Solar Energy What Will Save Our Earth Environmental Sciences Essay

solar capability What Will Save Our Earth purlieual Sciences EssayAround the world, everyone seems to afford one thousand on their minds. However, this isnt green as in money, this green deals with the green movement. The green movement was started by environmentalists, whose goal it was to serve known we argon damaging our earth and that we want to make changes to save it. The main counselling of the green movement is to pretend alternative vigor sources for the world to enforce instead of depleting our fogy fuel animation resources. With fogy fuels being non-renewable resources, we each(prenominal) must recognize the energy problem and work towards new(prenominal) options.Eric McLamb, in his online cla hold on energys future immediately, states non-renewable fossil fuels wereformed from plants and animals that lived hundreds of millions of historic period ago and became buried air underneath the Earths surface where their remains collectively alter into the comb ustible materials we use for fuel.(McLamb, 1) Without our supply of fossil fuels, society would fail to hold out as it does today. Our approximately common fossil fuels today argon oil, blacken and natural gas, giving us our waken and electrical energy. Eric McLamb continued on to state,This promoter that fossil fuels, along with nuclear energy-a controversial, nonrenewable energy source- are give 93% of the worlds energy resources.(McLamb, 1)We obtain most of our fossil fuels finished a minelaying process. During the various mining processes, the ring environment can be highly damaged. Numerous oil spills have occurring while mining, damaging deep areas of our ocean ecosystems. In addition to damaging water, the mining of coal strips massive pieces of land, destroying our land ecosystems. Our ecosystems are being destroyed, as well as our atmosphere. When burned, fossil fuels release large amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide in pass contribu tes greatly towards our planets world(prenominal) warm up epidemic, which then compels other issues. With global warming causing temperatures to rise, ice in places such as Antarctica, is melting causing ocean water to rise and negatively impact its surrounding ecosystems and other bodies of water.Rising sea levels alone can impede processes ranging from settlement, agriculture and angle both commercially and recreationally. Air pollution is also a result result of the use of fossil fuels, resulting in smog and the degradation of military personnel health and plant growth. (McLamb, 1)By the year 2020, world energy use is projected to increase by 50% If the global consumption of renewable energy sources remains constant, the worlds available fossil fuel reserves bequeath be consumed in 104 eld or in the 22nd century.(McLamb, 1) With our non-renewable resources depleting and our humans continually growing, the need for other energy sources will non be decreasing anywhere in the near future. The energy sources being considered today center around natural elements wind, solar, and water energy sources. All of these sources are efficient, renewable, and healthy for our environment. For the purpose of this essay, I chose to focus strictly on solar energy. More specifically, I chose to focus on the benefits and detriments of solar energy on the U.S environmentally.I strongly believe that the U.S. needs to make the switch to solar energy and would environmentally benefit from doing so.Solar energy is refulgent energy from the sun, which is then harnessed and use to produce electricity. Solar energy began in the 7th century, using glass and the sun to make fire. by dint of the years the need for solar energy has increased and is utilize today to heat rooms, heat water, and generate electricity. In order to heat rooms and water, the radiant energy from the suns rays must be captured. It is difficult to capture rays be spend a penny they are so spread out, the concentrations very dramatically. contract, The National readiness Education Development Program, shares about how much solar energy that is available depends onthe time of day, the anneal of the year, and the clearness or cloudiness of the sky.(Solar, 40) Once the energy is caught, it needs to be transformed into usable energy.The main processes to transform the rays into energy are photovoltaic, solar proponent towers or by burning biomass. Photovoltaic cells are the most common and efficient way to transmute solar energy. An enthusiast, Marissa Schiff, states in her article Why the U.S. Should Rely More intemperately Upon Solar Energy, The photovoltaic depression occurs when sunlight is absorbed by the cells that are similar to computer chips. The solar energy in this instance gets the electrons moving by separating them from their atoms which allows the electrons to move done the material and thus creates electricity.(Schiff, 2) Silicon is the most common material us ed in photovoltaic cells and they are most efficiently used in rural settings. other way to convert solar into energy is through solar power towers, also known as central receivers. Schiff continues on to address solar power towers that generate energy from sunlight because they deoxidise solar energy onto a tower which has a receiver on the top that converts energy and creates steam.