Renewable sources of energy

Description:

The majority of energy is currently produced by the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are non-renewable natural resources. There is a limited amount of fossil fuel reserves. Fossil fuels are being consumed faster than they are produced by the earth and they will eventually be exhausted. This has increased the need to find new renewable sources of energy. Renewable sources of energy can easily be replenished. Modern sources of renewable energy include wind energy, solar energy,water power, geothermal energy and biofuel.

Enablers:

• They will last forever as they use energy generated by the sun or wind.
• Wind power mitigates the emission of greenhouse gases and therefore reduces global warming
• Increasing awareness of the need for the conservation of fossil fuels
• Increasing cost of traditional sources of energy i.e fossil fuels
• Dangers of alternatives including nuclear energy

Inhibitors:

• Not aesthetically pleasing e.g wind turbines
• Hazardous to ecosystems e.g. dams create barriers for migrating fish,
• Extensive land use is required which could otherwise be farmed
• Availability not consistent

Paradigms:

For 30 years, governments and international institutions have been aware of the limits of conventional energy and its broad damaging consequences. However implementation of renewable sources of energy have not progressed as fast as fossil fuel energy consumption has increased. Governments have tried to reach a global consensus for action which instead leads to paralysis. As a result, world civilizations are still dependent on fossil fuels. Less than 20 billion dollars of the tax payers’ money was spent in the last 30 years to promote renewable energy as opposed to 1 trillion spent on atomic energy research.

Experts:

Petroleum geologists

Web Resources:

• [1] http://www.calder.net/mwright/2003-10-06-renewable-energy.html
• [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy