economic point of view, which will also relate the issues of business performance. Originally, entrepreneurs are regarded to be the most interested in implementation or non-implementation of similar projects, consequently, the opinion of business sphere should be studied, and paid a particular attention.

As for the matters of environmental protection, and the issues of projecting the wind farms, a special accent should be paid to the research by Ottinger and Williams (2002, p. 331):

• Decisions concerning environmental protection hinge on estimates of economic burden. Over the past 30 years, economists have developed and applied various tools to measure this burden. General equilibrium costs reflect the net burden once all good and factor markets have equilibrated. In addition to partial equilibrium costs, these general equilibrium costs include welfare losses or gains in markets with preexisting distortions, welfare losses or gains from rebalancing the governments budget constraint, and welfare gains from the added flexibilty of meeting pollution constraints through reductions in the use of higher-priced, pollution-intensive products.

Moreover, in accordance with the economic indicators, associated with the development of alternative power sources, it should be emphasized that the aim of the UK government is to produce 20% of electricity in the UK by the year 2020 by the means of windmills, consequently, this project may be regarded as the contribution for the UKs future. As it is stated in Turner and OConnell (2007, p. 198):

• The 2002 Energy Review set a target of 10% to be in place by 2010/2011. The target was increased to 15% by 2015 and most recently the 2006 Energy Review further set a target of 20% by 2020. For Scotland, the Scottish Executive has a target of generating 17% to 18% of electricity from renewables by 2010, rising to 40% by 2020. Renewables located in Scotland count towards both the Scottish target and to the overall target for the UK.

From this perspective, there is strong necessity to emphasize that the original value of the windmill project is considered to be close to the matters of environmental protection in general. Building of the wind farm may cause the increased erosion of the soil, thus, potentially causing the landslides. If this happens, the touristic potential, as well as the infrastructure of the farm will be destroyed. Thus, the methodology should incorporate the seismological control and consultation.

Another assessment factor is the correlation with the emission of the greenhouse gases. Originally, wind mills do not produce such gases, nevertheless, the issue is touching upon the matter whether Scotland will be able to refuse from ecologically harmful sources of energy, if the wind farm is built. If the answer is positive, the value of the project will be increased. Thus, as McCarthy (2008, p. 23) emphasizes in the research, aimed at studying the emission of greenhouse gases:

• The correlation of greenhouse gas emissions with climate change and especially the damage caused by climate change are still uncertain and controversial. The uncertainty associated to such damage estimates is still very high. There are, however implied shadow values which can be derived from political decisions or international agreements: avoidance costs might then be used to assess the cost of greenhouse gas emissions.

The final claim, that should be emphasized on the matters of the environmental assessment of the project is associated with the issues of the externalities, such as vibration (caused by rotation), pollution of water and soil (by the oxides of metals), as well as damages to natural ecosystems, visual impacts etc. Naturally, these issues may be assessed only by the ecological experts.

Finally, the social factor should be considered in the context of the business sphere. This entails the research of public opinion, and presupposes the following actions:

• Gathering opinions of a large selection of people representing each demographic of the area
• Defining the scale of positive and negative views in an economically useful way
• Pre-surveys highlighted public interest in wind energy thus setting an estimative response rate
• Consider willingness to pay for/against development

Rationale

The rationale of the methodology is covered in the notion that the real value of a wind farm is concealed in the factors, which form the environmental value of the location, where the farm is projected. The fact is that, the environmental factors, which should be considered by the developers of the project are not just the possible expenses for the research or consultation. Nevertheless, these are the expenses, which will help to avoid possible ecological catastrophe (as in the case with the bats), the decrease of the possible incomes from the touristic capacity of the territory (if the view of the landscape will be harmed) or the natural disasters, such as erosion and landslides, caused by the development of the necessary infrastructure.

The economic side of the problem is closely associated with the environmental protection matters, and the plans of the UK to develop the infrastructure of alternative and renewable sources of energy. The social factor will help to define the monetary value for a non-market perspective of the wind farm creation, will allow quantitative assessment of public opinion and will help to eliminate the bias originated by the financial circumstances.

