Energy for the Future

1. Energy for the Future Unit 7 – Part 3

2. Alternative Energy Many people are looking to new energy sources to reduce the human contribution to global warning. Solar and wind energy are examples. Toyota has developed one of the first hybrid (gas and electricity) cars, the Prius.

3. The Sunny Option – Solar Power Energy from the sun is a clean alternative to conventional energy sources like fossil fuels. There are three types of solar power: 1. Passive solar power – used for thousands of years, this type of solar power is simply harnessing the power of the sun by having large windows in a building to warm and brighten the rooms inside.

4. 2. Active solar power – using solar panels to heat water that runs through tubes on the roof of a building. Used to heat swimming pools. Expensive, but used more and more each year.

5. 3. Photovoltaic cell energy – converts sunlight directly into electricity. Very expensive and not efficient. Usually only used in areas where electricity is not available. • Farmers and meteorologists use it. Many calculators are solar-powered.

6. Blowing in the Wind – Wind Power Wind power has been around for centuries. Modern wind turbines are powerful, need no fuel, and are fairly inexpensive. The trick is to find areas where winds are high enough for energy, but not high enough to damage turbines. There are wind turbines in St. Lawrence, Fermeuse, and Ramea.

7. Hot Stuff – Geothermal Power The use of heat from deep underground. Iceland has a lot of volcanic activity and therefore get a lot of their energy from geothermal sources. Potential sites are hard to find. Groundwater can also provide geothermal energy. The hot water is pumped out of the well, heat is extracted, and the water is returned to the well.

8. Power from Garbage – Biogas Power Methane gas, found in garbage, is a good energy source. Garbage is put in “digesters” to speed up the decay process to create biogas. Biogas is the combination of methane and carbon dioxide that produces energy. A problem with recycling garbage is that toxic fumes are created when hazardous wastes are thrown away.

9. Power from the Farm – Ethanol Power Ethanol is a form of alcohol made from plant matter. Ethanol is found in gasoline and helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which reduces greenhouse gases (that’s a good thing). A lot of ethanol comes from corn and demand for corn to make ethanol is making the price of corn rise; bad news for farmers who feed their cattle corn.

10. Power from the Air – The Hydrogen Fuel Cell The process of creating energy by using hydrogen from the air to make hydrogen fuel cells. It’s like a battery but doesn’t need charging. There’s a negative and a positive electrode on either side. Hydrogen is sent to one end, oxygen to the other. Hydrogen separates into protons and electrons, creating electricity. Vehicles powered this way don’t burn gas and produce no emissions.

11. A Maritime Option – Tidal Power Tides in the Bay of Fundy run up through turbines during high tide and back down through them during low tide. The turbines provide electricity for those in the area.

12. What Governments Can Do The Canadian government signed the Kyoto Protocol in 2002 but later dropped it because the intended results weren’t happening. Canada is now taking a sector-by-sector approach, including regulations on car emissions and coal-fired electrical plants.

13. What Industry Can Do Canadian companies are realizing that wasting energy wastes money. Some companies use wood as a biofuel. Hotels don’t wash guests’ towels and sheets right away, saving on hot water washing costs.

14. What YOU Can Do Walk, carpool, or take bus to school instead of driving your own vehicle. Turn off lights when not in use and use motion sensors. Homeowners should use insulation and high-efficiency furnaces and windows to reduce heat use in the home.