As scientists and governments race to find the perfect renewable energy to quench our energy demands, a new possibility has been found. Scientists have found three innovative ways to harness the most powerful force in the world, the ocean, to produce electricity without pollution.
The first possibility for ocean energy comes straight from the wind farm. A simple fact of the science behind wind turbines is that the greater the density of the matter the turbine spins through, the more energy is gained. Although the blades of the ocean turbine would be moving relatively slowly, only about 20 revolutions a minuet, a single ocean based tidal turbine could yield the electricity of almost 20 land based turbines. England already has begun testing with such turbines and has aimed to have the problems worked out sometime in the next five years.
A second power outlet from the ocean also uses the power of waves. This method would involve building large metallic cylinders connected with a series of joints that can flex in the midst of ocean swells. The electricity is generated from this movement; pistons inside of these cylinders then have the energy to turn a turbine also housed inside of the cylinder. There is currently a small farm of these devises set up off of the coast of England. If the operation could be scaled up, the entire country could be powered by this one wave farm occupying only a few hundred miles of ocean.
A third ocean based power source comes from the warm surface water that exists between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer. This water is taken into a vacuum chamber, there it is instantly vaporized, and the steam produced can spin a turbine to produce electricity. This process is still being researched, but when perfected, it not only provides a cheap and clean energy source, but also one other valuable by product: pure drinking water.
The future of energy is seriously in question. When looking at the problem of global warming we must look at the big picture. Electricity accounts for forty percent of the United State’s carbon emissions. Finding a green energy source for electricity, and not just cars, is vital to the sustainability of our planet.
Luckily for all, there are many viable options for renewable energy that don’t pollute, and could be a cheap and effective way to rid ourselves of the fossil fuel habit.