Advantages and Limitations

The fact is that, the offered methodology provides numerous advantages; nevertheless, it presupposes some limitations. As for the strong part of this methodology, it should be emphasized that it is a widely recognized and generally applied method in renewable energy field. The fact is that, it is a flexible method, which allows analysis of positive and negative impressions, and gives quantitative analysis, which is useful for eventually creating a cost-benefit analysis.

The limitations of this methodology are few, nevertheless, it should be stated that the described methods and considerations do not entail the following factors

• The opportunity of cooperation with local council
• The raise of the awareness of the development
• The possibility of highlighting implication in local activities
• The issues of promoting wind energy, emphasizing the benefits and development of the infrastructure
• Prioritizing local employment
• Offering investment in community projects

Originally, these issues could provide the increased implementation of the necessary practices and methodologies for the project implementation research, nevertheless, these factors would not be able to provide the sufficient level of research reliability. Consequently, it should be emphasized that the original value of the offered methodology is covered in the possibility of the research of the social factor of environmental protection, associated with the creation of renewable energy resources infrastructure.

Relevant Questionnaires

The questionnaires should generally entail the questions, relating the maters of the environmental protection, financial and legal issues of the wind farm engineering. Originally, the most relevant questionnaires are directed to the entrepreneur structures, which are interested the most in implementation or non-implementation of the renewable energy strategies. The following questions are offered in UKERC Report Finds (2009):

• How do you think environmental taxes and charges will develop in the next three to five years?
• Do you think that by implementing environmental measures could reduce the amount of money it has to pay in environmental taxes and charges?
• Do you think that environmental measures can contribute to increasing efficiency in your production processes?
• Do you think that by implementing environmental management companies could obtain loans more easily from your bank or from other financial institutions?
• Do you know which environmental legislation applies to the companys activities?
• If you lack the necessary information, do you know where or how to get it?
• Are your customers making any demands regarding the environmental impact of your products or services?
• What risks does your business incur if you ignore real or possible changes in your market due to customer environmental concerns?
• Are any of your customers developing specifications on environmental performance?
• How important is it for you to begin to respond to customer/market environmental concerns? (UKERC Report Finds, 2009))

Scope of Work

The offered scope of the work for pollsters entails the marketing, legal and financial spheres. Surely, the offered set of questions may be extended and directed to the other routes, nevertheless, there is strong necessity to pay particular attention to these issues, as these may be regarded as the most relevant factors, which may essentially influence the implementation of the project. These are the social matters, business matters, especially business companies, which are close to the national program of implementing the renewable and alternative sources of energy. The research of these participants will provide the necessary information on the matters of possible obstacles and benefits of building the wind farm.

Conclusion

Finally, it should be stated that the methodology of defining the costs and expenses for the implementation of the wind farm project requires the multi-angle approach towards solving and considering the main issues, associated with renewable energy sources. In the light of the fact that only business and governmental spheres may influence the process of the project implementation. Consequently, the methodology, which presupposes the study of the interests of the business sphere may be regarded as one of the closest to the actual results and necessary considerations on the matters of implementing the project by the Wind Works Ltd.

References List

Edinger, R., & K Sanjay, Sustainable Mobility: Renewable Energies for Powering National Strategies. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2003.

Ellis, J, Why Promote Renewable Energy?. OECD Observer a.201 (2006): 17-20.

Greiner, M. Siemens Corporate Technology, plenary talk at the physical colloquium at the university of Regensburg, 2008.

Haselip, J, Renewable Energy Policy and Politics-A Handbook for Decision-Making. The Geographical Journal 173.2 (2007): 190.

McCarthy, M, Britain will need 12,500 wind farms to satisfy EU targets. The Independent. 2008. Web.

Ottinger, Richard L., & R Williams. Renewable Energy Sources for Development. Environmental Law 32.2 (2002): 331.

Turner, M, & B OConnell, The Whole Worlds Watching: Decarbonizing the Economy and Saving the World. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons, 2007.

UKERC Report Finds Significant Risk of Oil Production Peaking in Ten Years, 2009, UK Energy Research Centre.

Vidal, J, UK wind farm plans on brink of failure. guardian.co.uk. 2008.

