SOURCES OF ENERGY
by Antonio C. Antonio
October 9, 2014
Technological advancement is directly related to the needs
of man for energy… some will even say that it is directly proportional. Gone are the days when the only source and
form of energy is muscle power. Anything
that needs to be gone will have to be accomplished by brute strength, the
limits of human strength is augmented by animal power… work animals like
horses, elephants, cows, carabaos, elephants, etc. are some of the favourite
sources of raw energy. In time, other
means of energy were introduced to cater to the human need for convenience.
Human need for convenience was the primary reason for the
invention of hand tools (at first) then heavy equipment and machinery capable
of mass producing goods and products to support man’s survival. But producing these human consumption
necessities entailed the use of energy and power. The primary source of energy for
industrialization is fossil fuels followed by coal, oil and natural gas. These energy sources supply 90% of the
world’s energy needs.
Industrialization got a needed shot in the arm with the use
of natural resources especially fossil fuels.
A big problem however exploded in man’s face when he started to become
aware of a condition called “peak oil”.
Peak oil, an event based on M. King Hubbert’s theory, is the point in
time when the maximum rate of extraction of petroleum is reached, after which
the rate of production is expected to enter terminal decline. With this, alternative sources of energy
became the order of the day.
It is noteworthy to mention that there are two types of
energy sources: (1) renewable and (2) non-renewable. Renewable energy sources are those provided
by the sun, wind, water, biofuels and other resources that do not need a long
period of time to be naturally produced.
Non-renewable energy sources are those that need 100 years or more
before they are produced such as fossil fuel.
Even when the theory of peak oil scared man out of his wits,
there are still reasons to be positive and hopeful. In the past two to three decades, serious
effort has been made to phase down man’s dependence on fossil fuel while researching
and developing alternative sources of energy.
Just my little thoughts…
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