Ananya Kulkarni (Week 11) - The Power of Renewable Energy
Renewable energy refers to energy obtained from a source that is naturally replenished on a human timescale. This form of energy is thought of as a newer form of energy. However, natural power has long been used for heating, transportation, lighting, and much more. The wind has powered transportation through the use of sails on ships and windmills to grind grain. The sun has provided people warmth throughout the day and fires for cold nights.
In an article by the National Resources Defense Council, it mentioned the different types of renewable energy such as wind energy, solar power, and hydroelectric power. Wind energy is used to turn huge turbine blades, which in turn feed an electrical generator, producing electricity. This form of energy has become the cheapest energy source in many different parts of the country since wind turbines can be placed in most places that have high wind speeds. A few years ago, wind energy overtook hydroelectric power as the leading renewable energy source in the United States. Another form of clean energy is solar power which is harnessed through solar panels. Photovoltaic, or solar, cells are made mostly from silicon and transform sunlight directly into electricity. They can be sued to generate electricity for buildings and homes through rooftop panels. Hydroelectric power relies on fast-moving water descending from a high point and uses a generator's turbine blades to convert the force of that water into electricity. However, mega-dams can be considered a source of nonrenewable energy as it reduces natural flows and can damage ecosystems.
In the past centuries, people have turned to nonrenewable energy sources such as oil, gas, and coal. These sources of energy are found in limited amounts and take a long time to replenish. They can also cause harm to the environment (fracking can cause earthquakes and water pollution) and human health. Using different forms of clean energy helps reduce your carbon footprint. It is important to understand the power of renewable energy because this is our future.
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Hi Ananya, I read your blog, and I loved how informative it was on the topic of renewable sources of energy. The recent discoveries of ways to convert solar power, water power, and wind power to generate electricity has drastically changed the ways we humans have led our everyday lives. Now, more than ever, energy can be produced in large quantities without the concerns of it running out. Cars, for example, can now run on electricity rather than gas. Renewable energy sources, therefore, have the power to make our lives more efficient.
ReplyDeleteHi Ananya, I think the power in being responsible and environmental-friendly is not talked enough, and therefore your blog did a great job capturing just that! Renewable energy sources shape our future and planet, and causing more harm to our planet will just ruin future generations as time progresses. Oil, gas, and coal are both expensive and hazardous for our only planet Earth; being more responsible can be done if we all put effort!
ReplyDeleteHi Ananya,
ReplyDeleteI thought that your post was a great showcase of the different types of renewable energy that we have at our disposal. To be honest, I had no idea some of these renewable energy sources (such as biomass or geothermal energy) even existed. In my opinion, it is somewhat disappointing that developed nations such as America have still not completely understood the power that exists in renewable energy. Hopefully, that fact will change with time and action.
Hi Ananya,
ReplyDeleteYour blog provided an excellent example of the power various different energy sources that we use on a daily basis. Things that we do not pay much attention to yet keep handy at all times, hold a tremendous amount of power. For example, our phones are a tiny device that do not seem to contain much meaning. However, if we truly think about it. Phones are preventing large amounts of productivity, influencing teenagers around the globe, and used almost every day. Not only that, I do not know about others, but my phone is my comfort system. I have it on me at all times; I cannot sleep without my phone on charge next to me or work without it beside my laptop. This type of power is dangerous, but it goes to show how much power things that we pay no mind to truly have. I do not think about the lights that I am switching on or off, but imagine we had to live every day in a power outage simulation.
It is truly humbling to think that we are reverting back to centuries-old practices because they are better than our modern ones! Likewise, renewable energy is proof that sometimes simple is better. We still have difficulty acknowledging that.
ReplyDeleteRenewable energy is one of the things that will keep the world from ending, and yet people are so slow to adopt these sources. It is honestly shocking how people are able to justify ignoring solutions to our climate change problem simply because they are a little expensive. Renewable energy is a power too often overlooked. If we want to save our planet, we will need to go renewable.
ReplyDeleteHey Ananya, I as a AP environmental science student cannot help but enjoy and agree with your point that the power of renewable energy is a fairly newer process of using and creating energy. As you know renewable resources are much better for the environment and are much easier to replace and can be renewed much faster than fossil fuels can be due to their process of creation. This process however is a much needed turn in power for our planet that is needed for its survival.
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