2007 Energy White Paper: Meeting the Energy Challenge, Department of Trade and Industry.

The dream of creating a world with 100% renewable energy is closer to becoming a reality than ever. Large corporations, countries, and separate states have already transferred or put a plan into action to transfer to 100% renewable energy in a couple of decades (Garcia et al., 2018). Even individual citizens have begun to implement solar panels as a source of electricity for their homes. This essay will discuss what it will take to make such a change and whether it is worth it.

There are several problems present when considering relying absolutely on renewable energy resources. Since all these resources are forces of nature, they will not be present whenever needed. To compensate for that, energy storage systems must be integrated, but at this point, humanities advancements in energy storage are not enough. The prices on the said energy storage systems are also inadequately high. On the other hand, renewable energy sources are more cost-efficient in the long run as they are cheaper to maintain and will null the reliance on foreign sources of energy.

In order to transfer to renewable energy, old sources must be phased out first. According to Garcia et al. (2018), the approximated time frame for completing the global transition to renewables would be by the end of the 21st century. The first task to focus on in the case of transition should be to increase energy efficiency. Since California is a densely populated urban area, supplying 100% of its electricity needs using renewable energy sources would be impossible. The decrease of energy consumption lies within the governments power to support and provide ways to save energy similarity to the Save Water Initiative. An efficient source of lithium, copper, and platinum must be found as they are required to construct a sufficient amount of RE powerplants. The minimization of energy consumption by 50% must take an approximate of 10 years (Hansen et al., 2019). The time needed to build the power plants would depend on financing, weather, and lack of extreme situations that would slow down production.

References

Garcia, O. A., Sole, J., & Osychenko, O. (2018). Transportation in a 100% renewable energy system. Energy Conversion and Management, 158, 266-285. Web.

Hansen, K., Breyer, C., & Lund, H. (2019). Status and perspectives on 100% renewable energy systems. Energy, 175, 471-480. Web.

Introduction

Climate change has caused extreme changes in temperature and weather patterns on planet earth, thus threatening the lives of living organisms. Some causes of this drastic climate change are natural, while most of them originate from human activities that include the combustion of fossil fuels that produce heat-trapping gases. The trapped gases cause global warming, which leads to a rise in sea levels, ecosystem destruction, and severe weather conditions. Global warming has brought world leaders and environmental activists together to forge a way of taming this menace and restoring the globe to what it was initially. This essay delves into how renewable energy sources play a significant role in solving climate change. There have been concerted efforts to encourage renewable sources instead of fossil fuels to solve climate change, which has become a global crisis.

Renewable Energy Sources Solving Climate Change

Solar energy is one of the critical and commonly used sources of power. It is derived from the suns rays, clean and free, and it is possible to transform it into different forms using various technologies. Transformed solar energy has important uses such as lighting, heating, and operating electrical appliances. It is environmentally friendly, sustainable, and inexhaustible since it can supply surplus power daily. Solar energy is a crucial substitute for non-renewable sources, including fossil fuels that emit by-products directly linked to climate change (Joseph, 2019). Continuous use of renewable solar energy reduces the amount of CO₂ that builds up in the atmosphere and contributes to global warming and climate change over time.

Wind renewable energy is a form of energy key in electricity production. The harvested wind is used to power turbines fitted to motors to produce electricity, thus making it one of the free and safest non-renewable energy since it does not involve the emission of greenhouse gases. Power generated has various important uses that include lighting, cooking, and operating different types of machinery. This becomes a substitute for fossil fuels that are not environmentally friendly (Joseph, 2019). People are encouraged to consider wind-generated power over other sources, including generators that produce CO_2. The build-up of this greenhouse gas in the atmosphere leads to a rise in temperature and, consequently, changes in the climate.

Geothermal energy is another form of environmentally friendly source of power. This is the heat derived from the earths crust due to decomposing radioactive materials and molten components. The heat generates high pressure, enough to turn turbines, directed towards the earths outer surface and harvested to produce electricity supplied to consumers. Geothermal energy reduces the dependence on fuel-run generators to produce electricity, thus reducing the production and release of toxic emissions that pollute the environment and affect the climate. CO_2, which is part of the emissions, traps heated air in the atmosphere, thus causing global warming (Joseph, 2019). Despite the high cost of harvesting and distributing power, developed countries embrace this clean energy source, thus becoming an important milestone in curbing climate change.

