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In this brief analytical essay Conversation of resources, the subject of conservation of resources will be discussed in terms of the challenges of high resource demands; the environmental impacts of high resource demands; the future of resource supply; and the renewable energy technology. Due care will be observed to include discussion of all the relevant assessment criteria.
Energy Consumption
There is an increasing demand for energy at the global level due to a diverse set of factors such as an ever-increasing population count. The consumption of energy on the global level has increased by 2% every year for the last 25 years and if this trend continues to prevail, this will cause a huge problem of conserving this energy for future use (Pérez-Lombard, Ortiz & Pout, 2008). Some of the factors which implicate on the consumption of per capita energy in various parts of the world are as under:
• Environmental Awareness – The demand for energy Conversation of resources is altering because awareness is increasing among the local population about the problems of wasting and excessive energy usage (Kula, Aslan & Ozturk, 2012).
• Climate – As climatic conditions around the world are becoming extreme, in the cold climate energy is required for heating and in hot climate energy is required for keeping people cold (Pérez-Lombard, Ortiz & Pout, 2008).
• Type and Level of Industry – Overall the demand for energy is increasing as nations are becoming more industrialized. 30% energy of the world is consumed by people living in developing countries and rest is used by the developed countries such as USA, Japan, and Western Europe (Kula, Aslan & Ozturk, 2012).
• Affluence – The income levels are increasing all over the world, thereby making the lifestyles more luxuriant. As people tend to become wealthier, they tend to demand more electronic and fuel consuming appliances to live a comfortable life. Overall the demand of products and transportation is also increasing rapidly which also puts a pressure on the energy resources (Pérez-Lombard, Ortiz & Pout, 2008).
Types of Energy Resources, their Source and Availability
As far as the types of energy resources Conversation of resources, their source and availability is concerned, the discussion can be distributed in two dimensions i.e. non-renewable and renewable energy sources. The non-renewable energy sources include following:
• Nuclear Power – Such energy is released after a nuclear reaction as the atom is divided into smaller particles. Nuclear fission releases energy as mass decreases when an atom splits (Mitigation, 2011).
• Peat – This form of energy resource is low in energy content due to its high water content. It if formed in early phase of coalification (Miller Et al., 2006).
• Tar Sands – These are also known as oil sands or bituminous sands. These occur in the form of rocks which are found near the surface and can allow oil to evaporate. The tar sands are usually found in Alberta, Venezuela and Canada (Mitigation, 2011).
• Kerogen – It is formed when stages of petroleum maturation are under process in oil sheds. It manifests as a solid waxy substance. USA is considered as major source of Kerogen (Culley Et al., 2011).
• Natural Gas – It incorporates methane and is found in combination with oil or coal. One of the main sources of natural gas is the petroleum deposits, through which natural gas is recovered by drilling. Natural gas is found in two forms i.e. dry natural gas and wet natural gas (Mitigation, 2011).
• Petroleum – This is also known as crude oil and is formed by maturation of buried biomass which contains marine plankton. Petroleum incorporates all the oil and natural gas which is trapped under the cap rock (layer of impermeable rock) (Culley Et al., 2011; and Litman, 2013).
• Coal – It is formed from coalification and is in the form of amorphous black rock. Coalification occurs from the remains and buried deposits of biological material over several thousand years owing to conditions of high pressure and temperature. Conversation of resources the coal hence formed, has a very high carbon quotient because it is not formed in the presence of oxygen (Mitigation, 2011).
As opposed to the non-renewable, the renewable energy sources are as under:
• Tidal Energy – Tidal energy is formed by the rise and falls in the sea level owing to the gravitational attraction moon (Saber & Venayagamoorthy, 2011).
• Wave Power – This form of energy is created by the interaction of sea surface and winds, as both of the surfaces have adequate amounts of potential and kinetic energies. The energy quotient of the wave depends on the distance of uninterrupted water over which, the wind can blow and create energy (Panwar, Kaushik & Kothari, 2011).
