Taylor's Research Paper
Green Energy
What effects will committing to green energy use have on economies of countries benefitting from the use of coal oil or gas?
TAYLOR M SEKEET (751)
1/24/2012
Global Connections
“Senior Project”
Abstract
Investigating the broad topic of green energy can be both simple and difficult. Determining the types of green energy, what the benefits/downfalls are, how they work, and countries that use them are simple. Difficulties come to concern when searching for specifics about costs and their relations with specific countries. The resources used to obtain such information include: databases, Google Scholar, and personal interviews. There was a great deal of information about the overall topic and countries that use green energy, but lack information about effects on economies. The main results obtained from research include: the benefit of green energy on the environment, costs usually being expensive upfront but in most cases will even out, and the certain countries doing their part to make green energy successful. Since technology continues to advance, research will have to be constantly updated concerning the issue. Green energy, an ideology, when studied is found to do more good than bad, chances should be taken by all to create a truly “green” world.
What effects will committing to green energy use have on economies of countries benefiting from the use or coal, oil, or gas?
The content of this paper will focus on the types of green energy, certain countries that use specific green energy, and a broad overview of the costs and other environmentally friendly, green actions. Throughout this research paper a pattern will be followed concerning the criteria of a certain types of green energy, then countries and examples of that energy, and then will change to a new type.
“I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.” – Thomas Edison, 1931
The ideology exemplified in this quote should be taken upon the by the whole world. It is amazing how such a simple concept was existent many years ago, yet still not implemented in society to its full potential. Thomas Edison proves that Green energy ideology has existed for a while, but ideas do not help the economy or the environment actions do.
“Green growth focuses on energy conservation, reduced energy consumption, sustainable development and environmental protection.”
This statement above was said by Wen Jiabao, a participant of the annual meeting of the China Council for International Environment and Development (CCICED). It explains the multiple focuses of to commit to green energy. In order for green ideology to truly take effect these focuses need to be implemented together by all. Oil, gas, and coal are the three main sources of energy; they meet seventy five percent of global energy needs. (RENEWABLE) The uses of these sources help some countries, hurt others and detrimentally harm the environment. In order to commit to green energy reliable sources need to be found, budgets put in place, and the transformation needs to happen. Despite the economic conditions of a country, the commitment of green energy will benefit the economics and environment. Many types of green energy have been researched, which provides costs of installation, the amount of money saved, and how they can help the environment. The issue of a healthier and greener world has to start with an individual person, country, and/or community and their commitment.
Becoming accustomed to green energy is a lifestyle and living it this way will leave clean footsteps instead of the dirty ones as before.
The world is calling for green energy to become the main source of energy needs by 2050. (An)The types of green energy there are include; renewable, solar, hydropower, wind, geothermal, and biomass. Switching to green energy will create green jobs and a cleaner world. The commitment to green energy cannot happen all at once or by one source, many sources need to be used together to successfully transfer into a green world.
According to The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA), biomass is all plant and plant derived materials that have the potential to create green energy, this includes animal manure. Biomass currently provides over three percent of energy consumption in the United States. The U.S. needs to reduce their need to for oil and gas; therefore the DOE and the USDA encourage the use of biomass products and fuels. (Perlack)The United States is not the only country that is researching and using this type of energy, Germany happens to be implementing it in an unusual but effective way. At Munich Zoo in Munich, Germany biomass has been put into action by using elephant and other vegetarian animal’s feces to create biogas. The process of making this fuel starts with collecting dung and storing it in large containers. Once in containers it is mixed with warm water and bacteria and left for 30 days to decompose in the oxygen free container. At this point the gas created flows through a vent, into a balloon, and then fed into a gas-powered engine to generate into gas. This biogas is used to provide the zoo with 5 percent of its energy needs, and if used for neighborhoods it could provide heat for at least 25 homes. (Glass) Although biomass may not create enough energy for a nation, combined with other types of green energy it can help commit to green energy. Another example of the use of biomass exists in Malaysia and their palm oil industry.
