Name: Erick Martinez

Instructor: G. Turgeon

Course: 1101-007

Date: 03-13-2017

Energy Today
Waking up today there is a high probability of you using a source of energy in some

specific form: either turning on the lights in your room, taking a shower or going through your

phone. We live in a current society where it is significant for the majority of us to use some sort

of energy form to live an up to date lifestyle, and I am using the reference majority because not

everyone has the same privilege to have these resources. Although we are also living in a current

period where it is being taken in consideration a new approach to the use of these resources.

Despite a number of statements against the conversion to different sources of energy in the world

as a whole,, research has settled stated the change that must occur for our resources to be

operational.. On Earth,, people use energy on a daily basesa daily basis and this energy comes

from specific sources for their needs.. The resources that are being utilized in the largest quantity

do not have the capability to be reciprocated.. This causes the supply levels for these sources to

lower,, creating a limited accountability for its uses life span.. The use of nuclear,, hydro,, and

solar power are alternatives,, in place of, for example, coal,, gas,, and oils, for this these

limitations that haves become a problem to our life needsnecessities..

Do you know where the majority of your energy is coming from?A majority of

Earths energy is being created through these non-renewable resources.. The current energy

system consists of 85% of its primary energy being produced from fossil sources (Ongena).. As

the primary resource, this allows ones input of how it is indisputability needed to be change, due

to damages and limited life span,, meaning it is being used in a larger quantity,, this also allows a
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larger picture of the sources damages. Fossil fuels emit and are responsible for the greenhouse

effect; in total the causing of global warming. This is a delicate discussion between people, with

some stating it as an irrelevant situation, but research has concluded it as being harmful to our

environment. In 2012, oil produced 35 % of the worlds energy, coal 28.7%, gas 22.7%, fission

6.8%, hydro-electricity 4.4% and solar, wind, wood 2.0% (Ongena). Take also in consideration

the consistent increase in population which will be using these resources. The population of this

Earth will not decrease in the future years, and therefore more people indicates the need for more

energy. Therefore, more people indicates more energy needed and the use of more energy emits

an increase to the problem for our environment.

People question when making these changes on how these alternative approaches will be

dealt with. Nuclear energy is being stated as a source that produces waste like the other

resources, but the time span to remove this waste from the environment is more reasonable.

According to Horvath ,There are break through possibilities in the development of new

generation nuclear reactors where the life-time of the nuclear waste can be reduced to some

hundreds of years instead of the present time-scales of hundred thousandsthousand of years

(Horvath).. Nuclear is being stated to be a source that produces waste as the other energies, but

the time span to remove this waste from the environment is more reasonable. This statement is

also focused upon nuclear energy, but the other alternatives dispense a significant lower range of

waste. Fusion, a form of nuclear energy, is a reaction that is being taken into consideration to be

performed to create a sustainable energy source but it is still in development. It is a process that

people state as being a way to bring to Earth our own Sun in a form. We say a form of Sun

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because the process or reaction is the same that is occurring and emitting energy on the star.

Hecht explains in his article Research started more than 60 years ago has led to the design of the

fusion reactor named tokamak (Hecht), which has been used to create the reaction needed to be

fulfilled to create this energy. He also explains how the reactor is used to create this energy

stating Tokamaks traps heavy hydrogen isotopes inside a doughnut-shaped magnetic field,

heating and squeezing the plasma so that deuterium and tritium fuse to release energy (Hecht).

As the removal of energy is important so is the effect the resources have in the ecosystem itself..

Fusion would largely free us from fossil fuels, delivering clean and extremely cheap energy in

almost unlimited quantities (Hecht), and by the use of nuclear energy we would create a large

impact the approach to the search of cleaner forms of energy. The largest problem to this

approach would be its cost and how these nuclear plants would be built, because there would

need to be consider the factors that are required to have these facilities to be operable.

Solar energy is a common alternative used today,, because one can be driving

down the street and visibly seesees these panels on the top of homes producing the energy

needed for homeshouseholds.. These panels are allowing the suns energy to be reused within the

house by storing to its limitationthe energy and being allowing it to be used in the handheld

manner the residents are pleased to use.. Although the problem with solar energy is that there is a

is a lack in knowledge which lot of knowledge that has to be gained before solar is the base load

energy supply for the world,, because it is not capable to hold the necessities of peoples need on

its own.. In Rashidis article he states Solar systems such as solar collector or reciver, solar

chimney, solar pond solar heater are perfect technologies to convert solar energy suitable for

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human consumption(Rashidis). Which lists the endless techniques to practice this alternative.