• Hydroelectric Power – This sort of energy is created by converting the potential energy which is present in the water into kinetic energy which moves the turbine in order to produce electricity (Saber & Venayagamoorthy, 2011).
• Bio-fuels – This sort of energy is created with the help of biological material. Plants convert sunlight into chemical energy during the process of photosynthesis. This energy can be used by burning the plants (Panwar, Kaushik & Kothari, 2011).
• Wind Power – Wind energy is created by running the wind turbines at a very high speed and this in turn runs the electricity generator inside the turbine by which electric power is created (Saber & Venayagamoorthy, 2011).
• Solar Power – Within the solar system, the sun is an unlimited source of energy which is released by the fusion of hydrogen atoms and the formation of helium nuclei. Germany, USA and Japan make use of photovoltaic cells which produce electricity after absorbing the solar radiations (Panwar, Kaushik & Kothari, 2011).
• Geothermal Power – This sort of energy is found below the surface of earth and is naturally occurring due to the decaying process of radioisotopes (Saber & Venayagamoorthy, 2011).
Monitoring of Energy Resources Conversation of resources
The increasing exploitation of energy resources has highlighted the need of monitoring. There are various strategies for monitoring the use of energy resources such as employing an energy management program which includes some important steps. These primarily include: benchmarking and assessment of the current consumption patterns of energy; developing an energy profile which depicts the actual distribution of energy; completing an emission inventory for greenhouse gases; formation of teams and assigning them the necessary resources; setting up goals and targets; development of an action plan for improvement such as the Green Light measures; considering incorporating a strategic energy management plan; implementation of the strategic energy management plan; tracking and monitoring progress; and then maintaining focus upon raising awareness regarding energy conservation (Capehart, Turner & Kennedy, 2006). In this context Conversation of resources the example of South Africa is considered relevant, where the mining and industrial sectors were the largest energy consumers. As a result of an efficient energy management strategy, approximately 11% energy was saved through employing low to medium-cost technical solutions; 5%-15% energy was saved through no-cost and low-cost energy management solutions (Beacock & Kingham, 2005).
Energy is an indispensable constituent of modern life. Conversation of resources human societies all over the world need energy in order to preserve the idea of physical comfort and to produce constructive materials and products, for industry, for agriculture, for communications, and for transport in general. The issue which is gradually grabbing the world’s attention is that there is an increasing depletion of energy resources around the world. Fossil fuels (exhaustible) are a source of around 90% of the energy which is being utilized in the world. At present, the usage rate around the world of the fossil fuels is fast exceeding the rate at which these fuels are being explored or developed on yearly basis. Furthermore, we are also exceeding the natural formation rate of these fuels, a process which normally consumes millions of years (Bhattacharyya, 2011).
Due to the above highlighted concern, it is predicted that the natural gas deposits (which in 2014 stood at 6,972.518 trillion cubic feet) will exhaust by 2070, while all the known or proved reserves of crude oil Conversation of resources (which in 2014 stood at 1,655.561 billion barrels) will expire by the mid of the current century (EIA, 2015). Other than the issue of energy depletion, using fossil fuels as a source of energy also has other disadvantages such as air pollution, water pollution, gas leakages, explosions, oil spills from the facilities and tankers, the danger posed by leaded fuels, acid rains, and global warming (Dasgupta Et al., 2011).
Transportation of Energy Resources Conversation of resources
The transportation of energy resources especially oil and natural gas, has assumed an added importance owing to the concentration of these resources in a few countries like Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States. The logistic bottlenecks while transporting these resources over long distances, cause a delay in delivery of oil and gas thereby are having an adverse impact over their pricing mechanisms. At present maritime transport is the biggest mechanism of transporting oil followed by pipelines and rail roads. However, because of the dangers of spillage associated with the former two modes, raid transportation is gradually replacing both these. But considering the geographic dictates, some reliance will have to be maintained upon ships (Armaroli & Balzani, 2011).
