For the past decades, the debate on environmental damage due to harmful gases pumped out of the air has been constant. Advocates have discussed the ways on how to prevent further destruction, and some of these ways have actually been implemented by law or simply by social awareness. These ways include recycling, proper trash segregation, and the use of alternative energy sources.
“When we speak of environmental violence, we are referring to the direct damage to the environment by humans, but also the violent response from the natural world as a result of human degradation of the environment and the violence humans do to one another because of their effects on the climate,” writes Bandy X. Lee M.D., M.Div.
This article will discuss the last and one of the most important ways to help keep our environment clean and healthy – alternative energy sources.
Wind Power
This is not a new way to produce energy, as the early human beings hundreds of years ago used the capacity of the wind to send their ships to the oceans. They also used this to grind their grains, saw wood, and pump water. W
ind power is considered a clean and safe energy source because it doesn’t dues chemical process to produce power. Also, it has no harmful by-products, such as carbon dioxide, which causes water or air pollution. It’s a great energy source that has been very useful to people who are living in secluded parts of the country where power is hard to connect through wires. Plus, wind power is cheap and never runs out.
“Market forces are driving rapid growth in wind generation,” writes David Spence, Ph.D.
Hydroelectric Power
Hydroelectricity means power generated from using water. Like wind power, this energy source is not new to early humans, as evidenced by the water wheels that people utilized to produce energy. Later on, hydroelectricity was also used for crop irrigations, water pumps, and textile mills. Currently, water turbines are now used to produce electricity. Hydroelectric power doesn’t produce harmful waste, just like the wind power, but the difference is that the former is more reliable, as its energy can be saved through a dam that holds water back and is released only when necessary. It requires a relatively large power plant, though, so it is not a cheap source to create. It also requires the dams to be built on rivers, slightly changing the ecosystem of the specific environment.
Solar Power
This is simple. It uses the sun’s light to produce energy. People nowadays use solar cells to convert sunlight into electricity. This is done by utilizing solar panels or using the sun’s energy to let the sunlight go through the windows to increase the temperature of the building. S
unlight is said to be one of the best sources of energy for the future. Like the first two energy sources, solar power does not pollute the plants and the flowers. It is also very effective in providing light and heat through solar water heaters, solar ovens, the use of skylights, and solar home heaters.
“Plants and bacteria have been fueled by solar energy since life began on earth. Once a solar panel is installed, it may continue to produce electricity for many years with little additional cost in terms of carbon,” writes Nigel Barber Ph.D.
Biofuel
This large category has different inclusions, some of which are biodiesel ethanol, biomass, and methanol, among others. The fundamental process here is to utilize organic waste, usually from plants, as a source of fuel. Biodiesel is derived by combining soy or canola oil with alcohol, like ethanol. Then a substance is added to increase the speed of reaction between the oil and the alcohol. The process is referred to as the transesterification. Biodiesel is an ideal fuel to use because when it is burnt, it is still clean and can also be used in different diesel engines.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen has a large supply, and its clean-burning qualities have had scientists agree that it is one of the most popular fuels of the future. In fact, they, along with other environmentalists, are looking to use it as a solution to substituting fossil fuels without rapidly changing people’s dependence on their vehicles. It is non-carbon, and it doesn’t produce carbon dioxide when it is burned. Hydrogen is the most abundant component that is found in air, water, and every organic matter.