|
|
Trusday 13 Mei 2010 |
| Save The Energy |
Energy is a part of all human activities: it heats home, makes cars move, cultivates land, and makes machines do work. The intensive exploitation of the world’s energy resources over the past few centuries has brought about an unprecedented rise of living standards. People nowadays are so dependant on the use of energy that they can hardly imagine living without it.
There are various energy sources, but people are seldom aware of the fact that solar energy is the original source of all energy in the world and therefore makes life possible today.
Solar radiation penetrates the atmosphere and heats the Earth. The Earth also radiates infrared energy, which is invisible but also transforms into energy. Part of the heat is emitted and lost in outer space. The remaining part of the reflected heat is absorbed and does not leave the Earth, due the gases in the atmosphere known as “greenhouse gases.” These gases are like a blanket covering the Earth, and play a natural role in keeping the Earth warm. Other planets without an atmosphere are much colder, and life as we know it cannot exist there.
Sunlight ia a basic component in the process of photosynthesis. It is very important for the existence of plant and animal organisms. Regions with favourable light and h eat conditions usually feature a great variety of plants and animals , and the people’s living is much easier.
Today, people use different types of energy sources:
• Fossil fuels (coal, natural gas and oil)
• Nuclear energy, and
• Renewable energy resources (water, wind, geothermal energy, biomass, etc)
Energy production causes serious negative impacts on the environment. The burning of hard and liquid fossil fuel is accompanied by the release of acidic gases, dust, soot and other pollutants. Mining in open pits leads to changes and destruction of the natural landscape. The operation of nuclear power stations carries risks, while the storage and treatment of nuclear waste is still expensive and unstead.
[BACK]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
