Group+Opinions

Shannon Stepp- Water will be one of the best energy resources for the next 2 to 5 years. It is renewable so we will have an unlimited supply of it and water is very cheap to use. Also water energy does not cause any pollution whatsoever so it will not harm the world nor the people on it. Transportation wise, we can use it for boating. Hydropower electricity is when you use water to create electricity. It is a renewable energy source that actually already produces most of the electricity in the United States today. This source on energy relies on the water cycle, which is constantly happening. The amount of energy that’s available from water is determined by its flow or fall. If there’s a big river in the area, that section will have a great deal of energy. If there’s water dropping down quickly from a high point, it will also have lots of energy in its flow. So if we build rivers around most land areas we can create even more energy from water.
 * Energy Resources: 2 to 5 years-**

Wind will also be used in the next 2 to 5 years. Wind energy is the fastest growing source of energy, so it will be around for a longer time. This source of energy also causes no air pollution at all. If we’re able to make turbines it will be easy, because wind is also a renewable resource. Wind turbines create electricity by converting kinetic energy in the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is converted to electricity, that’s when it is known as a wind turbine. A wind turbine can also be used for heat energy. It’s the most useful and least expensive form of energy. The energy created from the wind turbines can also be used to pump water heaters and other things that will cause heat for a household to live on. Transportation by wind energy is a little harder to come across. You can use sailboats or other types of boats for transportation by wind. Some airplanes can also be powered just solely on wind.

One last energy resources that will be used for the next 2 to 5 years is coal energy. Coal can be used to power up trains for transportation. Coal can also be made into electricity. It has to be milled first, into a powder that will let it burn quickly. The powdered coal is blown into a chamber-like boiler that is burnt at extremely high temperatures and the gases and heat energy that is produced change the water into steam. The steam will create electricity and that can then be transformed into higher voltages and used for different types of things, like power lines.

One source of energy that will definitely still be around, even in 20 to 50 years is solar energy. Solar energy, like the rest of the energy resources, causes absolutely no air pollution. Electricity is made by using solar panels, like on houses. If you apply them to the roof of your house, they absorb the sunlight and convert it straight into electricity. Solar power can also create heat for your housing. Solar power heating for your houses, is a very efficient way to reduce your homes intake of electricity and then it will also increase how comfortable your house is in the winter time. We will also use solar thermal panels, which are used for heating water inside of homes, which can also be used to heat your house. The water will be used for obviously household activities like washing clothes, dishes, and showering. It’s also a very green way to heat your swimming pools. There are cars invented to run on solar power and in the future I guarantee there will be plenty more modes of transportation used to run on solar energy. The ones created today produce no pollution, and operate off of electric engines fueled only by electricity generated through the Photovoltaic effect.
 * Energy Resources: 20 to 50 years-**

The people creating energy on Earth in about 20 to 50 years will start using cogeneration energy. This is the use of a heat engine or a power station which will generate both electricity and heat at the same time. It’s renewable so therefore there will be an unlimited amount of it. It also reduces greenhouse gases, which is starting to become a major problem in the world today, so it’s bound to be a problem in the near future. This use of energy produces heating for big areas that need it. This would be the easiest because it produces heat and energy at the same time. The only problem with this is going to be finding a way to transport ourselves using cogeneration energy.

One last energy resource that we will be using in the next 20 to 50 years is biomass fuel. This is also a renewable resource that we will not run out of and it also keeps the earth pollution free, so there’s no harm done the humans or animals. Biomass fuel is an energy resource that is composed of organic material that is obtained mainly from plants and animals. Biomass always contains stored energy from the sun, which will never run out either. When biomass is burned, it the chemical energy produces heat. Electricity is also produced with heat during biomass energy production. It’s so simple to make biomass fuel, if you just burn wood in a fireplace, that’s biomass fuel. Wood or garbage can be burned to produce steam which will make electricity, or you can provide heat for your home. This is also another resource that there would be some trouble finding a way to create transportation with it.

Brittany Underkoffler-  For the past couple of weeks our honors physics class has been studying energy sources in our spare time. Through this process I can personally say that I’ve learned a lot. Now, the task at hand is to construct an essay expressing our personal opinions on what we feel to be the best energy source for the next 2-5 and the next 20-50 years will be based on transportation heating and electricity.

In my personal opinion, the best energy source for the next 2-5 years would be to depend on what we have now, fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are involved in our everyday lives, and getting rid of them all together would be out of the question.

