Fossil fuel use is the prime cause of global warming and
ocean acidification. Then the obvious solution to that problem is that:
- Either some way is found out to use fossil fuels, but not let the resulting CO2 escape to the atmosphere, in other words to sequester (catch/lock up) the CO2 , or
- To find other fuels which do not release CO2 (or other greenhouse gases)
Renewable Energy Sources: The Great Green Hope
The world is trying both the options. The sequestration of CO2
is very much possible theoretically, it is as of now uneconomical. Moreover,
quantities of CO2 that must be sequestered is so huge that there is
no way to store it without serious risks to environment and public safety.
Realizing the limitations of sequestering fossil fuel CO2,
great hope has been pinned on the renewable energy sources. The year 2008 has
seen more funds to be allocated globally to renewable – based power generation
than ever before. The year also witnessed renewables getting higher share of
funds than conventional energy sources for the first time ever.
How tough it is to find replacement which will be as
efficient as petrol and diesel, and yet be non-polluting, can be gauged from
figure below. It show s that the volumetric energy density, in other words
energy packed in each liter of diesel is as much as double of that of ethanol
and three times higher than liquid hydrogen. Petrol is more energy-dense than
bio-diesel; also ethanol, hydrogen, etc. This means that if vehicles are to be
run on liquid hydrogen- which is ultimate aim of most of the R&D- they have
to have their tanks three times larger than what they were for the diesel
engine. To put in other words, even if we succeed in finding fuels which are
cleaner than petrol and diesel, we have little hope of finding fuels which are
as efficient as the twoRenewable Energy Sources: The Great Green Hope
Fossil fuel use is the prime cause of global warming and
ocean acidification. Then the obvious solution to that problem is that:
Either some way is found out to use fossil fuels, but not
let the resulting CO2 escape to the atmosphere, in other words to
sequester (catch/lock up) the CO2 , or
To find other fuels which do not release CO2 (or
other greenhouse gases)
The world is trying both the options. The sequestration of CO2
is very much possible theoretically, it is as of now uneconomical. Moreover,
quantities of CO2 that must be sequestered is so huge that there is
no way to store it without serious risks to environment and public safety.
Realizing the limitations of sequestering fossil fuel CO2,
great hope has been pinned on the renewable energy sources. The year 2008 has
seen more funds to be allocated globally to renewable – based power generation
than ever before. The year also witnessed renewables getting higher share of
funds than conventional energy sources for the first time ever.
How tough it is to find replacement which will be as
efficient as petrol and diesel, and yet be non-polluting, can be gauged from
figure below. It show s that the volumetric energy density, in other words
energy packed in each liter of diesel is as much as double of that of ethanol
and three times higher than liquid hydrogen. Petrol is more energy-dense than
bio-diesel; also ethanol, hydrogen, etc. This means that if vehicles are to be
run on liquid hydrogen- which is ultimate aim of most of the R&D- they have
to have their tanks three times larger than what they were for the diesel
engine. To put in other words, even if we succeed in finding fuels which are
cleaner than petrol and diesel, we have little hope of finding fuels which are
as efficient as the two.
Figure: Fuel and Power Sources
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- Advantages and Disadvantages of Hydroelectric Power
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