The use of biomass in countries is a natural and resourceful way to eliminate damage to the environment and the economy done by other non green or traditional resources. Countries like Malaysia make much of their money from palm oil. This money made has been put to efforts relating to biomass, a big business and economy boost for the country. The palm oil process starts with the extraction of the oil from fresh fruit at the mills located in sludge ponds. These sludge ponds, after the palm oil is extracted, emit methane and other greenhouse gases. Malaysia has now invested in the use of palm oil millers that capture the green house gas and turns it into organic fertilizer and green energy. This process also prevents further pollution by eliminating the chance of the sludge entering bodies of water around the ponds. Electricity is generated for the community by the extraction of greenhouse gases from biogas plants and then it is fed into a combined steam and power plant at the mills. Also by opening palm oil millers and biogas plants jobs are created and more money is made which is boosting their economy. (From) This is one country’s cost effective and environmentally friendly way to clean their air, make more money, and generate green energy for them using the concept of biomass.
Biomass works and would work well in many parts of the world and should be utilized more since it is possible to obtain almost everywhere. Another source of energy that can be easily obtained is solar energy, energy made by the sun.
Both types of energy are more beneficial rather than detrimental, and have different sources that connect to them; an example of a solar source would be solar panels. Solar panels are the most common source of solar energy and if used correctly can provide a great amount of energy for not only the U.S. but many other countries. The countries that might struggle with committing to the use of solar energy would include those that have long periods of dark and cloudy days, like Antarctica and Alaska. Scientists have advanced in solar technology by creating solar power stations. Solar power stations implemented in Karnataka, Bangalore are floating on top of lakes to create electricity and improve the quality of the water. It is said by PV Magazine that this technology, already used in some western countries, has reduced water evaporation by up to 70%, by providing shade minimized growth of algae, and is a way to treat water instead of harsh chemical treatments. It also lowers the temperature of water which helps improve the power released from the solar panels. The associate vice president of Enzen Global Solutions Pvt Ltd (EGS), Uma Rajarathnam said, “We need to explore alternative energy sources. This technology is innovative, combining solar power generation with water treatment. Vast water resources such as lakes, irrigation tanks and industrial reservoirs can be used for this.” With this said, her company took initiative and risks to create these machines and mix water treatment and solar energy to create a hybrid ideology of being green. (Round) Voorhees, New Jersey has also taken initiative to put solar power stations in their waterways. The first one made in New Jersey is floating on a reservoir near New Jersey American Water’s Canoe Brook Water Treatment Plant. This station was built to withstand a freezing and thawing environment, is useful all year, through all seasons and weather conditions. D.C. benefits from the location of this power station because it generates power for them also, this power station saves both of these places a great sum of money. . "Using innovative solutions to control costs and reduce our carbon footprint provides benefits to our customers and furthers our goal of becoming a more environmentally friendly business.” said Suzanne Chiavari, vice president of engineering at New Jersey American Water. (Floating) The idea combining solar power and water is continued with the use of solar hot water.
Solar hot water is connected to solar power; it uses the sun to heat up water naturally, used mostly for homes. The idea of heating water by the sun is a simple contraption and has existed for a while. Originally water was held in a vessel and sat there absorbing energy from the sun. This is still the basic concept used it is just a little more technologically advanced. Modern systems have electric pumps that circulate water or freeze-proof glycol that is kept separate from the domestic water supply. The water or freeze-proof glycol, also known as fluid, is heated by either evacuated tubes or flat-plate collectors. The fluid runs from the collector through a heat exchanger in a greatly insulated solar tank where the heat is then given to the volume of water that will eventually run through house taps. The modern system is all automatic and does not involve the need for personal assistance. (Ewing) Installing this system may be large sums of money at first but it will even itself out with all the money saved on water bills.
