Energy drives the world. That's a known fact. So what would happen if we lost power and energy? Airplanes would fall from the sky; most cars would be inoperable; electrical devices would fail. Water, sewer, and electrical networks would fail simultaneously. Systems of banking, energy, transportation, food production and delivery, water, emergency services, and even cyberspace would collapse (Heritage Foundation). But before we worry ourselves with that, where does our energy come from?
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Nuclear Energy |
Oil |
Coal |
Nuclear energy is the use of nuclear reactions to produce heat which is then used in nuclear power stations to generate electricity through a steam turbine. It releases lower CO2 gases, has relatively low operating costs and has a large power-generating capacity. However, it's health and environmental risks due to contamination and other dangerous are high.
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Oil energy is nonrenewable fossil fuels mainly used for transportation and home heating processes. It's abundant, easy to use and creates jobs for people. Oil also doesn't need any new technology and is easy to transport. Though it is simple and easy to use, it emits CO2 and it's nonrenewable. In addition to this, it can lead to oil spills which can damage our environment and it's expensive and dangerous.
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Coal is also a fossil fuel and generates energy when it is burned to heat up water which then creates steam. This steam is used drive a turbine that then produces electricity. It's abundant, inexpensive and can be converted into liquid or gaseous states which burns cleaner but it is finite, releases the most CO2 and causes sever environmental, social and health problems.
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Natural Gas"Natural gas is a fossil fuel formed when layers of buried plants and animals are exposed to intense heat and pressure over thousands of years. Natural gas is combusted to generate electricity, enabling this stored energy to be transformed into usable power. The natural gas power production process begins with the extraction of natural gas, continues with its treatment and transport to the power plants, and ends with its combustion in boilers and turbines to generate electricity (EPA)." It's widely used and is the cleanest of all the fossil fuels, emitting 30%-40% less CO2. However, it is very dangerous and explosive, contains up to 95% methane gas and it leaves a huge ecological footprint due to fracking and destruction of environment.
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Hydrogen Fuel"Hydrogen, when used in a fuel cell, is an emissions-free alternative fuel that can be produced from diverse domestic energy sources. Research and commercial efforts are under way to build the hydrogen fueling infrastructure and produce hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that are practical for widespread use (AFDC)." It is readily available, fuel efficient, has no harmful emissions and it's renewable but it is expensive, highly flammable and dependent on fossil fuels.
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