Which renewable energy source is the most promising for future
generations?
SCIENCE WRITING PERFORMANCE TASK –In the United States, around 85% of
energy consumption depends on fossil fuels – coal, oil, petroleum, and natural gas.
However, scientists and researchers say that around 50 years from now, the world is
going to start running out of fossil fuels. Our only hope is to turn our attention to
harnessing renewable energy sources. Make an argument for one renewable energy
source that holds the most promise for our future. In your essay, be sure to –
 begin with background information about renewable sources of energy.
 state the claim or thesis statement.
 support the claim with logical reasons and evidence from reliable sources.
 end with a strong conclusion that restates the claim/thesis and persuades the
reader to agree with your position and/or to take action.
 check for spelling, capitalization, paragraphing, punctuation, grammar, and use
of transition words.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------excerpt from Are We Running Out of Fossil Fuels?
Just how limited are our fossil fuel reserves? No doubt that is a subject of debate. Some estimates
say our fossil fuel reserves will be depleted within 50 years, while others say it will be 100-120 years.
The fact is that neither one of these projections is very appealing for a global community that is so
heavily dependent on fossil fuels to meet basic human needs. The bottom line: We are going to run
out of fossil fuels for energy and we have no choice but to prepare for the new age of energy
production since, most certainly, human demands for energy will not decrease.
While the World Coal Institute states that supplies should last for the next 119 years the chart below
from Shell Oil gives us up to 210 years of Coal supply. But then again, Shell is in the Oil and Gas
industry, not necessarily into Coal.
The fact is, nobody really knows when the last drop of oil, lump of
Fossil Fuel Facts
coal or cubic foot of natural gas will be collected from the Earth. All
of it will depend on how well we manage our energy demands
along with how well we can develop and use renewable energy
sources.
And here is one very important factor: population growth. As the
population grows upwards towards nine billion people over the next
50 years, the world’s energy demands will increase proportionately.
Not only will it be important for renewable energy to keep up with
the increasing population growth, but it must outpace not only these
demands but begin replacing fossil fuel energy production if we are
to meet future energy needs.
Source: Shell Oil
By the year 2020, world energy consumption is projected to increase by 50%, or an additional 207
quadrillion BTUs. If the global consumption of renewable energy sources remains constant, the
world’s available fossil fuel reserves will be consumed in 104 years or early in the 22nd
century.(Source: US Department of Energy) Clearly, renewable energy resources will play an
increasingly vital role in the power generation mix over the next century.
The Argument For Investing In Green Energy Sources
Fifteen years ago, no savvy investor would have touched alternative or renewable energy resources
— and rightly so. The technology wasn’t able to pass muster. It was clunky, unreliable and
unnecessarily expensive. Worse yet, it had virtually no support in the mainstream. That was 1994,
and the world was a very different place.
Today’s savvy investors are looking for something reliable, secure, safe and promising, the same as
any other day. But what a difference a decade makes in today’s world! Today’s investors who are
looking at the long haul, are looking at alternative energy. Huge investments come from what may
seem to be some of the most unlikely places.
The Middle-east, for example, seems to be betting against themselves. They’ve sunk tens and scores
of billions of dollars into investments in alternative energy technologies, and not to buy and bury them
either. Hundreds of millions each in endowments and grants to the likes of M.I.T. (and just about
every other prestigious university on the planet, it turns out,) were just the beginning. Masdar, a zerocarbon-footprint city sleeping 50,000 residents and a total of 90,000 people during the day, shows
every indication of becoming a functional reality within a decade. Those wiz kids and profs they’ve
invested in will be providing some of the technological advances needed to pull it off, and the Arabs
don’t even have proprietary rights to the technologies. They just know a good idea when they see it,
and are resolved to have a big place at the table as times change.
It’s not just guys in thobes with long beards and lots of money though. It’s also Wall Street, and
Pickens, and Bill Gates, and just about anybody with more than a few nickels to rub together and the
vision to see what ought to be the obvious truths:
▪ We ARE going to run out of oil, so alternative energy solutions aren’t optional.
▪ The list of people in favor of green is long and distinguished, and profitable.
▪ The alternative-source energy market is climbing steadily, undiminished by even radical market
fluctuations on the petroleum front.
▪ Projections suggest a need for $26 trillion (in 2007 dollars) to be invested from 2007 to 2030, in
energy infrastructure alone.
Whoever funds the need is going to make out like a bandit. Funding Green isn’t just some cute little
philanthropy anymore. You don’t need to be any kind of tree-hugger to see that Green is good
business.
FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY
WIND
1. Wind power is completely clean and doesn't run out.
2. Not everyone thinks wind turbines are unattractive - plus, much of the countryside itself isn't
natural: electricity pylons, telephone poles, hedges and even fields are all man-made. Fact
sheet reads: Positioning wind turbines offshore can overcome some negative views associated
with the visual impact of onshore sites.
SOLAR
1. Solar power technology is already quite advanced and produces no harmful emissions. It can
produce hot water even on cloudy days!
2. Solar energy is already in widespread use where other power supplies are absent, such as in
remote locations and in space.
3. Solar hot water heaters can work well in the UK and can provide up to two thirds of a
households annual hot water needs.
