Question: What is your stand on the dwindling finite energy resources, such as fossil fuels and coal, and has any researched been started on the discovery of revolutionary resources.
Yes, the finite energy resources are dwindling, as expected of any non-renewable resource. There is a lot of research that is going on to develop the renewable energy resources and there has been a lot of success also. Few examples of these research and application areas are:
1. Solar Energy: Sunlight can now be used directly for heating and lighting homes and other buildings, for generating electricity, and for hot water heating, solar cooling, and a variety of commercial and industrial uses.
2. Wing Energy: The energy is captured with wind turbines. The Capital Wind Farm near Canberra is the biggest renewable energy project in NSW. When the wind blows, this farm with 67 turbines has the capacity to generate up to 140.7 Megawatts of power.
3. Biomass Energy: Sunlight causes plants to grow. The organic matter that makes up those plants is known as biomass. Biomass is now used to produce electricity, transportation fuels, or chemicals. The use of biomass for any of these purposes is called biomass energy. Its use for electricity generation has increased rapidly in the last two years in US, Europe, China, Brazil and India. In fact, it now ranks third – only behind hydro and wind – as the biggest source of renewable energy used for electricity generation.
At our research centre we are doing a lot of work on using sugarcane waste to produce ethanol.
4. Hydrogen: It is found in many organic compounds, as well as water. It’s the most abundant element on the Earth and can be burned as a fuel or converted into electricity.
5. Ocean energy: The Ocean can produce thermal energy from the sun’s heat and mechanical energy from the tides and waves.
6. Hydropower: Flowing water creates energy that can be captured and turned into electricity. This is called hydroelectric power or hydropower.
@Kaiser
Great question.
I’m also concerned we are currently using too much of our nonrenewable resources (oil, gas, energy) to live, eat and prosper on this planet. Agriculture is a significant user of these resources through the need of fertilisers (nitrogen phosphorus), water, arable land, mechanisation and transport. However I also realise the importance of all types of agriculture to meet the growing demand for food globally and the challenges ahead to meet this demand over the next 50-100 years.
I believe the answer will be in the sustainable use of resources we currently have. To do this we have to be smarter and use research to identify technologies that improve their use (i.e. better plants/foods, clean fuel technologies, less greenhouse gasses, more powerful energy sources etc). We also need to develop sustainable energy sources that we tend to ignore (solar, geothermal) to help minimise our impact on the planet.
I’m hopeful, as we have many brilliant people on the planet (that may be you in a few years time) ready to take up this challenge.
Harjeet has said it all =P But yes, there is heaps of research into alternative energy sources. Unfortunately a lot of these options cost a lot to use. We still need to do more research to make these options cheaper to run. Hopefully we will switch to renewable sources of energy soon so we can stop polluting the environment and before we run out of fossil fuels, oil, uranium etc.
Yes, the finite energy resources are dwindling, as expected of any non-renewable resource. There is a lot of research that is going on to develop the renewable energy resources and there has been a lot of success also. Few examples of these research and application areas are:
1. Solar Energy: Sunlight can now be used directly for heating and lighting homes and other buildings, for generating electricity, and for hot water heating, solar cooling, and a variety of commercial and industrial uses.
2. Wing Energy: The energy is captured with wind turbines. The Capital Wind Farm near Canberra is the biggest renewable energy project in NSW. When the wind blows, this farm with 67 turbines has the capacity to generate up to 140.7 Megawatts of power.
3. Biomass Energy: Sunlight causes plants to grow. The organic matter that makes up those plants is known as biomass. Biomass is now used to produce electricity, transportation fuels, or chemicals. The use of biomass for any of these purposes is called biomass energy. Its use for electricity generation has increased rapidly in the last two years in US, Europe, China, Brazil and India. In fact, it now ranks third – only behind hydro and wind – as the biggest source of renewable energy used for electricity generation.
At our research centre we are doing a lot of work on using sugarcane waste to produce ethanol.
4. Hydrogen: It is found in many organic compounds, as well as water. It’s the most abundant element on the Earth and can be burned as a fuel or converted into electricity.
5. Ocean energy: The Ocean can produce thermal energy from the sun’s heat and mechanical energy from the tides and waves.
6. Hydropower: Flowing water creates energy that can be captured and turned into electricity. This is called hydroelectric power or hydropower.
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@Kaiser
Great question.
I’m also concerned we are currently using too much of our nonrenewable resources (oil, gas, energy) to live, eat and prosper on this planet. Agriculture is a significant user of these resources through the need of fertilisers (nitrogen phosphorus), water, arable land, mechanisation and transport. However I also realise the importance of all types of agriculture to meet the growing demand for food globally and the challenges ahead to meet this demand over the next 50-100 years.
I believe the answer will be in the sustainable use of resources we currently have. To do this we have to be smarter and use research to identify technologies that improve their use (i.e. better plants/foods, clean fuel technologies, less greenhouse gasses, more powerful energy sources etc). We also need to develop sustainable energy sources that we tend to ignore (solar, geothermal) to help minimise our impact on the planet.
I’m hopeful, as we have many brilliant people on the planet (that may be you in a few years time) ready to take up this challenge.
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Harjeet has said it all =P But yes, there is heaps of research into alternative energy sources. Unfortunately a lot of these options cost a lot to use. We still need to do more research to make these options cheaper to run. Hopefully we will switch to renewable sources of energy soon so we can stop polluting the environment and before we run out of fossil fuels, oil, uranium etc.
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I agree with @Dominique – @Harjeet has done a great job of answering this question! Finding alternative energy sources is a must
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well done Harjeet
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