There are many different sources of energy, some of these have been harnessed so they can be used for electricity. Not all sources are widely used, especially renewable sources. Here are some of the resources that we use to produce electrical energy known as electricity, in our daily lives.
First, we have OIL, which is where most of all our electric needs are satisfied from. Most of us cannot comprehend how dependent most of the modern day world is upon this precious jewel called “OIL” a.k.a. “Black Gold” or “Petroleum”. I can say, ‘OUR’ whole world, because most of the world uses this resource to run their day to day lives. Without oil, our modern world as you know it would cease to exist. There are many products that come from oil, not just gasoline. I could go on and on about this subject but this specific article is about alternate energy sources, mainly clean energy so lets keep going. If you would like to know more about oil you can check out these links.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_Production
http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca/89.asp
http://www.worldoil.com/
NATURAL GAS, (a product from inside the earth, it is burned for energy) this is also a very widely used source of energy. Natural gas is mainly used in the heating of homes and cooking. Look at these links to learn more about natural gas.
http://www.superiorpropane.com/external/bins/splash.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas
http://www.naturalgas.org/
COAL, (mined from within the earth and burned as a fuel source) is another still widely used source of energy, for more information check out these links.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ieo/coal.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal
http://www.worldcoal.com/
NUCLEAR POWER, ( energy is created by the splitting of atomic nuclei, called fission. This creates heat used to boil water, thus creating steam to turn a turbine creating electricity.) is another prime source of energy, nuclear energy is used for: propulsion, heat and electricity. The United States produces more nuclear power than any other country with the EU coming in second. The downsides to using nuclear power is that there is a possibility for a plant meltdown which would spray radiation all over for miles. Also, the leftover radioactive waste from the fission reaction is very dangerous to most life and life forms and it takes thousands of years before the radioactive residue will no longer be harmful. For more information go to.
http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/nuclear_power_plants.shtm
http://www.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power
Those were some of our not so pleasant energy sources that we use, and now here are a few examples of cleaner renewable energy sources that are not as widely used but should be for the sake of our world.
ETHANOL, (a type of alcohol created by crops) is a very clean source of energy, especially for fueling automobiles. You may be wondering what it comes from? Here are some of the things that ethanol is produced from: Sugar Cane, Corn, Switchgrass, Wheat and Barely. There are other crops and plants that can produce ethanol as well, but I will let you discover those on your own. Brazil is one of the leading countries that produces ethanol for fuel, in fact, the whole country of Brazil uses mostly ethanol to fuel their vehicles. Check it out at.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/13/tech/main1394254.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel_in_Brazil and here
http://www.greenfuels.org/ethanol/index.htm
SOLAR POWER, (light from the sun is used to provide electricity by shinning onto a solar panel), provides a good source of electricity as long as your have light. Solar panels can be quite expensive depending on how many you desire to purchase, and how large they are. Solar panels are usually used in conjunction with re-chargeable batteries. Using batteries alongside solar panels allows you to store your energy for future use, especially during emergencies or when there is no ready available light. There are many uses for solar panels such as providing electricity in a home to power appliances or on a vehicle to power its propulsion system. For more information regarding solar power check out these sites.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_energy
http://home.clara.net/darvill/altenerg/solar.htm
http://www.re-energy.ca/
WINDPOWER, (the use of a turbine like a windmill, the wind blows hitting the turbine thus moving it in a circular motion creating electricity.) turbines are a good way to harness the power of the wind which provides cities and homes essential electricity. This is a great source for cleaner energy. Check these out for more information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power
http://www.bergey.com/
http://www.awea.org/
WATER, (a molecule known as H2O, two hydrogen atoms are combined with one oxygen atom to form a water molecule.) I am going to give an example of two ways water can provide electricity. The first way is by using a hydroelectric dam, for this to work a dam must be built near a moving body of water, preferably a river. Water moves through the turbines causing them to spin and thus creates electricity, this is very efficient. Another way to use water is by splitting it into it’s originally components of hydrogen and oxygen. Once this is accomplished the hydrogen can then be burned as a fuel producing electricity to power your car or your home etc… This is a very very very clean and efficient way to provide electricity and do it cheaply. Some may beg to differ on this, but there is this technology out there. I have a few sites for you to look at regarding this. One man by the name of Stan Meyers had created such a device that allowed him to power automobiles and was in the developing stage to mass produce this product. But a tragedy struck him, thus his invention was never mass produced. Here are a few links regarding the power of water, one of these links is to a site that goes more indepth about Stan Meyers and his invention.
http://www.waterpoweredcar.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolysis_of_water
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/electrol.html
http://www.aist.go.jp/aist_e/latest_research/2001/20011206_1/20011206_1.html
There are all types of ways to produce energy in this world, some of them we have found and use, some of them are being locked away by very powerful people and some are yet to be found. It’s everyone’s job as a person to help us live in a more environmentally cleaner world. It can be done and its people power that will make it happen.
If your interested in having fun with electricity using food check out these sites. You can actually harness the power of electricity in FOOD! Check it out!
http://www.seed.slb.com/qa2/FAQView.cfm?ID=417
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/projects/lemon.html
http://www.easyfunschool.com/LemonBattery.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_battery
