Energy has always had a lot of potentials but there is always a downside to everything. What will energy have to bring to the future?
In all these years and after so much evolution, the countries have grown geographically, populations have multiplied, and technology has advanced along with smarter human beings. Ideas of human beings about their future developed, we started dreaming of better lives and a more convenient lifestyle. With all this, we started feeling that the resources we had at the moment were too little to cater to our future needs. We decided to use energy.
We developed ideas of a more technology-driven future, leisurely lives, efficient and mass production, and soaring profits in all fields. We grew from carts pulled by animals or humans to airplanes, from farm labors to automated farm machinery, from candles to LED lights, and so on. We imagined and created it all.
The human race has surely advanced in its way of dreaming and achieving. One essential thing we discovered, that would fuel our dreams and efforts was energy. The hunger of humans increased multiple times and the conventional sources of energy were not satiating that hunger.
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A Timeline Of Discoveries Revolving Around Energy
The first time humans used woods and sticks to generate fire (heat energy) was two million years ago. Before that, we relied only on the Sun. The use of wood for producing heat energy continued until the first industrial revolution. And till a lot later, we were dependent on traditional sources to fuel our growth. For example, we used the Persian wheel to irrigate the fields, we used wind energy to thresh the grains, etc. But these were all so basic ideas that were present in those days.
Then, the discovery of the steam engine revolutionized the way humans saw energy generation and its utilization. The fathers of the steam engine, Thomas Newcomen and James Watt brought to this world significant knowledge that energy can be produced by different methods, and that it could be man-made. From then, the outlook of humanity and its ability towards innovation in technology amplified.
This brought in an era of coal-driven machines. Coal became the “king” of the energy generation, but another new-generation member of this family of energy sources was waiting to be introduced to humanity – Water.
In 1881 the world’s first hydroelectric plant was set up and the world came to know that they can harness the otherwise soothing water to fuel their energy needs. In the later years of the 19th century, a new energy source came up, i.e., petroleum or crude oil. For centuries to follow and till now it has been ruling the energy market and will most likely continue to do so.
Currently, the world is dominated by 3 energy sources i.e., oil, natural gas and coal.
Types of Energy
Oil – in the past few decades, oil has been a fore runner in catering to the demands and supply of energy to various sectors. Perhaps due to its wide availability and greater importance in the transport sector. Although, this energy source is one of the major contributors to global warming and that is the reason it isn’t much appreciated nowadays.
Natural gas – worldwide natural gas consumption has been increasing since the last decade and will continue to do so. The advancement and increased awareness about shale reserves etc. have made the source much more valuable and popular. It is often seen as a desired option for electric power and has much less harmful impacts on the environment, unlike the fossil-based fuels.
Coal – top 3 coal consuming countries in the world are China, the USA and India, but this energy source is more or less taking a back seat in today’s times. It is a fuel of developing countries, as developed countries have mostly moved on to alternate sources.
Alternatives to the Production of Energy
However, as we moved on with time, from one energy source to another, we realized that the sources we were using to produce energy were causing a lot of adverse impact on the environment and human health.
When we talk about alternate options in energy sources, we realize that with passing years and evolving excellence in science and technology, we are coming up with different and more efficient ideas for energy resources. Currently, the world is on the trial stage of some energy alternatives
- Solar energy is being used in gadgets and agricultural equipment, etc.
- Tidal energy is being tried and tested to generate the required energy needs
- Wind energy has been in use for some years now. Huge windmills are built to aid the farm activities and to meet the energy needs of the countryside in some counties.
- Biomass energy is a really innovative approach, especially for the developing countries, where agriculture, etc. is still a major economic activity
Future Plans With Energy
Now, in the coming years, there will be a vast variety of energy sources to choose from such as:
Space-based solar energy – this means to harness the Sun’s energy directly from space. With all the successful space missions the world has seen, setting up one such solar power plant in space doesn’t sound like an unrealistic idea anymore. As we know, the Earth doesn’t absorb all of the Sun’s rays, most of them get reflected back into space and that is where technology will come into play.
Hydrogen fuel cell – it is a very new idea that the scientists are working upon, trying to make it as much efficiently available to all the countries.
Nuclear waste – we know nuclear reactions generate a huge amount of waste which cannot be disposed of anywhere. Nuclear waste is the new future if we learn to store and utilize it in a safe manner, which isn’t as easy as it sounds at this level, but researches are going on.
There is no energy crisis, only a crisis of ignorance.
R. Buckminster Fuller
Everything has its good and bad side. All forms of energy have their advantages and disadvantages, but these alternate sources at least have the capacity to lessen the burden on conventional energy sources. It is true that current widely used sources can’t be stopped from usage immediately, but they can be replaced gradually. Moreover, the alternates have much lesser implications on the health of the Earth and its residents.
With the current level of global warming and all the disasters due to the unsustained use of our resources, the use of alternatives will surely be a tiny step in the direction of a healthier and safer earth.
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The first time humans used woods and sticks to generate fire (heat engy) was two million years ago. Before that, we relied only on the Sun. The use of wood for producing heat engy continued until the first industrial revolution. And till a lot later, we were dependent on traditional sources to fuel our growth. For example, we used the Persian wheel to irrigate the fields, we used wind ene thresh the grains, etc. But these were all so basic ideas that were present in those days.
The first time humans used woods and sticks to generate fire (heat engy) was two million years ago. Before that, we relied only on the Sun. The use of wood for producing heat engy continued until the first industrial revolution. And till a lot later, we were dependent on traditional sources to fuel our growth. For example, we used the Persian wheel to irrigate the fields, we used wind ene thresh the grains, etc. But these were all so basic ideas that were present in those days.
The first time humans used woods and sticks to generate fire (heat engy) was two million years ago. Before that, we relied only on the Sun. The use of wood for producing heat engy continued until the first industrial revolution. And till a lot later, we were dependent on traditional sources to fuel our growth. For example, we used the Persian wheel to irrigate the fields, we used wind ene thresh the grains, etc. But these were all so basic ideas that were present in those days.
The first time humans used woods and sticks to generate fire (heat engy) was two million years ago. Before that, we relied only on the Sun. The use of wood for producing heat engy continued until the first industrial revolution. And till a lot later, we were dependent on traditional sources to fuel our growth. For example, we used the Persian wheel to irrigate the fields, we used wind ene thresh the grains, etc. But these were all so basic ideas that were present in those days.
The first time humans used woods and sticks to generate fire (heat engy) was two million years ago. Before that, we relied only on the Sun. The use of wood for producing heat engy continued until the first industrial revolution. And till a lot later, we were dependent on traditional sources to fuel our growth. For example, we used the Persian wheel to irrigate the fields, we used wind ene thresh the grains, etc. But these were all so basic ideas that were present in those days.
The first time humans used woods and sticks to generate fire (heat engy) was two million years ago. Before that, we relied only on the Sun. The use of wood for producing heat engy continued until the first industrial revolution. And till a lot later, we were dependent on traditional sources to fuel our growth. For example, we used the Persian wheel to irrigate the fields, we used wind ene thresh the grains, etc. But these were all so basic ideas that were present in those days.
The first time humans used woods and sticks to generate fire (heat engy) was two million years ago. Before that, we relied only on the Sun. The use of wood for producing heat engy continued until the first industrial revolution. And till a lot later, we were dependent on traditional sources to fuel our growth. For example, we used the Persian wheel to irrigate the fields, we used wind ene thresh the grains, etc. But these were all so basic ideas that were present in those days.
The first time humans used woods and sticks to generate fire (heat engy) was two million years ago. Before that, we relied only on the Sun. The use of wood for producing heat engy continued until the first industrial revolution. And till a lot later, we were dependent on traditional sources to fuel our growth. For example, we used the Persian wheel to irrigate the fields, we used wind ene thresh the grains, etc. But these were all so basic ideas that were present in those days.
The first time humans used woods and sticks to generate fire (heat engy) was two million years ago. Before that, we relied only on the Sun. The use of wood for producing heat engy continued until the first industrial revolution. And till a lot later, we were dependent on traditional sources to fuel our growth. For example, we used the Persian wheel to irrigate the fields, we used wind ene thresh the grains, etc. But these were all so basic ideas that were present in those days.
The first time humans used woods and sticks to generate fire (heat engy) was two million years ago. Before that, we relied only on the Sun. The use of wood for producing heat engy continued until the first industrial revolution. And till a lot later, we were dependent on traditional sources to fuel our growth. For example, we used the Persian wheel to irrigate the fields, we used wind ene thresh the grains, etc. But these were all so basic ideas that were present in those days.
The first time humans used woods and sticks to generate fire (heat engy) was two million years ago. Before that, we relied only on the Sun. The use of wood for producing heat engy continued until the first industrial revolution. And till a lot later, we were dependent on traditional sources to fuel our growth. For example, we used the Persian wheel to irrigate the fields, we used wind ene thresh the grains, etc. But these were all so basic ideas that were present in those days.
The first time humans used woods and sticks to generate fire (heat engy) was two million years ago. Before that, we relied only on the Sun. The use of wood for producing heat engy continued until the first industrial revolution. And till a lot later, we were dependent on traditional sources to fuel our growth. For example, we used the Persian wheel to irrigate the fields, we used wind ene thresh the grains, etc. But these were all so basic ideas that were present in those days.
The first time humans used woods and sticks to generate fire (heat engy) was two million years ago. Before that, we relied only on the Sun. The use of wood for producing heat engy continued until the first industrial revolution. And till a lot later, we were dependent on traditional sources to fuel our growth. For example, we used the Persian wheel to irrigate the fields, we used wind ene thresh the grains, etc. But these were all so basic ideas that were present in those days.
The first time humans used woods and sticks to generate fire (heat engy) was two million years ago. Before that, we relied only on the Sun. The use of wood for producing heat engy continued until the first industrial revolution. And till a lot later, we were dependent on traditional sources to fuel our growth. For example, we used the Persian wheel to irrigate the fields, we used wind ene thresh the grains, etc. But these were all so basic ideas that were present in those days.
The first time humans used woods and sticks to generate fire (heat engy) was two million years ago. Before that, we relied only on the Sun. The use of wood for producing heat engy continued until the first industrial revolution. And till a lot later, we were dependent on traditional sources to fuel our growth. For example, we used the Persian wheel to irrigate the fields, we used wind ene thresh the grains, etc. But these were all so basic ideas that were present in those days.
The first time humans used woods and sticks to generate fire (heat engy) was two million years ago. Before that, we relied only on the Sun. The use of wood for producing heat engy continued until the first industrial revolution. And till a lot later, we were dependent on traditional sources to fuel our growth. For example, we used the Persian wheel to irrigate the fields, we used wind ene thresh the grains, etc. But these were all so basic ideas that were present in those days.
The first time humans used woods and sticks to generate fire (heat engy) was two million years ago. Before that, we relied only on the Sun. The use of wood for producing heat engy continued until the first industrial revolution. And till a lot later, we were dependent on traditional sources to fuel our growth. For example, we used the Persian wheel to irrigate the fields, we used wind ene thresh the grains, etc. But these were all so basic ideas that were present in those days.
