WHY IS ENERGY IMPORTANT?
Energy is a fundamental part of our lives. Energy is needed to provide heat, light and cooking facilities in our homes. Modern life is reliant on the provision of energy for communication, transport and industrial processes. Today energy is required at the flick of a switch or the turn of a key, it is required to be instantaneous and continuous. Every product sold in the United States has involved the use of energy at some stage during its production or sale. |
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WHERE DOES OUR ENERGY COME FROM?
We get most of our energy from non-renewable energy sources, which include the fossil fuels -- oil, natural gas, and coal. They are called fossil fuels because they were formed over millions of years by the action of heat from the Earth's core and pressure from rock and soil on the remains (or "fossils") of dead plants and animals. Another non-renewable energy source is the element uranium, whose atoms we split (through a process called nuclear fission) to create heat and ultimately electricity. |
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WHAT ARE ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES?
Fossil fuels are nonrenewable, that is, they draw on finite resources that will eventually dwindle, becoming too expensive or too environmentally damaging to retrieve. In contrast, renewable energy resources—such as wind and solar energy—are constantly replenished and will never run out. |
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Solar
Sunlight can be captured by solar panels and used directly for generating electricity. |
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Wind
The energy from the winds can be captured with wind turbines. This energy can be converted to electricity for use.
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Biomass
Sunlight causes plants to grow. The organic matter that makes up those plants is known as biomass. Biomass can be used to produce electricity, transportation fuels, or chemicals. |
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Hydrogen
Hydrogen can be burned as a fuel or converted into electricity. These are called fuel cells.
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Hydropower
Flowing water creates energy that can be captured and turned into electricity. This is called hydroelectric power or hydropower. |
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HOW CAN I HELP? |
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