Sun Is The Future

If you are in favor of renewable/CLEAN energy, please sign the petition page showing support for FIT/CLEAN Program at http://sunisthefuture.net/?page_id=1065 Thank you.

President Barack Obama’s State of the Union 2011, WINNING THE FUTURE, in full, took place last week (January 25, 2011, 9:00P.M. EST):  http://www.whitehouse.gov/state-of-the-union-2011 (the best site to view STATE of the UNION 2011)

The portion of President Obama’s address directly concerning Energy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAhut_6JAzw

As always, President Obama spoke with inspiration, poise, and optimism. But instead  of using the term “Renewable Energy Technology”, he was using “Clean Energy Technology”, with a new and hopeful goal of 80% of our electricity will be coming from clean energy  sources by 2035.  So, let’s take a look to see  if there is any difference between the two terminologies or are they synonymous.

Based on  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy , renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable (naturally replenished).  Whereas US Department of Energy source,  http://www.eere.energy.gov/ ,  listed Solar, Wind, Water, Biomass, Geothermal, Hydrogen & Fuel Cells under the category of Renewable Energy.  Mankind has turned toward renewable energy due to the rising oil prices, eventual depletion of fossil fuels, and concern for adverse environmental impact of conventional energy  sources. For better understanding of how each and every one of these renewable energy works, please refer to links below:

1.  How Solar Energy Works: http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/technology_and_impacts/energy_technologies/how-solar-energy-works.html

2.  How Wind Energy Works: http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/technology_and_impacts/energy_technologies/how-wind-energy-works.html

3.  How Water Energy/Hydrokinetic Energy Works: http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/technology_and_impacts/energy_technologies/how-hydrokinetic-energy-works.html

4.  How Biomass Energy Works: http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/technology_and_impacts/energy_technologies/how-biomass-energy-works.html

5.  How Geothermal Energy Works: http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/technology_and_impacts/energy_technologies/how-geothermal-energy-works.html

6. How Hydrogen & Fuel Cells Work:  http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/technologies_and_fuels/hybrid_fuelcell_and_electric_vehicles/how-a-fuel-cell-works.html

But this seems to be more of an energy storing mechanism rather than energy  source.  We also have to address the question of source of hydrogen and the cost associated with this process.  Overall, from all sources, there seems to be a consensus that Solar, Wind, Water/Hydro, Biomass, and Geothermal are the generally accepted consideration for renewable energy sources. Whether or not any particular renewable energy source is also  considered as clean energy source depends on your definition of “clean energy”, meaning how much or how  little the CO2 emission and/or other pollutant is involved. In some cases, environmental impacts are part of the consideration/equation.  In President Obama’s State of the Union 2011 on the eve of Jan. 25, 2011, he appeared to have considered the clean energy  source as energy source that specifically includes solar (a renewable energy), wind (a renewable energy), nuclear, natural gas, and clean coal.  There was no mention of geothermal, hydro, or biomass portion of the renewable energy sources.  This may had been due to the fact that : geothermal process may involve heavy metal pollution and great  need of water use; hydro energy historically had been associated with negative environmental impact; biomass had only played a very small part in the renewable energy scene.  As for the inclusion of nuclear, natural gas, and clean coal,  there may be much discussions. So, let’s take a look at how these three types of energy source work:

1.  How Nuclear Power Works:  http://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear_power/nuclear_power_technology/how-nuclear-power-works.html

2.  How Natural Gas Works:  http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/technology_and_impacts/energy_technologies/how-natural-gas-works.html

3.  How Coal Works:  http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/technology_and_impacts/energy_technologies/how-coal-works.html

Even though I may not have personally considered nuclear, natural gas, and clean coal  as part of the clean energy portfolio,  I understand this reflects President Obama’s pragmatic nature/disposition, hoping to make a smooth transition rather than an immediate switch-over into a low-carbon economy, with the goal of increased generation from domestic fossil fuels and renewables while cutting carbon emissions and reducing dependence on foreign energy.  Once again, his attempt in bringing diversified groups to the same table and reinforcing the concept of “we are all in this together” is demonstrated. If President Obama is able to bring all of these groups together, then I am in favor of a straight carbon tax (penalty charges based directly/ proportionally on the amount of  carbon emission by a particular group or industry) that will be easily and fairly  understood and implemented.

Thanks to those of you who have been reading my blog and writing to me.  Your remarks are welcomed.  Please feel free to publicly leave your remarks  so that more of us may be able to easily share your insights. I also welcome  any questions or concerns you may have regarding the renewable and clean  energy issue.  I would really like to compile as many and as basic as the  questions/ concerns may be involved in renewable and/or clean energy.  As  you can see, just the basic definition of Clean Energy vs. Renewable Energy  may take quite a while.  But with changing time and political expediency,  definitions may fluctuate with time. As for those of you who are teaching our youth/leaders of tomorrow, please feel free to ask your students to post  comments or questions.  Much of our decisions today will impact these youths tomorrow.

written & posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker, sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Homepage: http://sunisthefuture.net http://sunisthefuture.com http://sunisthefuture.org
Any comments and suggestions are welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com

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Tags: Aerospace for Sustainable Engineering and Technology, blog, clean energy, coal, natural gas, nuclear, President Obama, renewable energy, Solar Energy, Sun, Sun Is The Future, sunisthefuture.com, sunisthefuture.net, susan sun nunamaker

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 26th, 2011 at 6:43 AM and is filed under Editorial. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.