Hydropower is one of the largest sources of electricity around the globe. Flowing water out of dams and over waterfalls is harvested to turn turbines used to produce electricity. Producing and maintaining hydroelectric power is economical, thus lowering the cost of consumption. This enables many families to adopt electricity in their households, thus discouraging them from using the other methods that release toxic substances into the atmosphere (Joseph, 2019). The continuous use of hydroelectric power helps reduce the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that would affect the climate over time.

Biomass energy is the energy acquired from plants and animals. It has various uses, including cooking, heating, and powering machinery, thus making it an alternative energy source to those emitting CO_2. Biomass produces energy directly from heating or other converted renewable states, including liquid and gaseous forms. These different states of biomass serve unique purposes in energy provision. Biomass is one of the cheapest renewable energy sources since it is readily available; it includes plant and animal waste. Furthermore, the acquisition does not involve the destruction of the environment, which would contribute to climate change (Joseph, 2019). The level of CO₂ emission to the atmosphere reduces as people shun away using other forms of energy and resort to using biomass, which reduces the level of global warming while stabilizing the climate.

Conclusion

In conclusion, climate change has become a global crisis whose effects are posing a threat to life. Some of the causes are attributed to nature, while the rest have a direct link to human activities. However, concerted efforts have been established to tame this menace by encouraging different energy sources, including solar, wind renewable, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal. These environmentally friendly and renewable energy sources are substitutes for other forms of energy that produce CO_2, the gas responsible for global warming, thus making them most preferred. This shifting from common sources of energy to renewable sources is helping in the reduction of the accumulation of greenhouse gases on the surface of the earth and thus reducing global warming.

Reference

Joseph, T. E. (2019). Investigating Renewable Energy Potentials in solving Energy crisis in Niger Delta Riverine Communities, Nigeria. International Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 7(3), 905-915.

Energy demand is required to improve peoples health, welfare, and meeting economic and social development is on the rise each day. All societies in the world need a form of power to support basic human essentials such as cooking, lighting, communication, mobility, and space comfort (Gielen et al. 2020). Fossils including oil, gas, and coal have been the most dominant source of fuel since 1850. These conventional sources have an adverse environmental impact on the environment because it emits excess carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change. There is a need to adopt a renewable energy supply system with zero carbon emission to save the planet. This paper aims at expounding the effectiveness of renewable energy and the utilization of energy efficiency in regards to climate change.

The continuous increase in energy-demanding services and the decline in fossil fuel deposits are major challenges affecting most parts of the world. For instance, in developed and developing countries, electricity, which is a nonrenewable fuel source powers almost all activities. Unfortunately, it impacts the environment and climate negatively because a large amount of coal is burned to produce it. There is a shift towards the utilization of clean and renewable sources such as solar ones, modern biomass, small-scale hydro, wind, marine, and geothermal energy.

Climate Change

Climate change refers to the global alteration of the natural environment due to an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. This phenomenon has become the greatest 21st-century challenge affecting people, government, nations, and businesses (Cavicchioli et al. 2019).

Modifications of weather patterns over a long time have severe implications on natural habitats and human beings. It causes an adjustment in production, resource utilization, and economic activities. To mitigate the possible side effects of global warming, greenhouse gas emission has to be reduced by lowering the predominance of fossil fuel.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), there has been an unusual global warming trend for the past 100 years (Cavicchioli et al. 2019). Increased greenhouse gases emission attributed to human activities such as burning gas or coal, deforestation, gases from industries, rice agriculture, and methane production accounts for elevation of greenhouse gas emission and later climate. For example, from 1750, the industrial revolution emitted methane, CO₂, and nitrous oxide by 15, 31, and 17 % respectively (Riti and Shu, 2016). An increase in wildfires and drought duration, some wildlife species extinction, and reduction in reduced snowpack amounts in the mountains are indicators of climate change.

Natural gas and coal are conventional sources of energy that have been contributing to climate change in the past. Currently, the US electricity, which is a form of non-renewable energy, is the greatest contributor to the climate change. It leads to water scarcity and causes water and air pollution (Laws, 2017). Over-reliance on this power exposes citizens to atmosphere and health damage. In addition, consumers are exposed to fluctuations in commodities prices.

