Coal As An Alternative Energy Source Environmental Sciences Essay

Coal As An Alternative Energy Source Environmental Sciences Essay The dictionary meaning of alternative is offering a choice of second possibility in other words it is something like replacement. In our case coal is good alternative source of energy as it can replace most of the energy sources that are in existence. Alternative source of energy is a huge term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels. The term depicts or reflects a set of energy technologies and fields which are alternate of each other and so on. As such, the list of energy sources excluded is an indication of what problems that the alternative technologies are facing. Controversies regarding dominant sources of energy and their alternatives have a long history because as the time is changing the needs and sources are also varying day by day. Today the nature of what were regarded alternative energy sources has changed considerably over time and it has become controversial issue because of the variety of energy choices so defining some energy types as alternative is highly controversial. As a whole , alternative energy is that which is produced without the undesirable consequences of the burning of fossil fuels, such as high carbon dioxide emissions, which is considered to be the major contributing factor of global warming according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Sometimes, this less comprehensive meaning of alternative energy excludes nuclear energy It is almost fixed that coal will have a future as a good alternative energy source. We have enough reserves of coal that can last for at least 200 years but only rate of consumption will be in our control. However, coal reserves are spread more equitably around the world than oil reserves; the united States have the largest reserves all over the world. Also it has a good future because it is very inexpensive as other possible energy sources. Coal is inexpensive to extract and to use to produce electricity. However, some factors make the future of coal appear to drop. There are some technical limitations present when using coal as an energy source. For example, it cannot be used for transport purposes unless it is used in electric vehicles. There are also some ecological issues to contend with. The need for an energy alternative has most nations looking in all directions, and one of those is coal as an energy source. Many experts see coal as viable alternative source of energy. It is not known as the cleanest means of producing energy, but it is a cheaper alternative. The future of coal as an energy source is yet unknown, but there are many predictions for how it may be implemented. For countries with rising oil prices, it is predictable that coal may become a cheaper source of energy. It is also predicted that the total primary coal energy consumption should remain about the same for another two decades, and then slowly begin to increase. There are some problems with the cleanliness of coal, which causes a vast amount of pollution, but treating the combustion fumes can solve these problems. However, coal is still a great producer of CO2, and with most nations trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, this could scupper any plans of using it as an alternative energy source. Coal is a notorious pollutant containing sulphur which gives off sulphur dioxide when it is burned. Once it is in the atmosphere, sulphur dioxide becomes sulphur acid, which are an irritant to the lungs and a main component to acid rain. Coal also has many other disadvantages that put its future as an alternative energy source in doubt. Burning coal produces CO2, which is a  well known  greenhouse gas that is very harmful to the environment. There is no solution to the CO2 that comes from burning coal, so this may cause it to go to the back of the line as a possible alternative energy source. Therefore, countries that  are trying  to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, would not seek to increase coal consumption, because it would defeat their purposes. On the other hand, countries that are not concerned with greenhouse gases will only increase their coal consumption in the coming years. Coal is not the perfect alternative energy source, but it is a possibility. Technological research is developing rapidly all over the world and there are many research programs in action today, including, research on the gasification of coal to produce hydrogen for fuel cells, and the capture and confinement of CO2. The future of coal as an alternative energy source is unclear, and there are some countries that are willing to settle more than others.  The future of coal as an  energy source may be dependent on a countrys needs or requirements  and, even more so, their concerns. Environmental Impacts of the Use of Coal Because coal contains more carbon per unit of energy than other fossil fuels, it will produce more carbon dioxide per unit of electric power production than petroleum or natural gas. Electrical utilities, being the largest consumers of coal, are the largest sources of CO2 emissions from coal The only practical way to prevent CO2 levels from going far into the dangerous range, with disastrous effects for humanity and other inhabitants of the planet, is to phase out use of coal except at power plants where the CO2 is captured and sequestered If CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants continue to rise at rates projected by the U.S. energy information administration, it will be impossible for the United States to achieve the steep economy-wide emissions reductions it needs to have a reasonable chance of avoiding the worst effects of climate change Transporting coal from where it is mined to where it will be burned also produces significant quantities of air pollution and other environmental harms. Diesel-burning trucks, trains, and barges that transport coal release NOx, SOx, PM, VOCs (volatile organic chemicals), CO, and CO2 into the earths atmosphere The Legacy of Coal Mining Nearly 150 years and some 13 billion tons of coal later, its strikingly obvious that the great wealth of natural resources in West Virginia has been anything but a blessing. Rather than bringing riches, it has brought poverty, sickness, environmental devastation and despair. Much of the surface mining more accurately mountaintop removal slices off several hundred feet of the mountaintops, uncovering entire seams of coal. Mining causes widespread deforestation, soil erosion, water shortages and pollution, smoldering coal fires and the emission of greenhouse gases. Massive excavation operations strip land bare, lower water tables, generate huge waste mountains and blanket surrounding communities with dust particles and debris. Despite coal being the most abundant and cheapest of the carbon based sources of energy, and despite the coal industry earning the benefits of clean coal, the fact that the role of coal in energy production is now confined to electrical generation gives hope that the negative environmental legacy of coal can be reduced. Alternative sources of energy, such as hydro, nuclear and wind power are ideally suited to generate electricity. Application and future prospective Coal as an alternative to wood Coal gasification as an alternative to petroleum Coal is not the perfect alternative energy source, but it is a possibility. Technological research is developing rapidly all over the world and there are many research programs in action today, including, research on the gasification of coal to produce hydrogen for fuel cells, and the capture and confinement of CO2. The future of coal as an alternative energy source is unclear, and there are some countries that are willing to settle more than others.  The future of coal as an  energy source may be dependent on a countrys needs or requirements  and, even more so, their concerns. The world reserves of coal are large enough to last two hundred years, but only at their current rate of consumption. However, coal reserves are spread more equitably around the world than oil reserves,  with the United States  having the largest  reserves. It also has a promising future because it is not as expensive as other possible energy sources. Coal  is inexpensive to extract and to use to produce electricity. However, some factors make the future of coal appear to be bleak. There are some technical limitations present when using coal as an energy source. For example, it cannot be used for transport purposes unless it is used in electric vehicles and the most important thing is that trees will nowhere to be seen in next thirty to forty years so in conclusion we cant have any access to the coal energy. America and other nations face an unprecedented transportation fuel crisis. Petroleum fuel, a life blood of our economy for almost 100 years, is entering a sustained period of supply shortage due to huge demand increases from growing economies in Asia and elsewhere. This new demand is here to stay and likely to intensify, causing more price increases, price volatility, political manipulation of oil supplies, and global instability as competition for dwindling supplies intensifies. This is already impacting our energy, economic, and homeland security. Government, commercial, and finance leaders around the world are now taking action. Since one solution is unlikely, a suite of new technologies and energy sources will be needed to address the challenge. One of those solutions is carbon-to-liquids technology, which the U.S. Department of Energy projects could supply 10% of the nations transportation fuel in just 20 years. As new fuels and technologies like this are developed and deployed, the challenge we must meet is that they be more sustainable and less of a burden on the environment than current technologies.

The Morality of Torture Essay -- The Ethics of Torture

Torture is a controversial topic in today’s society. What is torture? Torture can be defined as, ‘the act of inflicting excruciating pain, as punishment or revenge, as a means of getting a confession or information, or for sheer cruelty.’(Dershowitz, A) According to international law, it is illegal to use torture in any situation of any kind. Though torture undoubtedly continues throughout the world, the moral argument prohibiting torture should or could be justified. However, the question of torture has resurfaced in the context of the â€Å"Is There A Torturous Road to Justice† mainly focusing on the attacks of 911. Seemingly, the topic of torture became more demanding after millions of lives lose and threaten after the attacks on the United States. The dilemma of torture is commonly expressed towards problem of the ‘ticking bomb terrorist.’ In this essay, I will argue that torture is unsubstantial conflicting as a moral and immoral belief. Many individuals would argue that torture is immorally wrong and views it as a malevolent form of punishment, but on the other hand, a solider fighting in war may see it as a justifiable action towards protecting themselves, other citizens, and the country. Nevertheless, if torture is so immoral, why is the topic so hard to explain? Within the society of social order, many people would say that torture is a shameful action for those who support it and or participate in agony. This may be valid, but this argument could be compared to other criminal scenarios. For instance, a person who commits a crime such as stealing a car and injuring someone or harming a person with the intent to kill, in this society these actions could be seen as immoral action. During the criminal sanction, they could... ... but it may be seen as a learned willing action to protect. Torturing a person in other words is seen as unconstitutional, but to understand why it is somewhat problematic, just imagine being in the position of a torturer and torture, both predicaments is understandable hard to bare with from a citizen standpoint. Mitigating the stance on torture becomes somewhat impossible, especially for those who carry out the action, and or for those that make the laws and pass them. Justifying this action is undoubtedly hard to differ between moral or immoral actions. In this situation as mentioned before, it seems that the lives of millions of individuals compensate one individual life. Works Cited Hinman, Lawrence M.. Contemporary moral issues: diversity and consensus. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.

Andrew Lang

The world revolves around currency, in reality we all use money in our everyday life we are making it, spending it or saving it. Andrew Lang wrote â€Å"Ballade of Wordly Wealth,† through repetition in this poem we learn about the people in the 1800s and 1900s and what they thought about money. What money can buy a person is the idea of the first six lines of each stanza. But the thought of what money cannot buy is always revisited. At the end of each stanza a refrain is made â€Å"Youth, and health, and Paradise† The theme of this poem is money, so of course the word money is on repeat.The tone is didactic, â€Å"Money moves the merchants all† and â€Å"Money maketh Evil show† saying money is the start is a parallel construction. Pattern of sound is found also because there are a lot of words that end with the â€Å"th† sound examples of these words: taketh, maketh, truth, youth, health and gaineth. â€Å"Money taketh town and wall, Fort and ramp without a blow† says that with a little trickery a war could be won. â€Å"Money moves the merchants all, While the tides shall ebb and flow† because airplanes were not invented at this time the only way of travel for people was by boats.This line is saying that money will convince merchants to explore the sea because there is more money out there. â€Å"Money maketh Evil show Like the good, and truth like lies† this line is saying that to be wealthy people do evil things but think they are good. In reality people are just being greedy. â€Å"These alone can ne'er bestow Youth, and health, and paradise† this line is saying that money doesn’t last forever and won’t help you always: example: when you go to heaven. Money maketh festival, Wine she buys, and beds can strow† this line is saying that â€Å"she† (money) can buy important things or not so important things. â€Å"Marches Soldiers to and fro† refer to the military sa ying how love can be bought with money.â€Å"Gaineth ladies with sweet eyes: These alone can ne’er bestow† this line is stating that any man with money can get any woman he wanted if he had money that there love could be bought. †Money wins the priest his stall, Money mitres buys, I trow† this line is saying that with money any man can buy power. Red hats for the Cardinal, Abbeys for the novice low† this line is saying that without experience you can have the title for anything you want with money. â€Å"Money maketh sin as snow, Place of penitence supplies† this line is saying that even churches use money for the wrong things. Andrew Lang’s poem is a ballad a three stanza, eight line poem. Full of descriptive words to create tone, mood and feeling about how money has taken over and could be evil, instead of good.

Economic Theories of population growth - 7492 Words

Population Growth and Natural Resources 73 3.2 Economic Theories of Population Growth In this section the demographic transition process observed in the previous section will be examined in terms of economic theories. 3.2.1 The Malthus model Thomas Robert Malthus Â…1766 ±1834† is known as a pioneer in the economic theory of population. His Principle of Population Â…[1798] 1926† was a re ¯ection of England s premiere entrance into the process of modern demographic transition. His population theory may be summarized as follows: as with other animals, human beings have a natural instinct to bear children to a physical maximum; under this ` ®xity of passion people tend to multiply in an exponential rate; where the production of†¦show more content†¦Population Growth and Natural Resources 75 following the Agricultural Revolution. Even if the wage rate per hour may not have increased very signi ®cantly, the household income level increased from increased working hours and employment of females and children. Such a condition induced people in the labour class to marry earlier and produce more children. When this tendency coincided with decreases in the death-rate Â…owing to improved living conditions† the  ®rst population explosion in the epoch of modern economic growth took place in England. Indeed, the way that the birth-rate responded positively to increased income per capita was consistent with Malthus s theory. Such a positive response through adjustments in the marriage age and rate can be universally observed in premodern societies, e.g. Wrigley and Scho ®eld Â…1981† for England, and A. Hayami Â…1992† for Japan. The rising trend of the birth-rate for Phase 1 in England seems to re ¯ect the premodern response to the early phase of industrialization. To predict the future course of demographic changes in developing economies, a more general model should be envisaged that is able to explain both the empirical relevance of the Malthus theory for the early phase and its divergence from reality in the later phase of development. Attempts to build such a model have used an approach of maximizing the utility function common to household members Â…Leibenstein, 1957; Easterlin, 1975;Show MoreRelatedOpositions to Thomas Malthus Theory on Population Growth 694 Words   |  3 PagesPrinciple of Population argued that the increase in population growth would ultimately create social and economic problems for a nation. On the contrary, many famous political economists such as Ester Boserup and Julian Simon suggested different views about population and resource growth; which contradicts the Malthus’ theory. Thomas Malthus’ wrote ‘An Essay on the Principle of Population’ argued that the increasing rate of population growth is the impetus of many social and economic issues thatRead MoreThe Neo-Malthusian Population theory assumes that poor nations will never be able to rise much above subsistence levels unless they engage in preventive population checks, if not positive checks.1445 Words   |  6 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As stated the Neo-Malthusian population theory claims that poor nations are stuck in a cycle of poverty which they cant get out of unless some sort of preventative measures of population checks are engaged. The Malthusian model was developed two centuries ago by a man named Thomas Malthus. Malthuss model is based upon a relationship between both population growth as well as economic development. 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