“Renewable energy is grassroots at its best. It is a decentralized technology that can be provided anywhere by anybody. It could simply be neighbors installing solar panels on their roof or people coming together to run a windmill.” This statement was expressed by Ursula Sladek who had big concerns about the use of nuclear energy in her community Schonau, Germany. Her concerns brought her to be an advocate to limit the dependence of nuclear and coal energy of her community. She created a group that researched about how other types of energy are produced and how they save money. Eventually her and her group started to open small hydropower plants, her company’s name became Schonau Power Supply (EWS). EWS is citizen owned and obtains its energy from only green energy sources including hydropower plants, wind turbines and solar panels. This energy created is used to generate electricity to over 100,000 customers all throughout Germany. Sladek foreshadows her company to generate energy for at least a million customers by 2015. Germany is an example of a country that is committing to green energy; they want 100 per cent of their country’s power to be from green energy sources by 2050. (Mistiaen)
Energy collected because of heat seems to be a trend since there is solar energy and also the new idea of geothermal energy. These types of energy sources are natural and there for are cheaper and very environment friendly.
Geothermal energy is heat drawn from deep beneath Earth’s surface and converted into electricity. This is not a common source of green energy and at most times it is forgotten but the world needs to wake up and see its true potential. Geothermal energy has the potential to globally generate power for about 300 million homes in the United States. This is all do to a commitment made by business associations located in the United States, Europe, Canada, Chile and Australia, to promote geothermal energy. (Goffman) “I also think that houses should be built with geothermal heating and cooling. This controls the temperature of the house using the temperature underground and keeps it closer to a comfortable level for humans. Our current heating and AC units are extremely wasteful and often times have to work hard all day and night to bring the temperature up or down by 20 or more degrees. Geothermal heating could significantly decrease the energy wasted on temperature control.” Geothermal heating and cooling could fix many economic problems for people because of the low costs and it will not destroy the environment.
Water and thermal heat are excellent sources of energy and they can in most places work all year round. These sources will be easy on the wallet and make a big change in the environment.
Hydroelectric power has the potential to give solutions for water management, smarter and cleaner power systems, and also contributes to climate troubles. (An) This power has the ability to operate 24/7, it even works well in the winter when the most energy is consumed and demands are higher. Hydroelectric power uses running water from rivers and weirs (damns) to create weir pools that generate the energy. (Don’t) There are also small hydro projects (SHP) that were first used by Himalayan villages to provide power to run devices, mainly grinders. Small hydro projects are things like waterwheels that move in the water to generate power. The idea of SHP was brought back by India because of their excess carbon emissions and power shortage. Using SHP is environmentally friendly and cost effective, it will help solve India’s power crisis without putting it into an economic crisis. (India) According to Erin M. Greer, AP Environmental Science teacher, hydropower has worked well but the installations of damns are damaging to the environment by affecting the people and the organisms nearby.
Hydroelectric power and wind energy deal with movement of nature and all that really needs to be done is the instillation of the machine like wind turbines and damns. Costs are most likely paid all at once and will pay themselves off in due time.
Wind energy is a type of energy that mainly uses wind turbines located in places that are usually windy. This type of energy is renewable and can benefit countries that have a great amount of wind, but it is not the solution for everywhere. “With wind, it really is a matter of what you can afford” and also who can benefit it, this was expressed in an article about green energy use. Wind energy is usually frowned upon those who are looking for a personal source of energy due to the fact that the wind turbines or windmills used to generate it are noisy. In most cases personal sources of energy are attained by solar power, living in a windy or stormy place and the noise not bothersome then wind energy could be a personal source of green energy. (Ewing) For the United States it will only benefit those states that are very windy and they should take advantage of that because if wind energy is used alongside other types of green energy it could be a green solution to energy. In times of economic crisis even though wind energy is renewable and green, it will not pay itself off or even itself out as quick as investing in the other types. That does not mean it should be ruled out but in countries where excessive amounts of wind reside it will even out quickly, and it should be an option for other countries to invest in when their economies are more stable.