In Polar Regions, climate change effects are amplified because it causes melting of ice caps and glaciers. However, the effects imposed on the south and north extremities have adverse impacts globally (Laws, 2017). Global warming triggers hurricanes and floods and it causes an increase of between 10 and 32 inches in seawater levels (Riti and Shu, 2016). Ecosystems diversity are continuously destabilized due to changes in plants and animal species in a habitat. Some organisms may become extinct while others may adapt to the new environment (Laws, 2017). Additionally, the emergence of novel diseases such as the Zika virus is attributed to the alteration of weather patterns.

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is unlimited, inexhaustible, clean, and rapidly refilled natural form of energy. A combination of renewable energy and energy efficiency helps in reducing fuel demand (Akram et al, 2020). They benefit our health, climate, and economy because of not emitting carbon dioxide pollution. Geothermal power, solar, and wind energy are some renewable resources currently used in the US. Unlike electricity, these forms of fuel does not utilize water in production. Thus, it does not strain and pollute water resources, which is critical for residential use, wildlife, fish, and agriculture. In contrast, coal and gas impact water bodies negatively by polluting drinking water.

Technology innovations have spearheaded the use of renewable energy globally, and as result, over-dependency on electricity and burning fossils has been greatly reduced. It also helps in restoring the planet by lowering the volume and rate of greenhouse gas concentrations in the air and protecting the ozone layer from depletion (Gielen et al. 2020). Currently, most environmental programs have renewable energy and energy efficiency issues as critical agenda to be addressed critically (Heryadi, and Hartono, 2017). Clean energy utilization achieved through renewable sources prevents climate system interference, it also leads to atmospheric greenhouse gas stabilization.

Energy efficiency cleans out air and saves energy and consumers resources. Wastage of power and heat loss during transmission and through the utilization of inefficient technologies not only cost businesses and familys income, but it also increases pollution and climate change (Riti and Shu, 2016). There are several ways through which fuel efficiencies can be achieved, this includes using energy-efficient machines for cooking, lighting, heating, cooling, and refrigeration. In addition, designing landscapes and buildings in a way that accommodates trees and changing some behaviors such as leaving lights on when leaving a room promote energy savings.

Energy efficiency and renewable energy can function synergistically to spearhead decarbonization of global power. These two combinations can lead to an 80% reduction of emitted greenhouse gas by 2050 (Gielen et al. 2020). Globally, about 36 gigatonnes (Gt) of CO‚ attributed to energy supply were released into the atmosphere in 2015 (IRENA, 2017). A reduction to about 9.5 Gt and 12 Gt by 2020 is required for maximum warming of 2°C above the preindustrial period to be achieved (IRENA, 2017). Expanding renewable energy and energy efficiencies is likely to reduce 90% of carbon dioxide emitted from the source of power as shown in Figure 1 below.

In a study conducted to determine power consumption rate in China, Germany, India, Japan, and the USA by IRENA (2017), the reduction of energy intensities and energy consumption was evidenced in countries with a renewable energy sources and those utilizing energy efficiency. This implied that the synergy benefits consumers by saving the cost of power. Consequently, it also reduces fossil fuel utilized in production, which in turn lowers carbon emission and climate change.

Conclusion

An increase in renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies result in energy savings and environmental protection. It has been evidenced that synergy between the two has a significant impact on global energy because it causes decarbonization. Therefore, there is a need for all nations to adopt the utilization of renewable sources and efficient energy technologies. This move is critical because it aids in averting the adverse effects of global warming and climate change.

Reference List

Akram, R. et al. (2020). Heterogeneous effects of energy efficiency and renewable energy on economic growth of BRICS countries: a fixed effect panel quantile regression analysis. Energy, 215, p. 119019. 

IRENA (2017), Synergies between renewable energy and energy efficiency, a working paper based on REmap, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Abu Dhabi.

Cavicchioli, R. et al. (2019). Scientists warning to humanity: microorganisms and climate change. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 17(9), pp. 569-586. 

Gielen, D. et al. (2019). The role of renewable energy in the global energy transformation. Energy Strategy Reviews, 24, pp. 38-50. 

Heryadi, M.D. and Hartono, D. (2017). Energy efficiency, utilization of renewable energies, and carbon dioxide emission: case study of G20 countries. International Energy Journal, 16(4), pp. 143-152.

