Alternative Energy

Since the beginning of this century, the world's demand for energy has increased tenfold. The three fossil fuels, coal, gas and oil will eventually run out and, before this happens, alternative sources of energy must be in place. Oil and gas reserves are expected to last for fifty years. Coal is expected to last for three hundred years. Stocks of uranium, on which nuclear power depends, are expected to be exhausted in sixty years time. However, all these fossil fuels have drawbacks, quite apart from the the fact that they are non-renewable.

Nuclear power creates dangerous waste materials and many people fear more terrible nuclear accidents such as the one at Chernobyl.

Burning coal, oil and gas to produce energy, results in poisonous gases being released into the atmosphere which, in turn, results in acid rain. This damages huge areas killing trees and polluting lakes and rivers. These gases are also implicated in the greenhouse effect, which is causing the temperature of the earth to rise, polar ice caps to melt and water levels to rise dangerously.

So the search is on for forms of alternative and renewable energy, which will be available as long as our planet exists, and which are safe and clean. There are natural sources of energy which are all around us and which have already been used in simple ways by man for hundreds of years. These are the power of the sun, the wind and the waters of our oceans and rivers. The challenge is to develop the technology to harness these enormous powers to serve the needs of a growing world population.

* Water Power
* Solar Power
* Wind Power



The information used in this lens comes from NCL Solar.