The Future World Energy Crisis

Nowadays, energy has been depicted as a basic need in the human life. For example, to type this paper I need electrical energy for computer, lighting, air conditioner, etc. from this example, it’s clear that we need so much energy for doing something that is simple like typing.

From paragraph above we can see that humans need much energy for doing their activity even it’s only one activity. If we look closer into this activity, we need more than just one kind of energy. This means, we need tremendous amount of energy to just do a simple thing like making report or paper, actually if there is no energy.

Definition

From those examples, we can define that energy is a scalar physical quantity that describes the amount of work that can be performed by a force, an attitude of objects and systems that is subject to a conversion law, it is required to do any kind of activity, and even just for reading this paper we need some amount of energy. In general energy is a really important part of our life.

Forms of Energy

Energy can be divided into many kinds, according to the criteria there is different forms of energy include kinetic, potential, thermal, gravitational, sound, light, elastic, and electromagnetic energy, there is still another type of energy that are indirectly shown in our lives for chemical energy

Think about it, if one single daily activity we need so much energy, than we need more energy to do all of our activity in a single day. So, it’s obvious that the energy will soon depleted, considering that we use so much energy in one day, or even at only one hour. By looking at this fact, the world surely will face an energy crisis soon.

Kind of energy sources

There are several kinds of energy sources that scientist has divided energy into classified two categories by their renewability, which are not renewable energy source (hard energy technology) and renewable energy source (soft energy technology). Not renewable energy source are the source of energy that needs a very long time to regenerate, for example: crude oil, charcoal, and earth gas. Coal, for example, needs about more than million years to be available again, the process from the plants for fossilize, creating coal. Meanwhile renewable energy source are the source of energy that always be available with a huge amount and almost limitless, this energy source is either too many or very quickly to regenerate, for example: solar energy, wind, hydro, and biomass. For example, wind is a renewable energy, because wind will never depleted, no matter how much wind that you use, another example is solar energy, which we can use solar as an energy source.

Not renewable energy source can be depleted since the rate of their utilization far exceeds the rate at which they are formed. This source of energy is the ones that we use in global scale because their energy is larger than the ones from renewable energy

The renewable solar energy is subdivided into direct and indirect types. Sunlight that used directly can produce electricity, heat or derive a chemical reaction. It is used indirectly when it drives other processes, biological – chemical or climatic – mechanical, which in turn are used as the sources of energy.

The energy sources can be classified in a number of ways based on the nature of their transaction, as commercial and noncommercial sources of energy. All energy resources, particularly the commercial ones, are natural. Coal, oil and nuclear sources constitute commercial sources, while firewood, biomass and animal dung constitute non-commercial sources. Also, the energy sources are classified based on animate and inanimate characteristics.

Energy sources could also be classified as exhaustible/depletable or non-depletable/renewable resources. The distinguishing feature of an exhaustible resource is that, it gets exhausted when used as an input of a production process, and at the same time, its undisturbed role of growth is nil. That is if the temporal services provided by a given stock of an exhaustible resource are finite.

Nowadays, people tend to use un-renewable energy, since it is much easier to process and easier to use. However, we can’t keep this forever, because our energy need keep increasing from time to time, while the source of energy are slow to regenerate. The result will be quite fatal, as there will no more energy source available to be used, for instance, the oil reserves in the world would be depleted, it would be happen about 32 years from now if the use of oil on the constant rate.

Energy crisis in very dangerous and must be prevented at all cost. It can create disaster; as the energy still needed by human; and declination of world economics and quality of life. For example if there is no more oil, then we cannot use transportations, and then business will be plummeted since goods can no longer be transported. Without electricity, we almost cannot operate anything that needs electricity, like example: computer, hand phone, and other things. Imagine today’s world, without any electricity, then our live would be miserable because almost of the invention need electricity.

To avoid this crisis, scientist is trying to develop technology which can be used to utilize the un-renewable energy. Although it is a little late, as the use of oil and another un-renewable energy reserve were depleted, there is a hope for this method to succeed. This breakthrough in renewable energy utilization is aiming at energy conservation. By using renewable energy instead of that, we can acquire unlimited amount source of energy, and without fearing that it may depleted.

Lately the vital source of our energy, mainly oil and coal, are in danger. Unless we found such way using alternative energy to replace its function, we will face the energy shortage, our civilization would be crippled, and that’s why we need to pay close attention of how we use a device with this kind of energy as its source.

In nowadays we still use the energy, but the need of the energy isn’t turning down but rather increasing, this is the causes of energy crisis in future, and also there are some problems like war or terrorist attack (i.e. oil field that got burned,), etc.

Energy Crisis

An energy crisis is any great bottleneck (or price rise) in the supply of energy resources to an economy. In popular literature though, it often refers to one of the energy sources used at a certain time and place, it has about to come for about 30 years later (if the rate use of energy is constant) then there would be peak oil or oil crisis age, about 40-50 years later there wouldn’t be any more cheap energy or rather there wouldn’t be any energy left for use.

Historical Crises

1970s Energy Crisis – Cause: peaking of oil production in major industrial nations (Germany, U.S., Canada, etc.) and embargos from other producers

1973 oil crisis – Cause: an OPEC oil export embargo by many of the major Arab oil-producing states, in response to western support of Israel during the Yom Kippur War

1979 oil crisis – Cause: the Iranian revolution

1990 spike in the price of oil – Cause: the Gulf War

The 2000-2001 California electricity crisis – Cause: failed deregulation, and business corruption.

The UK fuel protest of 2000 – Cause: Raise in the price of crude oil combined with already relatively high taxation on road fuel in the UK.

North American natural gas crisis

Argentine energy crisis of 2004

North Korea has had energy shortages for many years.