Laws, A.N. (2017). Climate change effects on predatorprey interactions. Current Opinion in Insect Science, 23, pp. 28-34.

Riti, J.S. and Shu, Y. (2016). Renewable energy, energy efficiency, and eco-friendly environment (RE 5) in Nigeria. Energy, Sustainability and Society, 6(1), pp.1-16. 

The usage of gas in our everyday life is inevitable. Natural gas is one of the best alternatives to oil. It is also very much convenient for the environment. Natural gas is given the status of the cleanest of the fossil fuel (Eric & Smith 39). The united states have an ample reserve of natural gas. Natural gas plays an important role in the development of the socio-economical condition of the country. Households and large-scale commercial industries largely depend upon natural gas. So any interruptions in the supply of natural gas can hamper the smooth flow of our daily life. The demand for natural gas is increasing rapidly. Because new houses and industries which run on natural gas are establishing day by day. This increasing demand for natural gas makes an imbalance between the supply and the demand process (Weissman par. 4). This imbalance keeps the prices of natural gas up. Another vital reason for increasing the prices of natural gas is the higher oil price, which is demonstrated all over the world.

Because of the increasing price of natural gas, households expenditure are becoming larger, and natural gas-operated industries are spending a huge amount of dollars for the supply of natural gas. So the production costs of the industries are increasing. The higher price of natural gas is draining billions of dollars from the economy. The experts consider that the price of natural gas will also increase in the future because of fast-growing demand, unstable oil prices, and unpredictable economic conditions like inflation. So it is time to think about alternatives sources of energy so that our production and daily life remain on right track. The alternatives source of energy can be the best solution to rapid energy demand. The sources of energy, which are considered as an alternative to gas, are solar power, wind power, biomass or biofuel, etc. Sawyer pointed out that several reasons are related to the increasing prices of natural gas (p.8). The interaction between the supply and the demand of natural gas and the price of oil are the main factors to enhance the price of gas. Other important factors are weak production, state policies, transmission and distribution cost, and influence of the weather.

We are using natural gas from the kitchen to electricity generation plants. Natural gas has made transportation costs cheap. So the use of natural gas is spreading over various areas. A few of them are mentioned below:

Households are the main user of natural gas. The demand for natural gas in the household sector is increasing day by day. Throughout the 1970s and 80s electricity was the preferred space heating source for newly constructed single family homes. In 1979, for example, 51% of new homes were heated with electricity as opposed to only 39% with NG. Over the past decade, however, NG has become the fuel of choice in 70% of new homes with electricity dropping to 27% (Clemente).

Various large-scale industries are operated through natural gas. The pharmaceutical industry requires natural gas to run its operation. The fertilizer-producing industries are also running on natural gas (Wenzel par. 1). So there is a huge demand for natural gas in the field of industry.

In America, electricity is generated from three sources such as coal, nuclear power, and gas. Electricity demand has steadily increased over the past half-century and that growth has accelerated over the last 15 years. In 1991, for example, the U.S consumed about 2,762 billion kilowatt-hours (kwh) of electricity. By 2004 demand reached 3,550 billion or an increase of 29%. Coal provided half of this electricity, nuclear 20% and NG 17 % (Clemente). The application of natural gas in the production of electricity is increasing rapidly. New electricity generation plants are established based on gas.

The number of gas-based cars; trucks and buses are increasing every year. These types of cars, trucks, and buses are good for the environment compared to oil-based ones. Because gas-based engines produce less quantity of toxic gas. Natural gas also reduces the cost of transportation, because it is cheaper than other fuels. So people prefer to use natural gas. For this reason, the demand for natural gas in the area of transportation is increasing.

The natural gas, which is consumed by the citizen of the USA, comes from three sources such as domestic gas production (82%), imported from Canada (15%), and imported from LDC (3%). But the supply of gas is not stable; because wells are depleting and production is decreasing. Another reason is that  Canada is facing some internal problems to export gas.

Therefore, it is essential to keep the balance between the supply and demand of natural gas to maintain a stable price of gas. If the demand becomes higher than the supply the price of gas will go up. So, additional demand is one of the reasons behind higher gas prices.

