Sources of Our Current Energy and Why We Need Alternatives

One of the main contributors to the level of carbon dioxide in the environment is the production of energy. We pretty much take electricity for granted in developed/developing countries. We will casually flick a switch and on go the lights, the television and the microwave. But have you ever wondered where your energy is coming from?  If you haven’t, then it might surprise you that most of our current energy needs are mostly being met by fossil fuels like coal and oil. Both of these energy sources are responsible for a lot of the toxic carbon dioxide that is currently in our atmosphere and it is because of these carbon dioxide emissions that scientists are growing increasingly concerned with its impact on our environment.

Because people do not realize how their normal electrical usage can affect the climate in such a strong way, they are not as concerned about trying to find alternatives.  However, the importance for finding clean, renewable, sustainable forms of energy has never been more important.  Apart from the fact that the energy sources we use now could harm the atmosphere, the fact is that they are not renewable and eventually at the rate at which we are consuming the energy, we will soon run out.  This is probably the most pressing reason behind our need to find alternative sources of energy.

Right now energy companies have been exploring the options for using solar and wind energy on a wider basis than is currently being used.  Dams are also a great source for hydro power but are only good in areas with lakes and rivers that can be confined and used as a source of energy.  Likewise, wind energy can only be harnessed in areas where there are consistently moderate wind gusts, so a lot of areas which do not fall into this category might not have access to enough wind energy to sustain their power needs.

Right now researchers all over the globe are trying to find alternative energy sources.  The most common yet controversial form of energy that does not release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is nuclear power, but concerns over the dangers of contamination and melt downs have kept nuclear power from developing on a larger scale.  Nuclear power may be a clean form of energy but is not without its share of downfalls, it produces harmful nuclear waste which takes millions of years to break down which can only be stored.  This is problematic considering we only have so much land for storage and being contained in this way, the nuclear byproducts could eventually leach into the environment.

Until something is discovered that can provide enough sustainable and reliable energy without releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide into the air, the best alternative is to try to cut back on  energy usage on a consistent basis.  Research has shown that if everyone just took the time to turn off the lights in their homes when they were not in use, that it would help to cut back the amount of energy being used by up to twenty five percent. Even simple things can make a huge difference.