Sustainability of Energy Resources
In addition to the aforementioned, there are also various strategies which are implemented at both national and international levels to ensure that the sustainability of energy resources is maintained. One of the national strategies has been France’s Grenelle Environmental Round Table held in 2007, in which consultation was carried out between various companies, unions, local authorities, non-government organizations and states regarding the environmental issues and sustainability concerns. In this conference, two significant laws were passed known as Grenelle 1 law and Grenelle 2 law (Liefferink, Wiering & Uitenboogaart, 2011).
The Grenelle 1 Law affects the building and energy sector, natural environments, biodiversity, transport, governance and challenges faced by the environment. The energy and building sector are the central focus of this law and it has reaffirmed the approaches related to fighting against climate change, development of renewable energy sources, and control of renewable energy sources (Jensen Et al., 2009; and Liefferink, Wiering & Uitenboogaart, 2011).
The Grenelle 2 Law depicts a national commitment to the environment and was passed through the Grenelle Environmental Round Table for promotion of sustainable development in six main areas (Liefferink, Wiering & Uitenboogaart, 2011): policy and regulation governance; risk management, health and energy wastage; biodiversity issues and preservation strategies; effective and efficient use; transport management and improvement; and urban planning.
On the international level it is pertinent to mention the ‘Sustainable Energy for All’ initiative launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon shared in 2011. The strategy is aimed at the accomplishment of three main goals i.e. enhancing universal accessibility to contemporary energy services; increasing energy efficiency; and increasing the percentage of renewable energy within the global energy mix. Till now, 85 developing countries have become partners of this initiative (Sustainable Energy for All, 2013).
Future of Resource Supply
In the face of the ever increasing human demands for energy, the future of resource supply looks bleak and is likely to be affected by several future issues such as economic, global shortage, transportation and supply and rising populations and demands.
• Economic Issues – There are huge expenses involved in changing industrial usage patterns and shifting from one form of energy source to another. This is primarily the reason behind a hesitation on part of the business sector to shift to the employment of renewable energy sources (Hannon, 2013).
• Global Shortage – Fossil fuels (exhaustible) are a source of around 90% of the energy which is being utilized in the world (St Clair, Hillier & Smith, 2008). At the present rate of consumption, these fossil fuels are going to expire in the near future thereby enhancing the dependency upon the renewable sources of energy.
• Transportation – The transportation sector, may it be road, rail or air, is totally dependent and reliant upon the non-renewable energy sources such as petrol and diesel. This trend if continued in the near future will aggravate the availability situation of the non-renewable fossil fuels and increasing the dependency upon the renewable energy (St Clair, Hillier & Smith, 2008).
• Supply Issues – There is an increasing demand for energy as compared to its supply. Furthermore, the supply of non-renewable sources of energy is fast depleting owing to the abuse of these sources. This situation is expected to lead to a stage in the near future where the international community will have to refer to the renewable energy sources to fulfil its energy needs (St Clair, Hillier & Smith, 2008).
• Population Growth and Growing Demand – The rate of population increase is proportional to the rate of demand for all over the world. The current supply of energy is not sufficient to fulfil this ever increasing demand, thereby necessitating a shift to the use of renewable energy sources (St Clair, Hillier & Smith, 2008).
The management of future demands of energy involves modification of the consumer energy demand by means of diverse set of strategies such as raising awareness and offering financial incentives. The prime strategy behind the controlling and managing future demand of energy is that consumers must use less energy during the peak hours. Investing into the latest technology which controls the wastage of energy is also a good strategy. Lastly, making use of the renewable energy as an alternative for the non-renewable energy is also a strategy which is recommended by the environment specialists (Bunse Et al., 2011) and is being discussed in the next section.
On an international level the strategies to manage future demands encompass: increasing the private sector investment; synchronizing cooperation amongst development partners and resource owners; providing appropriate legal and regulatory frameworks; introducing…
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