The increasing oil price is another crucial reason for the increasing price of natural gas. Some large-volume customers (primarily industrial consumers and electricity generators) can switch between natural gas and other fuels, such as petroleum products, depending on the prices of each. As a result of this interrelation between fuel markets, when oil prices rise, the competitive pressure to maintain low gas prices diminishes, and the shift in demand for natural gas drives prices upward. Crude oil prices have increased to as much as $69.91 per barrel in trading during August 2005. (EIA Brochure).

Fuel markets, i.e. coal, gas, and oil market are interrelated to one another. While the price of oil becomes higher than consumer increases the use of gas as a compliment of oil. Nowadays oil price is becoming higher because of their worldwide demand. The oil market also does not remain stable due to several reasons like production disruption, political instability, and bad weather. So higher oil prices also cause higher gas prices.

Natural Resource Defence Council points out that [t]he United States consumed 22.42 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of natural gas in 2004, to satisfy the needs of manufacturing, electric generators, residential customers and commercial consumers. The increasing gas price has a great impact on social life as well as economical life. Nowadays we are using various kinds of natural gas-driven devices, which make our life comfortable. Higher gas prices will force us to avoid this type of device. Several impacts of gas price are as-

Continuously increased trend of gas price is one of the reasons for high living costs. People use gas-driven air cooler systems in summer and gas-driven air heaters in winter. So a family has to spend more dollars than before to maintain this type of system for increasing gas prices.

Pharmaceutical and agricultural products will be costly because of the increasing price of gas.

Electricity production will be hampered due to increasing gas prices.

Natural gas or other fossil fuel such as oil and coal will not be able to meet the future demand of the fuel. Alternative energy sources should be found to cope with the additional demand for fuel. An alternative source of energy is sources that are not derived from fossil fuel alternative energy does not harm the environment and does not consume natural resources. So we can say that alternative energy is a non-tradition source of energy.

Because of higher oil and gas prices, people are now concentrating on alternative sources of energy. It is the only solution to reducing higher living costs.

Many vehicle companies are producing a special kind vehicle that can be operated through alternative energy. This type of vehicle will be able to minimize the cost of transportation. Different business can use alternative energy like solar energy to operate the lighting and air conditioning system.

There are some alternative sources of energy. Some of them are described as follow:

Bio-fuel is one of the best alternatives of fossil fuel. The use of bio-fuel is increased all over the world. Bio-fuel industries are expanding in Europe, Asia and in USA (Tardieu and Schultz 28). Human have used biomass fuel for heating and cooking since the discovery of fire.

Crops such as grain, vegetable, oil and sugar are the main component of bio-fuel. Bio-fuel resources are available in every country. It will reduce the emission of green house gas and it is cheaper to produce. Bio-fuel can be used to generate electricity. It is also able to operate vehicles. We can cook by using bio-fuel.

Solar energy can also be alternative sources of energy. We can easily obtain electricity from sunlight. There are several kinds of device that are available in market can convert sunlight into electricity. We can use a solar power for various purposes such as 

Space heating and space cooling system can be operated through solar system (Lof). It can be used for lighting. Many solar energy driven cars are available in market. Solar energy can be used for cooking. The main advantage of solar energy is, it is cheaper and positive to environment.

Fuel demand is increasing with the increase of population. Natural resources like oil gas are limited and it will be exhausted in course of time. So, alternative source of energy can be the best solution for the future demand of fuel. If we are able to explore alternative renewable energy sources it will reduce our dependency on natural gas.

References

Clemente, Frank. The Problem with Natural Gas. EnergyPulse. 2005. Web.

EIA Brochure. Residential Natural Gas Prices, Residential Natural Gas Prices: What Consumers Should Know. Web.

Eric R. & Smith, A. N. Energy, the Environment, and Public Opinion. Rowman & Littlefield 2002.

Lof, G. O. G. Solar Space Heating with Air and Liquid Systems. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Vol. 295, No. 1414 (1980), pp. 349-359.

Natural Resource Defence Council. Managing Americas Latest Natural Gas Crisis. Issues: Oil & Energy. 2005. Web.

Sawyer, John E. Natural gas prices affect nitrogen fertilizer costs. ICM (Integrated Crop Management). 2001. IC-486 (1). Web.

