Global Energy Consumption On Fossil Fuels

With the increasing Australia’s population the demand for reliable energy to support our power needs now and into the future is escalating, with majority of the Australia’s energy depending solely on coal power with concerns arising on whether this is the best option for Australia’s future or focus more on harnessing green renewable energy. This essay will argue that green energy is the best option over coal power, for the world and Australia’s future, such as solar and wind. The biggest challenge though will be finding a way in being able to harness the resources nature provides to support the growing demand.

Whilst it may seem a “no-brainer” to cease investment in non-renewable power and transfer our effort, resources and investment into developing renewable energy sources, the reality is that we have become so reliant and dependent upon non-renewable energy – particularly fossil fuels – that we must continue to use, develop, and invest in such energy to maintain the living standards that we enjoy today. In our short to medium-term future, and in spite of our ever-increasing scientific knowledge about the environmental price that we pay in using non-renewable energy, we must continue to invest in it. Let me explain why.

The switch to clean energy in the United States and around the world is a difficult necessity that must be met within the subsequent five to six decades. The prolonged use of damaging fossil fuels and other unsustainable forms of energy are greatly damaging the planet. These sources of non-renewable energy are bound to run out in the following century. Millions of square kilometers of Arctic ice has melted so far, the sea level is rising, and the CO2 levels present in the atmosphere are drastically increasing (Chang). The transition to renewable energy must be met; however, this is not a process possible to achieve overnight. This change will require an extensive amount of resources and time but will reap many benefits to the users of this growing technology.

The world right now is facing a major disaster if our habits don’t change. Fossil fuels dominate our energy demand and at our current rate this will remain true for quite some time. The World Energy outlook claims that by 2030 84% of our energy demands will be fulfilled by fossil fuels (Shafiee et al, 181). It is believed that we possess the reserves to meet our demands until 2030 (Shafiee et al, 181) but the cost will increase as time goes on. Fossil fuels are a non-renewable resource, meaning that once we run out of what’s currently available, we cannot replenish it. Our future energy needs are heavily dependent on a non-renewable and quickly depleting energy source.

Nowadays, there are two fastest growing sources of renewable energy which are wind and solar that produce intermittent supplies of energy. People tend to demand from energy more than before. Renewable energy in Australia deals with efforts being made in Australia to quantify and expand renewable energy, which includes electricity, transport fuels and thermal energy. Total renewable energy consumption in Australia in 2015 was 346 Joules(PJ), representing 5.9% of Australia's total energy consumption.(2015 Australian Energy Statistics) This is an increase of 1.6% from 2011–12 levels (265 PJ), representing 4.3% of Australia's total energy consumption.(2013 Australian Energy Update) The energy consumption increases is not only due to the rate

Australia has one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emission footprints compared to its population on earth. As of 2006, Australia's emissions were the highest of any OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development) nation with 26.7 tonnes per person per year of equivalent carbon dioxide (Garnaut 2008). In comparison, the United States had just 20.6 tonnes per person per year of equivalent carbon dioxide in 2006 (Garnaut 2008). The largest contributor to Australia's emission footprint is the energy sector, accounting for 45.5% of emissions between 2005 and 2006 (Garnaut 2008). Further breaking this number down, we observe that ~79% of our electrical generation is done via coal (Garnaut 2008). Coal is a major cause of greenhouse

There are many opportunities for energy extraction in Australia, which may or may not be currently being benefited from. The issue of energy today is what the current situation of energy in Australia is and how it will improve or decline in the coming years. The subjects which are contributing factors are the current exploitation of non-renewable energy sources, how renewable sources are being used in Australia and what the Government’s energy policy is and also what the RET is.

Global warming is a phenomenon leading to climate change. Human being, particularly the burning of fossil fuels releases large amounts of polluted gases. These gases absorb infrared radiation and cover the atmosphere. Increasingly infrared radiation is inside the Earth, which becomes warmer. This process is called global warming (Houghton, 2005). Australia is one of the countries, which is suffering from climate change. The average temperature of Australia has increased by 0.7°C since the past century. Average precipitation northwest regions will increase, while average precipitation in the southwest and southeast in Australia will decline in future decades. Moreover, Australia’s coastlines will suffer from corrosion and flood because it is predictable that there will be an 8–88cm growing global sea level (Preston and Jones, 2006). Owing to climate change, Australia’s biodiversity, ecosystems, and natural habitats are damaged. For example, the habitat of the coral communities and Great Barrier Reefs are disappearing (Preston and Jones, 2006). Owing to the effects and it is an energy crisis in the future, exploring renewable energy source feasible and sustainable development is necessary. Therefore, in the long-term, the potential of wind energy and solar energy could be the answer to global warming in Australia and determine the current barriers to renewable energy in terms of the energy industry and the locations in Australia.