GEOTHERMAL
1. Because the energy is underground, geothermal power plants can run continuously, day and
night, in any weather.
2. Geothermal energy can be cost effective, providing savings compared with fossil fuels.
3. From an environmental perspective, very few harmful gases are emitted.
Geothermal heat pumps can be used almost anywhere.
BIOFUELS
1. Unlike fossil fuels, new material for biofuels can be grown, so it's a sustainable form of fuel.
2. Many biofuels burn cleanly, and some are biodegradable - so they don't harm the environment
if they're spilled.
3. Scientists are developing ways of reusing waste biofuels - like used cooking oil - to power
vehicles.
4. Big names like Shell are investing in biofuels.
HYDRO
1. Using a dam or weir to store water in a reservoir means that hydro power can very quickly be
switched on to meet a sudden increase in demand.
2. There are no carbon emissions from hydro projects.
3. Hydro installations can have a useful life of over 100 years.
4. Hydro is the most efficient form of electricity generation - a modern turbine generator can
convert 90% of the available energy into electricity.
5. The technology exists for small-scale hydro schemes to be installed in homes and businesses
with access to rivers.
excerpt from Fossil Fuel Debate
Energy Alternatives
The government have undertaken a commitment to strengthen renewable energy resources in line
with the European Conference for Renewable Energy (2004) proposal declaring that Europe should
source 20% of its energy from renewable/sustainable sources by 2020.
There are a range of renewable and sustainable energy alternatives with both benefits and
drawbacks.
Renewable or Sustainable
A renewable energy source is one that can be immediately replenished at a rate equal to energy
consumption. The following energy resources are considered to be renewable:
▪ Biofuel is energy derived from plant matter ('biomass'), usually through combustion. It is renewable
in that plant matter is renewable. Critics sometimes argue that biofuel can lead to the intensive
farming of specific plant resources and, therefore, damages the environment. This has
occurred in Malaysia, where Oil Palms have been intensively farmed in the wild, whilst other
trees have been felled to make way for their production
▪ The pumping of water through mills generates Hydroelectric Power. Large-scale hydroelectric dams
often meet with local opposition due to the damage done to the environment during building.
Currently, the UK sources about 2% of its energy from hydroelectric power. This is unlikely to
change due to high costs of development.
▪ Solar Energy is obtained from the suns rays and stored in solar (or 'photovoltaic') cells. The
government plans to have a workable - and financially viable - solar energy supply in place by
2030
▪ Tidal Power is derived by harnessing the natural movement of the tide. Wave power, similarly
harnesses the movement of sea waves. Both tidal and hydra power have high start up costs
with minimal financial returns. Accordingly, they have trouble attracting investment and are
relatively undeveloped (even in the planning stages) in the UK.
▪ Wind Turbines are a viable source of energy in the UK, although they often meet with opposition
due to the noise they emit. Plans for sizeable offshore wind farms in the UK are already
underway and will contribute significant amounts of energy to the national grid.
Sustainable energy comes from sources that are considered largely renewable and adequate to
serve energy requirements for as long as humanity needs them. All of the above are sustainable, but
some sustainable resources are not always considered renewable.
Nuclear power is, arguably, not renewable as it is sourced from mined lithium, uranium and thorium. It
also criticized for being too dangerous, following accidents at nuclear power plants in Three Mile
Island (1979) and Chernobyl (1986). Additionally it is argued that nuclear waste is highly dangerous,
difficult to dispose of and does not contribute to a wider sustainable lifestyle strategy. The Labor
Government has committed itself to the development of new nuclear power stations.
While debates develop regarding the future of energy production, he need to operate a renewable or
sustainable supply is no longer in question.
excerpt from Will Renewable Energy Make Blackouts Into a Thing of the Past?
Some might scoff at the idea that a nation could depend entirely upon renewable energy for its
electrical needs, because both sunshine and wind tend to be variable, intermittent producers of
electricity. But the Germans plan to get around that problem by using “linked renewables”—that
is, by combining multiple sources of renewable energy, which has the effect of smoothing out the
peaks and valleys of the supply. As Kurt Rohrig, the deputy director of Germany’s Fraunhofer
Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology, explained in a recent article on
Scientific American’s website: "Each source of energy – be it wind, sun or biogas – has its
strengths and weaknesses. If we manage to skillfully combine the different characteristics of the
regenerative energies, we can ensure the power supply for Germany."
A decentralized “smart” grid powered by local renewable energy might help protect the U.S.
against a catastrophic blackout as well, proponents say. “A more diversified supply with more
distributed generation inherently helps reduce vulnerability,” Mike Jacobs, a senior energy
analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists, noted in a recent blog post on the organization’s
website.
Additionally, in the event of a large-scale disruption, a smart grid would have the ability to switch
areas over to power generated by utility customers themselves, such as solar panels that
neighborhood residents have installed on their roofs. By combining these "distributed
generation" resources, a community could keep its health center, police department, traffic lights,
phone system, and grocery store operating during emergencies, DOE’s website notes.
The U.S. actually has been moving - although more slowly than Germany - toward a modernized
grid that increasingly will utilize renewable energy sources.
In 2013, according to DOA statistics, renewables such as solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal
power contributed nearly seven percent of the nation’s electrical generation—a substantial
increase over the two percent that such sources contributed back in 2003.