Tardieu, Henri. and Schultz, Bart. Draft Paper on 5th World Water Forum. International Commission of Irrigation and Drainage (ICID). New Delhi, India, 2008. Web.

Weissman, Andrew. Natural Gas Supply, Demand and Pricing. 2003. Web.

Wenzel, Wayne. Fertilizer Rising: Manufacturers adapt to a changing market. Firm Industry News. 2004. Web.

Our world’s advances in energy efficiency has been crucial to our technological, economic and social development. Creating energy has powered our advancements in modern machinery as well as stimulating our economy by creating jobs and improving our quality of life. But with these advancements came a great price: our global health. Our current mode of producing energy is having a deadly toll on our environment as well as our bodies. Today I would like to discuss nonrenewable resources and their deadly impact on our environment. I will go over what fossil fuels are and their impact, secondly, we will examine our alternatives and thirdly we will discuss what this means for our world’s developing nations.

Globally, our currently most used form of energy is the burning of nonrenewable resources. Nonrenewable resources are also called “fossil fuels”, which are the byproduct of deceased organisms from thousands of years ago, such as dinosaurs. Our world’s most widely used forms of fossil fuels are coal, petroleum and natural gas. While these resources are reliable and cost efficient, they are costly to our planet. Coal is mined and burned in order to produce energy. According to the National Geographic Society1 burning coal releases poisonous gases and pollutants such as carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. Mining coal is also an incredibly dangerous job. Miners are exposed to these toxic gases in large quantities and risk being trapped in the caves they are mining due to erosion or explosion. Petroleum is not as dangerous for workers. It is cost efficient, reliable and provides jobs. While it is not as dangerous for workers, it is deadly for us and other animals. Drilling for petroleum also releases toxins into the air as well as running the risk of an oil spill. According to the Center of Biological Diversity2 205.8 million gallons of oil and 225,000 tons of methane were spilled into the Gulf of Mexico in the Gulf Oil Spill of 2010. As a result, approximately 82,000 birds, 6,165 sea turtles and 25,900 marine mammals were seriously harmed or killed. It is impossible the count the hundreds of thousands of alternative ocean life that was also harmed, such as fish, coral and crabs. We are having an undeniably severe impact on our environment and people through our methods of obtaining energy.

But what does this mean for developing countries? According to the proceedings of a conference organized by the European Office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and the EastWest Institute3 nearly 2 million people live without energy. It was stated in this conference that there is great potential in developing countries for securing renewable energy sources that will greatly improve their quality of life. It further states that giving developing countries access to clean energy will stimulate their economy and speed up economic development. In Brazil, for example, using the byproduct of their sugar productions to create ethanol, rather than mining, has created almost a million new jobs. Furthermore, by eliminating the need for fuel imports, developing countries would save money that can be put towards expanding their renewable resource programs.

Nonrenewable resources are incredibly cost efficient in the long run, but it is no secret that this transition will be costly. The Stern Review (‘The Economics of Climate Change’) with the National Bureau of Economic Research4 estimated that about 20- 30 billion dollars will be needed every year to support our transition to only nonrenewable resources. This sounds like a lot of money, but by eliminating fuel imports and the need for costly machinery, this transition will be well supported. Not only will it save money, stimulate the economy and create jobs, these resources will never run out unlike coal, petroleum and natural gas. The transition to renewable resources such as wind, solar and hydraulics is inevitable as we continue to deplete our resources. Some may say that developing nations will not be able to afford this cost, but The European Union is currently working on a fund in which first world countries most responsible for carbon emissions and environmental damage will help developing countries financially so that they do not make the same mistakes and add to the damage already done.

Our world’s great strides in technological, economic and social advances is a direct result of our advancements in obtaining and producing energy. As we continue to adapt and change, we must take our planet into consideration. We can continue to advance on a global level while also maintaining our global health by simply using the sources of energy our planet continuously and unceasingly gives to us. This transition will be a difficult one, but entirely necessarily. It is the moral responsibility of advanced nations to help our developing nations take the necessary steps to not make the same mistakes as we have. If we all work together we can not only prevent, but also reverse some of our carbon damage, making a healthier, safer planet for everyone.