Most of the energy that we use comes from fuels which are burned in power stations, factories, homes and vehicles. Nearly all of the world’s energy originally came from the sun.
The energy resources we use on Earth can be renewable or non-renewable. For example, wood is a renewable fuel. Once used, more can be reproduced to replace it. Oil, on the other hand is non-renewable. It took millions of years to form in the ground. Once used, it cannot be replaced.
Non-renewable energy resources
Fossil fuels
Coal, oil and natural gas are called fossil fuels because they formed from the “remains of the plants and tiny sea creatures that lived millions of years ago” (D. Chiras, 1994). They are a very concentrated source of energy. Oil is especially useful because petrol, diesel and jet fuel can be extracted from it. It is also the raw material from which most plastics are made.
Cons
Supplies are limited. “When the fuels are burned their waste gases pollute the environment” (D. Chiras, 1994). Probably the most serious concern is the amount of carbon dioxide produced. This may be adding to global warming.
Nuclear Power Plant
Nuclear power stations work in mostly the same manner as the fossil fuel-burning plants does, the only difference is that “a chain reaction in a nuclear reactor produces the heat” (Schmidt and Bodansky, 1976) instead. In these plants, the nuclear energy is utilized. Most nuclear fuels contain uranium. 1 kg of nuclear fuel stores as much energy as 25 tons of coal. In a rector, nuclear reactions release energy from nuclei of uranium atoms. This heats water to make steam for driving generators. “Nuclear fission is utilized in nuclear power plants to produce electricity” (Schmidt & Bodansky, 1976), which is extensively used at homes as well as....