Green energy, green jobs, and the economy go hand in hand, the increasing use of green energy the more green jobs created which helps the economic conditions of countries. The problem inquired by this includes the jobs lost by moving away from the use of coal, oil, and gas, though many new ones are gained. By committing to green energy the environment will get cleaner, in the long run energy will cost less, and create new jobs.
Australia happens to be taking an initiative to go green especially with their new Carbon Tax introducing the protection of existing jobs and the creation of new ones. The head of Allen & York, Christopher Ouizeman, said "This initiative aims to help the movement towards a clean energy future; it will provide new employment opportunities for Australian workers -- in clean industries such as renewable energy generation, carbon farming, and sustainable design." (INTERNATIONAL)
The United States is looked at to be the number one country of the world for many reasons. Other countries look at it to set an example for them on what to do and or envy it for what it does. The United States although a good country to live in tends to be hypocritical, especially on the topic of green energy China, a country that watches Americans every move without hesitation call it out when the U.S. decides to point figures everywhere else but on themselves. After going to China many times over a decade talking to the Chinese about their energy and pollution problems, Thomas Friedman was told by many young Chinese “Hey, you Americans got to grow dirty for 150 years using cheap coal and oil, Now it is our turn.” (Friedman) A statement made by the Chinese that should show Americans the impact actions have on other countries. Although this was a general statement made about China it is not completely true, for example Beijing, which has committed to green energy efforts. There efforts to do so are explained in a statement, mentioned at the beginning of this research paper, said by Wen Jiabao, a participant of the annual meeting of the China Council for International Environment and Development (CCICED). (China) If we want the world to be cleaner Americans should take initiative and make green energy a priority so other countries will follow.
China is one of the most populated countries in the world, also a huge business and factory country. Having these characteristics makes China one of the biggest polluters in the world, along with the United States. They are willing to commit to green energy in order to protect the environment and their economy. (China)
Barcelona, Spain, in an economic crisis, is challenged with the rise in abundance of natural gas, yet, they still insist on committing to green energy like wind and solar energy. Top executives from the renewable energy say that these types of green energy are more beneficial in the long run instead of fossil fuels that are threatening the environment. The extraction of natural gas from the Earth is through a process called fracking which uses pressurized water and chemicals to extract the gas from shale rocks. Most natural gas can be found in mountains that are usually volcanic or hotspots, if fracking goes wrong one day it could be detrimental to the surrounding community and to the environment. This process although not the safest, was brought to attention by Jose Manuel Entrecanales, the chief executive of Acciona, a major engineering company that operates wind farms worldwide. (Kanter) Though stopping the use of natural gas may mean the loss of many jobs, new jobs will be created with the turn to green energy.
Renewable energy projects have been implemented in Balochistan due to research found that made them want to change. “According to the world health organization (WHO) estimates, about three million premature deaths occur in a year due to environmental pollution. The environmentalists consider renewable energy sources like water, wind, light etc. as clean, eco-friendly and sustainable all over the world. According to an estimate, only 0.1 per cent of renewable sources are being utilized world over.” Blame for this situation connects to the lack of sufficient energy resources in the economic development of Balochistan. Traditional methods do not substantially meet the demand so renewable resources are being put into use to replace the expensive and environmentally unsafe sources. They have taken it in their own hands and have made a difference by bettering their economy using substantial healthy sources. (RENEWABLE)
Terrapass is a company that offsets carbon emissions of individuals and businesses. Individuals and businesses can track there carbon emissions and calculate how much they give off so they know how much to pay the company to offset. Terrapass asserts that, the average car emits about 10,000 pounds in carbon dioxide each year, the leading cause of global warming. The process that Terrapass uses calculates how many pounds of carbon dioxide are emitted, then a Terrapass is purchased, the pass funds carbon reduction projects and is verified by a third party that reduces the amount of personal carbon dioxide emissions. (Terrapass) An example of where Terrapass is existent outside of the United States would be a European private aircraft operator called Avantair. They offset over 13 million pounds of carbon using Terrapass even though they already produce the least amount of carbon emissions in the industry of private aircrafts. (Airline) With the amount of money airlines make on everyday travel they should be able to pay for Terrapass to offset their emissions instead of just taking all the profit they should pay for the damage they do to the environment.