Zimbabwe has experienced a shortage of energy supplies for many years due to financial mismanagement.

Political riots occurring during the 2007 Burmese anti-government protests were sparked by rising energy prices.

Energy shortages

The crises that exist as of 2008 include:

Oil price increases since 2003 – Caused by continued global increases in petroleum demand coupled with production stagnation, the falling value of the U.S. dollar, and a myriad of other secondary causes.

2008 Central Asia energy crisis: caused by abnormally cold temperatures and low water levels in an area dependent on hydroelectric power. Despite having significant hydrocarbon reserves, in February 2008 the President of Pakistan announced plans to tackle energy shortages that were reaching crisis stage. At the same time the South African President was appeasing fears of a prolonged electricity crisis in South Africa.

South African electrical crisis: The South African crisis, which may last to 2012, lead to large price rises for platinum in February 2008 and reduced gold production.

China experienced severe energy shortages towards the end of 2005 and again in early 2008. During the latter crisis they suffered severe damage to power networks along with diesel and coal shortages. Supplies of electricity in Guangdong province, the manufacturing hub of China, are predicted to fall short by an estimated 10 GW.

It has been predicted that in the coming years after 2009 that the United Kingdom will suffer an energy crisis due to its commitments to reduce coal fired power stations, its politician’s unwillingness to set up new nuclear power stations to replaces those that will be de-commissioned in a few years (even though they will not be running in time to stop a full blown crisis) and unreliable sources and sources that are running out of oil and gas. It is therefore predicted that the UK may have regular blackouts like South Africa.

Energy management

An electricity shortage is felt most by those who depend on electricity for their heating, cooking and water supply. In these circumstances a sustained energy crisis may become a humanitarian crisis.

If an energy shortage is prolonged a crisis management phase is enforced by authorities. Energy audits may be conducted to monitor usage. Various curfews with the intention of increasing energy conservation may be initiated to reduce consumption. To conserve power during the Central Asia energy crisis, authorities in Tajikistan ordered bars and cafes to operate by candlelight. [9] Warnings issued that peak demand power supply might not be sustained.

In the worst kind of energy crisis energy rationing and fuel rationing may be incurred. Panic buying may beset outlets as awareness of shortages spread. Facilities close down to save on heating oil; and factories cut production and lay off workers. The risk of stagflation increases.

Alternative energy sources

Definition

Alternative energy is an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels

There are several definitions of the Alternative Energy which are:

Oxford Dictionary energy fuelled in ways that do not use up natural resources or harm the environment.

Princeton WordNet energy derived from sources that do not use up natural resources or harm the environment.

Responding to Climate Change 2007 energy derived from nontraditional sources (e.g., compressed natural gas, solar, hydroelectric, wind).

Natural Resources Defense Council energy that is not popularly used and is usually environmentally sound, such as solar or wind energy (as opposed to fossil fuels).

Materials Management Services Fuel sources that are other than those derived from fossil fuels. Typically used interchangeably for renewable energy. Examples include: wind, solar, biomass, wave and tidal energy.

Torridge District Council Energy generated from alternatives to fossil fuel. Need not be renewable.

The general Definition is an energy sources that can be used to replace un-renewable energy that are renewable but sometimes with side effect, sometimes alternative energy that won’t create side effect are called Green energy.

In response to the petroleum crisis, the principles of green energy and sustainable living movements gain popularity. This has led to increasing interest in alternate power/fuel research such as fuel cell technology, liquid nitrogen economy, hydrogen fuel, methanol, biodiesel, Karrick process, solar energy, geothermal energy, tidal energy, wave power, and wind energy, and fusion power. To date, only hydroelectricity and nuclear power have been significant alternatives to fossil fuel.

Hydrogen gas is currently produced at a net energy loss from natural gas, which is also experiencing declining production in North America and elsewhere. When not produced from natural gas, hydrogen still needs another source of energy to create it, also at a loss during the process. This has led to hydrogen being regarded as a ‘carrier’ of energy, like electricity, rather than a ‘source’. The unproven dehydrogenating process has also been suggested for the use water as an energy source.

Efficiency mechanisms such as Negawatt power can encourage significantly more effective use of current generating capacity. It is a term used to describe the trading of increased efficiency, using consumption efficiency to increase available market supply rather than by increasing plant generation capacity. As such, it is a demand-side as opposed to a supply-side measure.

Role of the Alternative Energy

Alternative Energy are supposed to replace fuel but there are several effects as well, which are:

Alternative Energy help our environment by not producing harmful emissions (some of them) because they doesn’t create any pollutant

It can be accessed anywhere on the planet with the right equipment

It will create thousands of job opportunities

It will save you a lot of budget (just for personal use)

Consequences of using Alternative Energy

Alternative Energy, which can replace un-renewable energy still have its own flaws, for example: some of them are theoretically flaw (it was impossible to do that or there still needed some research, etc.) or some of them are expensive, the energy source needs to be produced using high technology, the other reason is because the source only produce very small amount of energy that it doesn’t enough to replace the fuel source

Energy Saving

Energy Consumption

In some country there is daylight saving which is electricity saving in summer that the time in the some country are fast forwarded in some country, if the time is at 12:00 pm then the time in the clock is about 10-11:00 am.

Some of the country doing some regulation to save the energy like regular blackout, use mass amount of solar panel, using recycled items, and use of wind energy (like in Dutch)

Conclusion

From the text above we can conclude that humans need to search for another energy sources (Alternative Energy).It’s necessary because the energy will soon depleted, and without energy, there is nothing we can do. So if we start to search for alternate energy and do the energy saving then we can evade the worldwide energy crisis.