(Schiff, 2) Solar power towers are ideally for to a greater extent populated areas, such as large cities. Lastly, a common way to convert the harnessed energy is through the burning of biomass. Schiff states,the biomass produces usable energy because it contains energy stored from the sun through the process of photosynthesis.(Schiff, 2) The burning of the biomass releases heat, which in cristal can heat up buildings and can be used to create steam to generate electricity.When speaking of solar power, people tend to prize of the positive effects it has on our environment. However, thither are many de triments when it comes to the existence of many solar power plants. For example, the Solar Energy Development Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement website states, All utility-scale solar energy facilities require relatively large areas for solar radiation collection when used to generate electricity at a commercial scale, and the large arrays of solar collectors may deputise with natural sunlight, rainfall, and drainage, which could have a variety of effects on plants and animals.(Solar Energy, 1) The waiver of land could damage many animals habitats, as well as catch current land use. For example, the land may currently be used for the grazing of sheep or even an archeological site. Also, most solar power plants would chose to use photovoltaic cell panels to capture the suns rays. These photovoltaic panels, although they have a coating on them, could be damaged and release harmful chemicals into our environment. As the Solar Energy Development PEIS points out, concentrat ing solar power systems may apply liquids such as oils or molten salts that may be unsettled and present spill risks.(Solar Energy, 1)In addition to damaging the land, the water sources surrounding the solar power plant may be damaged. Many solar power plants use turbines to generate the electricity after captured by the panels. These turbines use water for cooling purposes. As many solar power plants would be located in arid, hot climates, the water sources would already be limited. If a solar plant was to be built in such a place, there would be an increased strain on the water reserves. Another thought is if the water was grimed accidently while cooling in the turbine, it could contaminate the entire water supply. Overall solar power plants could possibly cause a lot of damage to our environment. They are massive facilities that would have to be treated much like that of a construction site, with extreme caution.Although there are several possible detriments to our environment , if we choose to convert to solar our environment would be greatly saved. Solar energy, along with all renewable resources, does not pollute our air and is quiet efficient. Solar energy would reduce global warming due to carbon dioxide emissions because it doesnt emit any at all. Solar energy also does not release nitrogen oxide or second dioxide into our atmosphere, which would reduce smog and acid rain. (Schiff, 1) Also, as previously addressed, we must make the switch to solar energy in order to conserve our be fossil fuels so that we dont run out within the next 104 years as proposed. fossil fuels must be mined solar on the other hand does not. Solar would reduce the waste that occurs through these mining processes that negatively effects our environment, such as dust, drainage and emissions. Finally, the efficiency of fossil fuels for electricity is relatively low. McLamb states,When you burn these fossil fuels to create electricity, we only convert about 35% of the energy p roduced into electricity the other 65% is scattered mostly in heat.(McLamb, 1) As our fossil fuels are steadily depleting we need a reliable energy source with a higher efficiency. Although one solar cells have relatively low efficiency, when millions are combined to create an entire solar power system, the efficiency increases. Since the sun is everlasting, the efficiency isnt as big of a deal as in the case of our fossil fuels.As our fossil fuels continue to deplete, everyone from environmentalists to national oil companies, are recognizing the detail that we must decide on an alternative energy source for our nation.Through the evidence collected here, it is clear solar energy has its benefits and detriments, but it is intelligibly the best energy alternative.Although solar energy does present some detriments to our environment, they are only possibilities, not proven facts.The fact is that solar energy is dramatically better for our environment than todays fossil fuels.Initi ally expensive, yet worthwhile in the long run, environmentally-friendly solar energy is the direction the U.S. should be heading. MLA Works CitedMcLamb, Eric. ecology.com Fossil Fuels vs. Renewable Energy.The Ecology Global Network Ecology News and info for Residents of Planet Earth. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. .Schiff, Marissa , and Jason Vaupen. Economic Benefits.Why the U.S. Should Rely More Heavily Upon Solar Energy. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. .Solar.Solar at a Glance 2008. The NEED Project, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. .Solar Energy Development Environmental Considerations.Solar Energy Development PEIS Information Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. .