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Chemistry - The range of energy sources available to society

The range of energy sources available to society

The energy we use is derived from a wide range of sources, including

* fossil fuels, e.g. coal, oil and natural gas

* solar energy, e.g. in solar furnaces and photoelectric cells

* biomass, e.g. vegetable matter such as wood

* nuclear energy, e.g. fission of uranium isotopes-wind power, e.g.
windmills

* water power, e.g. dams for hydroelectricity, tides

* geothermal energy, e.g. hot springs

Energy sources can be classified as renewable or non-renewable. Fossil
fuels are because the rate of conversion of dead plant and animal matter
to fossil fuels is extremely slow compared to the rate at which we consume
these fuels. Biomass is an example of a energy source. Biomass has long
been the major energy source for people living in the third world. As
readily-available supplies of wood are exhausted, crop stubble and dried
animal dung are burned to provide energy for cooking and heating.

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