Let's Talk About Future Energy

With the rise of carbon dioxide emissions and limited deposits, how do the alternatives to fossil fuels look? Is it possible to fully transition to renewable resources in the near future?

Wind turbines converting wind energy to electrical energy

Right now, around 80% of global energy comes from fossil fuels. Conventional energy sources like oil, coal, and natural gas are so commonly used because they are incredibly energy dense and don't rely on factors like the sun and wind for us to be able to harvest them. Though, production of such resources leads to vastly increased carbon dioxide emissions and other harmful pollutants. For example, coal production produces the most CO2 and results in acid rain, ash, metal contamination, and runoff. Though natural gas has lower CO2 emissions than coal, fracking fluids used in the extraction process have been seen to leak into aqiufers and contaminate them. So what about oil? Though world oil production has dropped significantly since 1960, showing that we have become far more efficient in usage, it is still the most utilized energy source globally with 90% of transport relying on this product. All these energy sources are also nonrenewable, meaning we risk running out very soon. We are projected to run out of known oil reserves in the next 47 years. Though we may be able to use more unconventional sources like oil sands and shale oil with advanced technology, such processes have very low EROEI values. EROEI values are represented by the amount energy returned on the amount of energy invested, so the lower a value is, the less rewarding the extraction effort is. For conventional oil, we use the equivalent of 1 oil barrel's worth of energy to get 25 oil barrels worth of product, but oil sand falls between 3 to 8 barrels of product based on a single invested barrel.

The ideal energy source for us would have to be plentiful, sustainable, cheap, energy dense, secure, and non-polluting. So what about renewable resources? Hydropower for example does check those boxes, though we don't have much room to expand significantly due to geographic limitations. Solar power is growing and becoming cheaper, but just like wind power it is limited to weather and is intermittent. There's also the issue of energy storage of such resources, with batteries remaining very expensive. Though the transition to renewable resources is a prominant long-term goal, it is highly unlikely that we will be able to make the full switch in the near future. Right now, we can focus on limiting fossil fuel use and encouraging implementation of renewable resource facilities. You can help take on a more sustainable approach through transportation alternatives. Consider carpooling, choosing public transportation, biking, driving in an electric vehicle, or driving a fuel-efficient gas car to do your part and reduce gas consumption. Follow along with The Conscious Planet's blogs to learn more tips and tricks about how you can contribute to the environment!