         
Original article by Emily Dennis.
A young science writer in Oxfordshire gives an account of our energy use since the Industrial Revolution, and illustrates new energy solutions in our time
Introduction We have pleasure in publishing a successful young author in the 6th Oxfordshire Science Writing Competition. Emily Dennis, runner up in the 14-16 age group weighs up the pros and cons of different types of energy.
Sections in this article Energy we are used to Use of Natural Energy Development of nuclear energy Where Next?
Energy we are used to Life today has been greatly influenced by the discovery and exploitation of fossil fuels to provide the energy needed for our present way of life. Firstly, there was coal which was essential to the industrial revolution and the growth of the railways. Then there was oil which has fuelled the great expansion of travel in the last hundred years. At the same time, gas has taken over from coal in heating, cooking and in power stations.
Gas ring commonly used for cooking in UK homes However, the fossil fuels are not renewable and are predicted to gradually run out in the first half of the 21st Century. It is therefore up to scientists to find new forms of energy to sustain our lifestyle. The introduction of new forms of energy will have a large impact on the environment and the balance of nature. At present, the two main directions in which the scientists are heading are:
Use of Natural Energy
Californian windfarm Natural sources of energy have been used in windmills and watermills for hundreds of years, but now the aim for scientists is to produce large amounts of energy at a reasonable cost. Solar energy is already widely used in some hot countries such as Australia, to heat water using solar heaters on the roofs of buildings. However, the aim is to produce electricity from solar cells. Solar or photovoltaic cells are made of panels of semi-conductor material (usually silicon), which generate electricity when illuminated by sunlight. Scientists are attempting to develop better materials which will make the cells cheaper and more efficient. Solar cells could be a source of energy in the electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen. Hydrogen is a clean fuel and is predicted to be one of the major fuels for transport in the future. Another source of energy which could be used for future transport is the fuel cell. A fuel cell converts chemical energy directly into electrical energy. It works on the same principle as a battery, but the cell is continually fed with fuel, usually hydrogen. The introduction of hydrogen and fuel cells could bring considerable benefits in reducing pollution from vehicles and the greenhouse effect. Windmills today are much different from traditional types. They consist of steel columns fifty to a hundred metres tall with two or three blade propellers, each blade being up to twenty metres long. The blades have to be scientifically designed to extract the maximum energy from the wind, but at the same time, to be strong enough to stand up to gales. There may be up to thirty windmills on one site, forming a wind farm. Wind farms can cause environmental problems because of their appearance and the noise they produce. Unfortunately, many of the sites which have good wind conditions are also areas of natural beauty, for example, along coastlines. The very tall windmills will spoil the skyline in these areas. Energy may be obtained from the sea in two ways. The first is from the waves using a system of buckets which are rocked by the waves to drive generators to produce electricity. The second method is to use the energy of the tide as it rises and falls in estuaries to drive water turbines to produce electricity. These methods will be less unsightly than wind farms, but they are less developed and are still being tested by scientists. Development of nuclear energy Nuclear energy has been used in several countries for the past fifty years. However, accidents at Chernobyl in Ukraine and Three Mile Island in the USA have stopped further expansion because of the risks of radiation poisoning. This form of nuclear power is produced by fission, which is the splitting of atomic nuclei of Uranium-235 to produce energy. This produces considerable amounts of nuclear waste which remains radio-active for up to several thousand years. Storing this waste is a great problem. Although scientists think they have developed safe methods of embedding it in concrete and dumping it in the sea or deep caves, they cannot be sure that it will not create danger in the future.
Sellafield Nuclear Plant in Cumbria, North West England. Nuclear Waste is a problem which doesn't go away. Many scientists consider that nuclear fusion will be the answer to sustainable production of energy in the long term. In nuclear fusion, two atomic nuclei are fused together to release large amounts of energy. Fusion requires high temperatures, millions of degrees, and scientists are trying to find ways of achieving these. The advantages are that the fuel uses hydrogen which is almost limitless and the amount of nuclear waste is much smaller than in fission. It will take several years before fusion becomes a reality. Scientific research is essential to develop renewable forms of energy to preserve our lifestyle. Hopefully these will counteract the dangers to our environment caused by fossil fuels. At the same time, scientists need to find ways of reducing the amounts of energy we use. Perhaps scientists will develop pills which provide all our food needs. This would be very good for the earth, but possibly not very interesting for ourselves. Where Next? On ClimateX.org If Emily has stimulated your interest in different types of energy, there are a variety of articles on site giving comprehensive and detailed overviews. Try ‘Introducing Solar Photovoltaics', ‘Wave Energy: an overview', and ‘Wood Fuel in Oxfordshire'. To read another young scientist's article, see ‘Coral Reefs: their fate in a changing climate', by Sarah Penington. External Links Have a look at the UK Atomic Energy Authority's site on nuclear fusion Article by
Emily Dennis
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