RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THE WORLD’S GROWING INDEPENDENCE ON PETROLEUM

INTRODUCTION

Most times, when the word energy is mentioned, some other terms like “solar” “wind” “petroleum” “hydro” etc. come to mind as these are some of the forms from which energy is being harnessed for human consumption.
One of the most relevant topics in our world of today is ENERGY. It is one of the important factors that drive our world. Without energy in whatever form, a lot of things cannot be possible in this present age. Energy finds application in all aspects of human endeavor and cannot be treated with little consideration. Energy is a six letter word that holds a lot of water, I mean, it has numerous definitions forms and applications. A simple definition of energy is; it is the ability or capability to do work.
As the first law of conservation of energy states that

energy can neither be created nor destroyed but can only be converted from one form to another

In order to harness energy for human use, energy needs to be converted from the naturally existent forms or the raw materials available. For a very long time in the human history, energy for generation was very dependent on the conversion of chemical energy from petroleum to what the various forms needed.

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As technology advances, the demand for energy in a more stable, constant and economically efficient form is on the increase and thus a lot of research is being done to find a solution to the ever increasing demand for energy. Also, the need to tackle environmental issues such as global warming, pollution and mineral degradation was also a form of motivation. This eventually resulted in the discovery of renewable energy sources.

As time would have it, a lot of improvements and milestones have been achieved and a lot of economies are on the move to solely depend on the renewable sources of energy because of the numerous advantages they present.

In this article, I would like to discuss the emergence of renewable energy and its effect on the use of petroleum

Note, this article assumes that the reader has prior knowledge of the basis of energy technology and conversion

RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ITS ADVANTAGES
Simply put, renewable energy are the forms of energy in which the resources are naturally replenished. Sources include sunlight, wind, tides, waves, geothermal heat. These forms of energy are naturally existent and inexhaustible. Renewable energy is economically advantageous and proven to possess a longer life span than non-renewable sources.
Renewable energy finds application in important aspect of our world such as power generation, transportation and heating. Often than before, renewable energy is displacing the use of conventional fuels and non-renewable energy sources in the aspects mentioned

The following are the advantages of renewable energy
• It never runs out of resources
• It requires less maintenance than traditional sources
• It produces little or no waste pollutants
• It is greatly economical

The major disadvantage of renewable energy is that it is quite difficult to generate the quantity of electricity as large as that generated by the non-renewable sources. This disadvantage can be tackled by installing a large amount of the renewable energy source which in turn compensates for the economic demand. Another disadvantage of renewable energy is the reliability of supply as it often relies on weather.

source: pixabay

INDEPENDENCE ON PETROLEUM
Gone are the days when power generation and transportation were solely dependent on the use of petroleum and other fuels, the growing independence on petroleum is as a result of the following reasons.

ECONOMIC REASONS
According to CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRSS, a recent report on the November 2009 U.S. trade deficit found that rising oil imports widened the deficit, and therefore increasing the gap between the country's imports and exports. This is but one example that their economic recovery and long-term growth is inexorably linked to their reliance on foreign oil. The United States is said to be spending approximately $1 billion a day as a result of oil import instead of investing the funds at home, where the economy sorely needs it. The overall cost of running a system that depends on fossil fuels is usually large as compared to that of renewable sources which are readily available.

ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS
The use of petroleum as fuel for power generation involve the release of gases such as Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide as waste products. These waste products pose a negative effect on the climate and result in cases such as global warming and environmental pollution.
Renewable energy on the other hand holds this as one of its greatest advantage especially in our world of today where issues that affect the environmental safety of life forms present on earth are being taken into consideration.
The need for an almost noiseless form of power generation as a means to tackle noise pollution also is a valid reason.

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TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT
The advancement of technology has also contributed to the growing independence on fossil fuels and petroleum. Solar cars and roads, electric cars and other advanced technology have taken the fore front of the stage and very soon, there would be no room for petrol powered machines.
Generally, the growing technology advancements in today’s world is adjusting towards little or no use of petroleum or fossil fuels

• Other valid reasons for the gradual independence include
• Political Instability of Oil Exporters
• Strategic Challenge of Oil Exporters
• Risk to Oil Infrastructure
• Choke Points (points at which the exporting vessels are very vulnerable to attack)
• Varying government policies

CONCLUSION
It is no news that the USA is on the track towards oil independence and a few other countries are following suit. In the near future, I see a world with very little dependence on petroleum and other fossil fuels for energy consumption and a world that poses a more greener environment.source: pixabay

It is therefore very important for developing countries and oil exporting countries to take the initiative to also launch into investing in renewable energy as a long term solution to the growing energy and technology demands.

Also, these countries should abstain from total reliance on the revenue generated from oil export as all the so called major importers of oil are already implementing renewable energy technology and very soon might cut off their demand for the oil in the long run.

My advice is, as the world is running in terms of advancement in technology, it is only wise to run with it so as not to be left out.

Thanks for reading

REFERENCES
ENDING OUR DEPENDNCE ON OIL
ARE WE STILL DEPENDENT ON THIS NON RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCE?
PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF PETROLEUM
NON RENEWABLE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES
ENERGY