One example of a fossil fuel that will be used in the next 2-5 years is oil. Oil is a very popular fossil fuel that is used in the heating of our homes, the powering of most of our transportation devices, and is a very reliable electricity producer. Oil is the most versatile fossil fuel and is relatively easy to store, transport, and burn. However, oil is non renewable, meaning that, eventually, we will run out. Also, oil, when burned forms many toxic products and greenhouse gases which can lead to global warming.

Coal, another nonrenewable resource, will be helpful to mankind in the next 2-5 years. Coal is used in the heating of some homes and other buildings. Coal is relatively inexpensive and produces some useful by-products. However, coal emits harmful waste such as carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphuric acids, arsenic, and ash. Coal mining can scar the landscape and the equipment used for mining is large and noisy which can affect local wildlife.

Natural gas is the final fossil fuel that I feel should be used in the near future. Natural gases are used in over 60 million homes and are vital to America’s manufacturers. Natural gas burns more cleanly than other fossil fuels, is more economical than electricity and is easily transported. However, natural gas can become very expensive, and its emissions still largely contribute to global warming.

While getting rid of fossil fuels all together would be a huge mistake, a gradual change to other resources would be a very smart idea seeing as fossil fuels such as oil and coal pose huge problems to our environment

In the next 20-50 years we should begin to think smarter and have much more technology to be able to use energy sources that do not harm our environment. This is why I believe that in the next 20-50 years we should be using things that the Earth supplies to operate energy using devices.

Wind is an excellent energy source to be used in the next 20-50 years. In fact, wind is currently being used in places around the world today. In order to create wind energy, wind is converted into a useful form of energy through the usage of wind turbines wind mills, wind pumps or sails in order to create electricity, mechanical power, water pumping or drainage, or the movement of ships. Wind is the most useful and inexpensive form of energy, it does not produce any greenhouse gases, and its renewable, we will always have wind. However, the purchase and set up of wind turbines is very expensive. The turbines may be destroyed in bad weather or storms, and the machines are very noisy, causing them to be a disruption to the surrounding wildlife.

Solar energy is also an excellent energy source that should be used in the next 20-50 years. Solar energy is created by the solar rays that reach the earth. Solar energy is also currently being used as a lighting and heating source in places around the world. Solar energy is collected through solar panels which emit no pollution. Solar energy can be very efficient in large areas of the globe and requires less dependency on other fossil fuels. However, solar energy is dependant on the climate of a region. For example, somewhere that experiences a lot of sunlight would benefit from solar energy much more than a dark place. The installation of the solar panels is also very costly.

Hydroelectricity is another resource that should be highly researched for the use of energy production in the next 20-50 years. Hydroelectric power is power derived from the force or energy of moving water. Hydroelectricity is a renewable resource, so it can be used for years to come. Unfortunately hydroelectric power disrupts natural seasonal changes in the river which can destroy an ecosystem. Hydroelectric power also requires things that are very expensive to build in order to covert water energy into useful energy.

While most of these energy sources cons outweigh the pros, hopefully in 20-50 years we will have the technology to push past the cons in order to better view the pros. Because overall, these energy sources will not only provide us with usefully energy but useful tools to better our environment.

Overall I believe that this project made me stop and think twice about the choices I make and the way they affect the world around me.

Abigail Wetzel- 
 * What are the best energy sources for the next 2-5 years and WHY?**

The world is full of many energy sources. These are both renewable and nonrenewable and are used for tons of things each day. In the next two to five years I believe that the best energy sources will be wood, oil, and synthetic fuel. Wood is known to produce ninety percent less carbon dioxide when burnt compared to fossil fuels. Although it does produce a little less energy than coal for heating, it would be equivalent to the pollution differences and would practically cancel out the cons with the pro. Using wood could have a big effect on the environment most people would believe however, trees are renewable and can be planted unlimitedly, making it a good and easy source for the production of heat. I think this will be the source chosen because of its availability and good production. Electricity is another thing of the future that people will need to find a source for. This is where I believe oil will be used. Oil is a nonrenewable resource but is also the most versatile fossil fuel. This makes it useful in many ways and not just electricity. The flaw for oil usage is the effect it could have on the planet. Burning oil causes greenhouse gasses and many of the products obtained are highly toxic. Also the commonly known oil spill can occur, damaging waters and the inhabitants of them. I trust this will be the source of heat in the next five years since it is commonly used today and is nonrenewable. Lastly, people will need a source for transportation. Since the invention of automobiles, walking is not a popular way to get place to place. Synthetic fuels could provide car fuels and is renewable making it ideal. Synthetic fuels are a production of liquid fuel obtained from coal, natural gas, or biomass. They have better chemical and total stability than most other resources. One defect about using synthetic fuels would be its high hydrogen consumption. Also the use of synthetic fuels releases greenhouse gases into the air similar to the use of oil because of how synthetic fuels are produced. The three of these sources are all costly, but that is a down fall for almost all sources used. Whether it is the collection of the source or the production money will always be a factor.

In the further future the world will have discovered newer more progresses way of providing sources. Although for some procedures we might use the same efficient resources we have known for years. In the next twenty to fifty years I judge that we will be using solar, geothermal, and biomass fuels. I think people will be discovering new ways to use more renewable sources like these for everything thing we do. Solar power is a great example of this in the way that is almost always available and can help with more than one thing. In the upcoming years this could be used to produce electricity for items such as houses, businesses, and even a complete city. Solar panels give off absolutely no pollution which is definitely one reason it is a great source. These can be very efficient in large areas of the globe at times. These panels are now considered costly but in time can be made so that the materials needed are different and economically lower. Another current problem with solar energy is the problem that it can only be generated during the day. In years to come I feel that a way to store up the energy will eliminate this dilemma. Geothermal energy produces heat for a very low cost and is generated by heat stored beneath the Earth’s surface. Geothermal is a superlative use for heat because it uses less electricity to produce same amount of heat as other sources. Along with solar it is a renewable resource and is produced by the Earth itself. It gives off very little levels of air pollution and greenhouse gases. One con for geothermal energy is the price of installation and its cause of global warming. These can have big effects on the environment but can be resolved with time to determine new ways. Biomass Fuels are composed of organic material obtained mainly from plants and animals, making this a never ending source. It is always easily available and pollution free. The biomass fuels can be used to produce methane during biomass energy production from waste. Like most sources it does produce greenhouse gases and is expensive. Together with the other two sources that I believe will be used in the future, people will be constantly thinking of ways to improve them and lower prices of production. The most worried about defect of sources though is the availability and the effects on the rest of the world. With these sources availability is not crisis because of them being renewable. The effects such as pollution, greenhouse gases, and/or global warming are different. Researchers can develop a way to possibly produce the same amount of energy from the sources and lower the risks or harm.
 * What are the best energy sources for the next 20-50 years and WHY?**

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dFBlaDRha2p2Zl9Xemdta2dNN1FiRkE6MA
 * Pleas take this survey after you read:**

 In the near and later future, there will be some resources that are the best for many reasons. Some of the reasons will have economical and environmental impacts. These resources will be for transportation, heating, and electricity.
 * Brittany Valteau **

In the next two to 5 years, the best energy resources for transportation will be synthetic fuels. This is the best choice because it has a measurably better low and high temperature viscosity performance. Also, it has better chemical and sheer stability compared to most resources. Lastly, synthetic fuels have a decreased evaporative loss. In the next twenty to fifty years, the most reliable energy resource that should be used for transportation would be biomass fuels. This is the best choice because it is easily available to use. Also, it helps keep us pollution free.

The best energy resource that will be used for heating in the next two to five years would be oil. This is because it is a reliable electricity producer. Also, it is easier to store, transport, and burn then some other resources. And it is also the most versatile fossil fuel. The best resource for heating in the next twenty to fifty years should be geothermal energy. This is because it has a low heating cost and uses less electricity to produce the same amounts of heat. Lastly, it has low levels of air pollution and green house gases.

The best energy resource in the next two to five years that should be used for electricity would be hydropower. This is the best resource because it controls flooding and provides recreational activities such as boating, fishing, and swimming. It also has inexpensive repair and malignance costs. Lastly, in case of a drought, dams will still have a constant supply of water. In the next twenty to fifty years, the resource for electricity should be solar power. In solar power, the solar panels do not give off any type of pollution at all. Also, it is very efficient in a large area of the globe. And lastly, it allows less dependency on the world’s fossil fuels.

Overall, the energy resources we use now and the ones that we will be using in the future should change. In the next two to five years, the best energy resources will be synthetic fuels, oil, and hydropower. In the next twenty to fifty years, the best energy resources that should be used will be biomass fuels, geothermal energy, and solar power. The resources will all be used for transportation, heating and electricity.