Fossil and renewable energy resources

Fossils

-Fossils are buried dead organisms (plants, bones, stone…)

-They contain a very high concentration of carbon

-Fossils include petroleum, coal and natural gas

-Over 80% of the world’s energy production comes from the BURNING of these resources

-There a few big problems:

-the burning of these fossils produces a high amount of CO2 and contributes to air pollution and the greenhouse effect

-the earth’s fossil (non-renewable) energy resources are limited

-as the demand for these resources is too high, their price is increasing significantly



Renewable energy resources

-Renewable energy comes from natural resources

-These are sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and also geothermal energy

-They are unlimited, it is very unlikely that we run out of these resources

-They pose no environmental threat to the earth

-However, producing energy from renewable resources is highly problematic

-The first and biggest issue is the price – it is very expensive to produce energy

-This is because these resources require the most up-to-date devices

-The process and the technology is also very pricy

-These technologies are dependent on the circumstances

-For example if you live in a place with little sunlight, solar panels won’t work (Scandinavia)

-If there is no frequent wind in an area, there is no point in installing windmill farms

Alternative fuels

-The very first cars were operated by steam energy

-it was environmentally-friendly because steam doesn’t pollute the air

-however it needed too much coal and water boiled too fast so these cars had to be refilled far too often

-later water was replaced by petrol/gas

-in this case cars are operated by the burning of gas, because gas burns much slower and there is no need to refill very frequently

-however, petrol is extremely expensive

-the burning of petrol produces carbon-dioxide and causes high air pollution

-naturally, experts and scientists are trying to develop alternative fuels

-the most common alternative fuel is electricity

-more and more car companies are coming up with electric cars

-these cars are run by electric batteries but they drain too fast

-car manufacturing companies have created hybrid cars to overcome this problem (these cars are run by petrol-based and electric engines as well)