Post on 13-Jan-2016
The law of conservation of Energy tells us that we can’tGet something for nothing,But we refuse to believe it.
Enormous amounts of electricalEnergy can be transported
Over thousands of miles throughA wire the diameter of a
Quarter!
In order to generate electricity,All you have to do is set
Electrons in motion.
The way this is usually done isWith an electric generator.
An electric generator is Simply a device that changes
Mechanical energy to Electrical energy.
In other words, a generator is Merely an electric motor
Run backwards!
In order to power cities, they Are huge and wired together.
The only difference between theOnes that run on coal, or
Hydro, or nuclear is the fuelUsed to turn the motor.
A fossil fuel plant burns coal(or oil or gas) which boils water,
And that steam is used toTurn a turbine which is
Connected to a Generator that makes power.
There are 2 major problems withFossil fuel power plants…
The first is that they are reallyDirty and pollute the air.
The second is that there is Only a certain supply ofFossil fuels and we are
Running out.
Nuclear energy is energy thatExists within the nucleus of
An atom.
This energy is released when The atom is split in 2.
The splitting of atoms is Called nuclear fission, and Huge amounts of energy
Are released.
This is the same amount ofEnergy as is released during
An atom bomb!
The difference is that in a Nuclear power plant the Reaction is controlled.
The energy that is released Is used to heat up huge amounts
Of water to the boiling pointAnd then the steam is used To turn a turbine to create
Electrical energy.
There are only 2 byproducts…
One of them is steam and The other is caustic, radioactive
Nuclear waste.
The only real problem is NIMBY.
Nobody wants the nuclearWaste placed near them.
We can’t ignore that sometimesStupid people work at these
Places and thus there areAccidents!
In 1986 in Chernobyl, RussiaA worker turned off the safety
Devices during a test, then An explosion happened in the
Core and radioactive material wasReleased to the atmosphere.
And in the US at Three Mile Island,In Pennsylvania in 1979 there
Was an accident.
Human error and broken waterPumps combined to create a Small release of radioactive
Gas into the air.
Since then, there have been over300 safety improvements to
Nuclear power plants.
The United States, with justOver 4% of the world’s
Population, uses 24% of allThe energy produced.
The best way to create a Sustainable future is to
Conserve energy.This doesn’t mean living in the
Dark ages, it means using Materials that are more
Energy efficient.
You can use solar energy fromThe sun!
There are 2 ways to do this,Passive solar heating and
Active solar cells.
Passive solar heating is whenYou heat your home or yourWater with black panels on
The roof of your house.
Using solar cells to convertLight into energy is used
All the time.
It can be direct in thatThe cells create energy that
Goes directly into your house.
Or the new thing is that mirrorsReflect light to a tower thatIs filled with water and that
Water boils and turns a turbine.
Wind energy is another Eco option.
It is becoming much cheaperTo use, but the issue is thatThey require 1 acre to build.
Many people don’t like them Because they ruin the beautiful
Landscape with their tallTowers and hum.
Geothermal energy uses Energy from the heat of
The earth to create energy.
This heat can be harnessed toHeat up water, which turns
To steam and turns a turbine.
What we can’t forget is that A lot of the energy that weUse is for transportation.
And we are using old technology.
There are many new options thatCan help, but they are currently
Very expensive.
Hybrid cars are a step In the right direction,
But more has to be done.
Electric cars are a viableOption, as are hydrogen fuel
Cells, ethanol, andWater fuel.
Video on Demand | wkyc.com
Salt water fuels…
Fresh water fuel…
Fuel Water