Over the past several years, scientists have researched the impact fossil fuels currently have on our world today. These sources of energy have an irreversible and devastating consequence on our environment. Fossil fuels are disliked due to being non-renewable and unsustainable. As more technological advancements have occurred, more efforts have arisen related to replacing fossil fuels with renewable sources of energy. Due to the integration of existing technology the public has become reluctant to adopt new energy technologies. Renewable energy brings many desirable health, environmental, and economic benefits. These renewable methods may ultimately provide a brighter future for generations to come.

CO2 is the most significant greenhouse gas, which mainly comes from the use of fossil fuels. Many people feel that content of CO2 in the atmosphere is the main reason for manmade global warming. The main sources of CO2 emissions involve electricity generation, industrial processes, fumes from transportation and commercial buildings and use. Emissions of greenhouse gases, such as CO2, to the atmosphere are expected to cause even more of a significant change in global climate (Davison, 2007). The main focus to try to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is to reduce the amount that is released from coal-fired power plants. Greenhouse gas emissions that involve the productions of electricity come from natural gas production and coal-fired power plant operations. Natural gas production accounts for twenty-four percent and coal-fired power plant operations accounts for seventy-five percent, while the other one percent is caused by other electricity generation operations. The main reason why coal-fired power plants have a higher percentage of emissions is because the sulfur content of coal is much higher than that of other fossil fuels (Jarmaillo et al., 2007). This proves that there is a great need to find an alternative fossil fuel to use instead of coal. Although coal is easy to mine, transport and process for the electricity generation process, it is also the

Currently, the most common source of energy is made from the combustion of coal. However, Australians are the most polluting people in the world. Greenhouse gas emissions from coal generation in Australia are growing rapidly. ABARE predicts our energy emissions will be more than 60 percent higher over the next 25 years if we continue with “business as usual”. (The age) A carbon tax has been introduced for greenhouse gas reduction and for investment and development in zero and low-emission technologies.

Good afternoon, Citizen of Oregon. It is the year 2062 and your state, the nation, and the entire planet face catastrophe. The analysts and hippies were right – not only is human induced climate change in full effect, it is bringing life on Earth as we know it to an end. Yes, you should have listened to the environmental scientists (and the “hippies”) about the detrimental impacts of fossil fuel consumption, but you did not. Now you are here: the continued use of fossil fuels has released ridiculous amounts of greenhouse gasses into the air. Just as you were warned, the ice caps melt, oceans levels continue to rise, the weather grows more extreme, and changes in all of Earth’s ecosystems persist – water reservoirs deplete, countless animals go extinct, and the mass migration of humans has begun. Worse yet, unannounced positive feedback loops accelerate the process even further. Your once beloved Portland, Oregon is now home to hundreds-of-thousands of refugees – and this is the least of your problems.

Bilen et al., (2008:1531) predicted that global energy consumption will account for around 85% of the increase in world primary demand over 2002– 2030. The increasing of global energy demand happens the global stock of fossil fuel resources may be adequate for short term period, thus requiring the development of renewable energy sources, which would not decrease the stock of fossil fuel resources available for future generation. There is an increasing interest in the development of renewable energies such as biofuel and wind power, which have a great potential energy to produce enough power for the world’s population demand.

South Australia’s climate has been an increasing variable, a strong warming trend has been observed since the 1970s.(2017, ourenergyplan.sa.gov.au) According to the latest data from the Bureau of Meteorology (2017), average temperatures across the state have warmed almost one degree Celsius during the past century. South Australia's geographical landscape it enables high speeds and quantities of wind.This report discuss both advantages and disadvantages of the political ,scientific and economical constructs of leaning away from fossil fuels and using renewable energy in South Australia.In order to address current energy needs and reduce widespread of global transmission this proposal supports by 2024 South Australia's energy mix needs to completely rely on renewable sources and shade away from the reliance of interstate fossil fuels.

The current level of greenhouse gases in atmosphere poses an alarming situation globally and for Australia in particular. Australia has the highest per capita carbon emissions in the world. Burning coal for the generation of electricity is the major single source of emissions for Australia (Diesendorf 2014). It has been ranked third among OECD countries and seventh in the world with respect to per capita greenhouse gas emissions due to energy (The Garnaut Climate Change Review 2011). Under the Paris agreement world has agreed to pursue a 1.5 degree centigrade limit to global warming and Australia has committed to reduce emissions by 26 to 28 per cent below 2005 level by 2030 (The Guardian 2016).