Helen+Energy+Content+Essay

Helen Sanderson Energy Content Essay  **__Biofuels __**  Cellulosic biofuels, or second generation biofuels, are a renewable energy source that can be grown most anywhere. First generation biofuels, such as corn, soybeans, and sugarcane are no longer considered to be part of a long term solution as an alternate energy source (Dale, 52). There is simply not enough farm land available to grow these crops for fuel and food, plus these sources of energy make the prices of food and feedstock increase. However, cellulosic biofuels can be made from most any plant source like leaves, stalks, stems, and husks, or woodchips, switchgrass, and kudzu. Leftover plant and wood residues like woodchips from lumber yards and paper mills can be burned to produce electricity. Electricity plants currently powered by fossil fuels can easily be transformed into biofuel electricity plants as well. Plants known as energy crops like kudzu and switchgrass grow quickly in almost any environment and can be fermented like corn and soybeans to make fuel, or grassoline (Dale, 54). Second generation cellulosic biofuels are the best choice for a renewable energy source for the town of Freemont, Georgia because they are readily available, easily renewable and maintainable, and can transform the town’s fossil fuel powered electricity plants into biofuel electricity plants.  **__Solar Power __**  Solar energy is all around us every day, waiting to be turned into electricity. This continues source of energy is very familiar and accessible. The sun’s rays are continuous source of energy, “where sunlight striking the earth for 40 minutes is equivalent to global energy con­sumption for a year” (Fthenakis, 64). However, converting chemical solar energy into mechanical energy needed for electricity can be costly. Large amounts of land would need to be set aside for solar panels. The United States government would need to invest “more than $400 billion over the next 40 years” (Fthenakis, 64). Photovolatic cells range from “traditional multicrystalline silicon wafers that still dominate the market to thin-film silicon cells” (Kammen, 86). These cells can be used in large solar panels or put on windows and roofs for individual use. However, biofuels are also very accessible and are more easily and cheaply transformed into mechanical energy. If the United States were to turn to the sun as its primary source of energy, we would have to put a lot of new technology in place that costs a lot of money. With biofuels, we can use the technology we already have to make ethanol and the electricity plants that are already built to produce electricity from plants.  **__Wind Energy __**  Wind energy is renewable source of energy that can be captured in wind turbines. It is a popular energy source in Europe, especially in Germany. Congress has put tax credits and incentives in place in the past for using wind turbines. However, Congress also has threatened to get rid of these tax credits out of uncertainty (Kammen, 89). Like solar energy, using wind power requires expensive technology. The turbines are noisy, unattractive, and are harmful to migratory birds. Wind and solar power also have to be stored in batteries, which can also get expensive. Also, wind only provides a source of electricity, not fuel for cars. Energy from plants does not have to be stored in batteries and can be used for both electricity and fuel.  **__Nuclear Energy __** <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> There are some major concerns in implementing large scale nuclear power plants, including “achievement of economic viability, improved operating safety, efficient waste management and resource utilization, as well as weapons nonproliferation” (Bennett, 73). Nuclear energy comes from heavy, radioactive metals like uranium, which can potentially be used for weapons or can pollute the environment with radioactive waste. Nuclear power plants are also extremely expensive build and maintain compared to currently used fossil fuels. Biofuels do not cost nearly as much as nuclear energy and are easier to grow and maintain. Biofuels also pose no threat to the environment; the net greenhouse gas emission is zero and plants do not leave behind harmful radioactive waste. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> **__<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Hydroelectricity __** <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Not only is hydropower a constantly renewed source of easily converted energy, but it is also beneficial to society in many other ways including “water supply, flood control, navigation, irrigation, and recreation” (Hydropower, 2). However, hydroelectric dams cause damage to aquatic ecosystems by disturbing sediment with essential components and hurting fish or disturbing their migration patterns (Hydropower, 2). There is a huge potential for hydroelectricity in undeveloped resources of water in the United States at about 170,000 MW of power. We cannot exercise this potential unless we partially or completely redesign the current hydroelectric plants to cause less damage on the aquatic ecosystems. By using biofuels, existing plants can be converted to use biofuels for electricity, and we already posses the technology needed to burn and ferment the plants. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Works Cited <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Bennett, Ralph G, James A. Lake, and John F. Kotek. “Next Generation Nuclear Power.” __Scientific American, Inc__. Jan 2002. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Dale, Bruce E. and George W. Huber. “Grassoline at the Pump.” __Scientific American, Inc__. July 2009. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Fthenakis, Vasilis, Ken Zweibel, and James Mason. “Solar Grand Plan.” __Scientific American, Inc__. Jan 2008. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“Hydropower-Setting a Course for Our Energy Future.” U.S. Department of Energy. July 2004. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Kammen, Daniel M. “The Rise of Renewable Energy.” __Scientific American, Inc__. Sept 2006. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">