Some statistics obtained about offset costs include the following: A small business with 5 employees emits on average 35 tons of carbon in a year, this amount was given by Carbonfund.org. The amount of money to offset this would be about $350. According to Atmosfair, a round trip flight from New York City, New York to San Francisco, California emits 2.5 tons of carbon and it would take $70 to offset. Terrapass calculated their own statistics including the following: Driving 12,000 miles in a car emits about 5 tons of carbon and it takes $66 to offset, a computer server emits close to 1.5 tons a year of carbon and it only takes $20 to offset, for every 100,000 miles a truck drives it emits about 111 tons of carbon and the cost to offset it is $1,456. These statistics show that there is an alternative way to offset and maybe eventually reverse the damage done to the environment throughout everyday life. (Taylor) The costs of going green are expensive up front but pay off in the long run.
According to Erin M. Greer, an AP Environmental Science teacher, many costs come with committing to green energy like that of establishing a new system and paying for the researching and testing of the new sources. A statement made by Nelson Adcock, President of Geo Environmental, also explains that the costs of going green being mostly upfront money used to build the green system after that the costs are greatly lower and will save money in the end. He also mentioned that new jobs will be created and certain existing jobs moved. Costs differ from each country due to different currencies and manufactures. Although this paper somewhat involves economies due to time constraints and currency difference specific examples are not given. Information about green resources can be obtained in most countries, so when looking to go green costs can be compared for the most benefit. Green sources are excellent stimulators of the economy and will create jobs because it takes skilled technicians to create, build, install, and test the new systems. “I think that green technology (research, installation, and implementation) could have a very positive effect on the economy by providing jobs. The less reliant we are on oil, the less reliant we are on Middle Eastern countries that provide us with that oil.” The more self reliant countries are the less scandal and business deals that go wrong. This self reliance could solve and keep many countries out of conflict with other and also create more money for the economy, especially the United States. (Greer)
“Green energy uses can have a positive effect on the economy through job creation, better use of renewable energy sources and less dependence on foreign oil supplies. Green energy can save money allowing companies and industries to reinvest the savings in other positive ways.” said by Nelson Adcock.
The idea of becoming a green energy country, community, or individual should not be bypassed. It is a substantial way to generate electricity and provides a clean alternative to fossil fuels. To be a green world everyone needs to take the steps to go green. These steps include: stopping the dependence on the use of coal, oil, or gas, looking for the best fit types of green energy according to residence, recycle when possible, and research other possible sources that can help in the journey of going green. One source was mentioned before, Terrapass, that offsets carbon emissions, a smart idea for those who are too busy or even lazy to reduce or offset it themselves. Green energy, a new trend that should be put to the test, the most beneficial technology ever created because with the use of energy that will not run out, is environmentally friendly, will continue to provide electricity for all personal technological needs. “When you buy a cell phone, you are not paying to clean up the pollution created in the making and transport of that phone, nor for the cost of cleaning up e-waste in developing countries. “Greener” is better for everyone and for the environment.” said by Erin M. Greer. The truth behind all the products that are used are hidden and ignored, but if people researched more about the products they bought they would realize how bad they are for the environment. Research can be done by professionals and people can read about it but until the research is done by the everyday person it they will continue to leave the damaging footsteps instead of realizing it is not all about money, but also about the environment. (Greer) Green energy has been researched, tested, and used many times if it was used by everyone it could help the economy and the health of people and the environment.
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