Global Ecology and Environmental Damage

By Shelly Wagar

The greenhouse gases threat to world ecosystems is a very real threat. These gases help contribute to global warming and air pollution. Because of the increase in the level of these gases in the atmosphere, severe weather patterns are becoming more common as the ocean slowly warms up. Devastating storms and hurricanes are occurring more frequently, and new viruses and bacteria that pose a threat to humans are being found, all because the temperature of the earth is warming faster due to greenhouse gases. The world ecosystems are changing and being threatened because changing climates and global warming. Stopping the emissions of greenhouse gases can stop this threat, and preserve the ecosystems of the world.

Loss of tropical rainforest biome may be a catastrophe for mankind as well. The rainforest creates the oxygen that you breathe and holds the answers to many natural cures and medical treatments that are not yet all revealed. This crucial resource is being deforested at a rate of tens of millions of acres each year, and this is an enormous loss. Scientists estimate that many species of unknown plants, insects, and animals are destroyed without ever being discovered or studied, because of deforestation in the rainforest. This natural resource is an important part of the entire global ecosystem, and life on earth depends on it. The rainforest loss that goes on every day damages the earth, and the entire population. Steps need to be taken to protect and preserve this vital resource, which also acts as a filter and removes very large amounts of carbon and pollution from the air.

Another issue that affects the global ecology involves ecological concerns about us offshore oil drilling. No matter how safely offshore drilling is done, this process harms the environment and the ecology. Oil exploration methods can harm marine life, and oils spills and accidents during transportation happen many times each year. Drilling, whether it is offshore or on land, destroys the area and has high risks of environmental damage and dangerous contaminants. One oil spill in the ocean can spread quickly and affect many miles of marine life and environment. When large transportation spills happen, like the one involving the Exxon Valdez ship, the environment and area populations can suffer for decades, even with massive cleanup efforts.

Traditional mining and drilling deplete natural resources as well as harming the environment. Mountains are destroyed simply to gain easier access to fossil fuel deposits like coal seams, and fossil fuels are limited and can not be renewed. These fuels take thousands and even millions of years to be created in the earth, and once these reserves are gone they can not be replaced. Alternative energy sources that are renewable and eco-friendly must be utilized to prevent an energy crisis globally. The technology has been developed for a number of alternative energy and fuel sources which do not harm the earth or environment, and are renewable. These alternative energy sources can be produced domestically, and will end the dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oil. Using fossil fuels, and traditional recovery methods like mining and drilling, will not supply the energy needed globally for much longer, and have an enormous detrimental effect on the environment.

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Different Sources of Renewable Energy

By Thomas B. Chuong

Natural sources of renewable energy are those that will not diminish. Some of them include hydropower, biomass, wind, and tidal. These are all similar to alternative power sources. We will review a few of these different types.

Hydropower was originally used in water mills, but with the advent of turbines this source of renewable power now generates electricity. Dams are built to form reservoirs and offer a potential to harness the power generated by the height of the falling water. Water flows down the tunnels in the base of the dam, turns the turbines, and generate electricity. It is controllable and very economical. But it also has the lowest chance of growth as the majority of good sites have already been used.

Biomass utilized organic materials to generate power. It is one of the oldest and earliest types using fire. Wood or coal is burned to produce heat to turn water into steam which turns a turbine, and this process generates electricity.

Wind power is an ancient method that was used to turn windmills. Nowadays, wind is use to generate electricity or pump water. Windmills were common in medieval England and Holland, because they were used to grind corn and pump water in the Americas. Modern windmills were developed in the 1970′s and Denmark was the only country that pursued the idea. The coasts of Europe installed windmills to capture offshore wind.

Last but not least, tidal energy uses the power of the tides; they are predictable as they follow a cyclical pattern. This energy source has used for many years, in Northern France to grind cereals. In countries like the Philippines, the country has installed tidal windmill farm in 36 approved sites. The estimated capacity of these tidal windmill farms could reach 300 Megawatt which would include wind, solar, and geothermal efforts.

With steady technological advancement in renewable energy, we will soon have different sources of renewable energy available for commercial and residential use.

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The Importance of Renewable Energy

By Gretchen Canedo

Renewable energy is an energy produced from easily-replenished sources like the sun, wind, water, biological and geothermal processes. Compared to fossil fuels and coals, these natural resources are usually referred to as clean forms of energy since they do not produce harmful emissions and polluting agents into the atmosphere and thus have a very minimal environmental impact during the process of production which is a very good factor in the preservation of our environment.

It is undeniable though that investing in renewable energy does not come cheap but if we are to think about what the costs of continuing the usage of coals and fossil fuels will do to our environment, I think it’s fair enough. Just consider the damages brought about by the effects of global warming, to sum it all, it may worth more if not equal to the amount needed for the facilities required in the production of renewable energy. And since there are no more harmful emissions therefore it is non-polluting, thus; a more healthy society is likely achievable.

The benefits of using renewable energy is not limited to being replaceable, it extends to the creation of jobs through the different projects initiated by several companies and agencies supporting the use of this energy source. By using this form of energy a nation’s dependence from oil-producing countries will alleviate. Instead of spending money for importing energy why don’t we invest it in the maintenance and acquisition of more equipment for the production of renewable energy? It makes more sense to invest to something that both the present and the future generation can benefit. We cannot exhaust the limited resources that we have because if we do what else could we give to our children in the future.

Let’s not think about how hard it will be to achieve a green world nowadays but how harder it is to restore a world from destruction. It takes millions of years before the world can regenerate new sources for the world to consume and we can only hope that they are produced even before we use up the already limited stocks. Shifting from the conventional sources of energy to the renewable sources is not an easy transition. It can greatly affect not just the economy but also the consumption of every house (residential or industrial) however we should always consider the environmental aspect and the societal needs if we are to decide which energy source we should maintain and use.

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