Although the largest factor causing problems in this field would be the effectiveness of solar

power knowing that there needs to be a large amount stored and converted to have a significant

impact. At this time period, there would need to be a substantial amount of land to solely fulfil

the needs of the United States, and because of this there is a limitation on its use.
Ive learned in my engineering classes that this conversion to alternative energy sources

have political standpoints. Theres a system that countries as a whole follow to have a continuous

cycle in the governments economy to function. For example, fossil fuels are used to create

gasoline which are used in vehicles, and affecting this industry would create more and more

problems. We know that through our countries early years people became wealthy with fossil

fuels and their family rely on that wealth till this date. McKibben states in his article how there

are people in political positions that lack the knowledge of about science but who come from

states that have become economically wealthy with the use oil, coals and gases (McKibben).

Fossil fuels in that time period were revolutionary because after this discovery manpower was

not necessary at such a significant rate anymore, and now we could use these fuels to create

these new forms of energy. This was significant to our development as a civilization but the

problem that we face is that if people do not like change. If one industry eventually increases in

use that means another industry will lose power. This same group of people believe what

worked in those early days would still be necessarily needed to be obtained, afraid or in denial of

a change, and this mindset is not taking in count the effects that are caused.
As the people who are occupying this Earth we should take in consideration of its state of

health in some form. All countries have a common interest in securing sustainable,, low-cost

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energy supplies with minimal impact on the environment (Horvath).. The controversy that

surrounds the world is energy is the problemshow these forms of energy are eventually

harmingemitted to our environment.. Carbon dioxide is the most effective of the green

housegreenhouse gases and is essentially produced by the consumption of fossil fuels (Future

Electricity Production Methods).. Therefore,, it is crucial to change the means of this

consumption to a number of alternatives that are carbon less techniques being ecological to the

atmosphere.. There are different ways to create energy but there are many barriers that have to

be conquered before a difference can be made. To make this transition we would need to realize

fossil fuel industries are the key problem.

The use of fossil fuels is not inappropriate by any means because it has been the worlds

common approach as a resource.. Although through the years it has become unsustainable of the

lack of its supply levels and the damage it has produced to the environment.. Using alternative

resources have started to be approached although there have been insufficient funds for the

researches on these alternatives.. There are individuals that believe there is no alternative to

these fossil fuels ignoring people who are becoming innovative with important standpoints to

attempt to make a difference, take in consideration Tesla. Out of one of many companies that are

bringing about a vehicle that is capable to function without the use of gasoline as the primary

source of fuel, but instead electricity. These alternatives through research have been identified as

preferable sources. There is an infinite number of ways that individuals can make a difference

for the environment as a whole. If a difference is nont made in a timely manner there may be a

problem encountered to the to face for the people on Earth in the future years,, but it is best if

prevented beforehand.

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Work Cited
"Future Electricity Production Methods.. Part 1: Nuclear Energy.." Reports On Progress In

Physics 74..2 (2011): 022801.. Academic Search Complete.. Web.. 20 Feb.. 2017..
Hecht,, Jeff.. "What If...... WE CRACK FUSION AND SOLVE OUR ENERGY PROBLEM? .."

New Scientist 232..3100 (2016): 36.. Academic Search Complete.. Web.. 20 Feb.. 2017..
McKibben, Bill. "Climate Crisis: A New Battle Plan." Rolling Stone, no. 1280, 09 Feb. 2017,

pp. 32-33.
Ongena,, Jef.. "Nuclear Fusion And Its Large Potential For The Future World Energy Supply .."

Nukleonika 61..4 (2016): 425-432.. Academic Search Complete.. Web.. 20 Feb.. 2017..
Rashidi, Saman, et al. "A Review on the Applications of Porous Materials in Solar Energy

Systems." Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 73, June 2017, pp. 1198-1210.

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Erick,
I get this draft was more of setting your points on paper, which is fine and lets you know where

to go from here. Make sure you elaborate on your points. Really look at my marginal comments

to touch up the paper. There were points where your phrasing made it hard for me, as the reader,

to understand what you were saying or getting at. I suggest taking your paper to the Writing

Resource Center to have them look over the paper after you make your next set of edits. Maybe

sometime this week during the time we would have had class? Make an appointment online!

Keep at it!