Growth in population indicates an increase in the number of people inhabiting an area which also leads to a change in their activities. Deforestation use of chemicals, pollution of air, water and soil increases to a larger extent.
Global warming which is the increase in the earth’s atmospheric temperature, causing climatic changes is another problem which is being faced by us due to the ever-rising increasing population.
With fossil fuels being discovered to fulfill the unending demands of the people, coal and petroleum gas was commonly used.
Coal – Use of coal was started due to the energy crisis faced by mankind, during the 18th century, due to lack o timber. Coal is either burnt or converted into useful solid, gaseous and liquid products. It is mainly used to provide heat to the boilers of electric power plants. In order to convert raw materials into iron and steel, coal was used. It provides a large amount of energy in the form of electricity, too. But along with a lot of benefits, coal also led to pollution. It released harmful pollutants like sulphur di-oxide, carbon dioxide and increases global warming and mercury into the air and provide decontamination from radiation exposure.
Petroleum oil and gas – Oil and gas are other sorts of fossil fuels. Oil and gas is extracted from mineral deposits under the earth’s surface. Gas is used for cooking, heating and many other purposes. The modern world of today seems to be impossible without petroleum. One of the major uses lies in the running of vehicles and industries. Industries have been set up in order to store oil and petrol. Hence, energy conservation becomes all the more important.
Coal, petroleum gas and oil are non-renewable sources of energy. There are some of the renewable sources of energy, which can be used and reused. But the bare fact remains that even with the discovery of fossil fuels; man’s problems were far from over. Each new discovery came with its set of problems and by the time, one problem, could be solved completely another discovery was made.
Some of the alternative sources of energy that offer decontamination from radiation exposure are solar energy, wind energy and hydro energy. Nuclear energy is also one of the alternative resources of energy, which is also a renewable source of energy. Nuclear energy is generated by nuclear fission under the controlled conditions in a nuclear reactor. Though it is claimed to be a clean source of energy, nuclear waste disposal is a difficult task and does not grant decontamination from radiation exposure. Exposure to nuclear radiation can bring genetic changes in humans.
Related posts: