The Next Fuels
Fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy, created through degradation and lithification deep in the Earth’s layers over the course of millions of years. Fossils and animal remnants are subjected to massive amounts of heat and pressure, turning them into oils and gases. Fossil fuels like petroleum, coal, and oil are the main energy sources of every major industry in the world. However, fossil fuels are primary contributors to global warming, climate change, and many other environmental issues. Each year, as population increases, the global energy demand increases in tandem. Energy consumption increased 2.8% in 2018, almost twice the rate of growth in 2010. Fossil fuels contribute to nearly seventy five percent of global energy and our use of these nonrenewable energy sources is accelerating. As fossil fuels continue to run out, scientists and researchers must develop innovative solutions to build a sustainable and green future for Earth.
How Long Do We Have?
By some estimates, all oil sources will be depleted in thirty years. Natural gas will run out in forty years, and coal will persist another seventy. Fossil fuels, which are exponentially depleting, also damage our environment. When extracted, coal aerosolizes producing water contaminants and breathing hazards. Oil and natural gases both require expensive drilling and hydraulic fracking equipment to extract. Additionally, thousands of oil spills damage marine habitats and threaten lives every year. For example, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 was responsible for twenty eight casualties and the two hundred million gallons of crude oil released into the Gulf of Mexico continue to damage the environment even today. Because our energy consumption as a species is clearly unsustainable, the necessity for renewable and alternative fuels has never been more important. In the past few years, major strides in renewable energy sources have been made in solar, wind, and even nuclear energy.
New Technologies
In 2015, the Scottish government granted consent for one of the world’s largest floating offshore wind farms. The oil and gas giant Statoil began construction in 2016 for a thirty megawatt pilot park with five 6MW turbines, capable of powering nearly twenty thousand homes. The wind farm is connected to the seabed using a three-point mooring spread and anchoring system. The turbines are interconnected with cables which transport electricity from the farm to the shore. The farm harnesses the power of the ocean winds to produce energy. Wind energy decreases costs, reduces carbon emissions by more than twenty-five percent, and promises a long-term substitute for fossil fuels. Like wind farms, solar cells seem to have potential in replacing other nonrenewable energy sources.
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization is an Australian government agency tasked with scientific research, and works with many leading organizations around the world. CSIRO has been developing printable solar cells to meet the demand for low-cost solar technology. They are working to develop thin and flexible solar cells which can be used in more diverse areas. Flexible and lightweight solar panels could be integrated into a variety of consumer products, including windows, tents and curtains. These solar panels are lightweight and portable, allowing for smaller, remote communities to meet their energy needs immediately.
Beyond developing technologies, development for exciting new theoretical fuel sources is also underway. The concept for the Dyson-Harp satellite would theoretically capture the energy of solar wind, and transport the energy to Earth. Despite the potential to meet the world’s energy needs one hundred billion times over, no effective method of transportation for this energy exists. Development of this technology continues, and could potentially power space missions.
The Future
The future of renewable sources burns bright, but the push towards a complete transition to alternative fuels remains an uphill battle. Despite extensive research into renewable energy, industries and nations remain reluctant to diverge from the energy sources that they have spent countless resources developing. Dismantling current systems which extract and store our current fuel sources and a complete transition into renewable energy sources would be a costly and slow moving process. Regardless of the costs, this transition is imperative to our future as upcoming generations are also entitled to a healthy environment.
