Powering the Future

A helicopter lowers a worker to do repairs on a wind farm in

1 Despite modern society’s heavy dependence Denmark. In Denmark, wind generates about 20 percent of all
on fossil fuels for energy, most people are electricity. Globally, wind supplies less than one percent of electric
power, but it’s the fastest growing energy source.
aware that the supply of these fuels is finite.
As oil, in particular, becomes more costly
5 and difficult to find, researchers are looking darkness also cause solar panels to produce
at alternative energy sources, including solar, less energy, which requires one to have
wind, and even nuclear power. But which 25 additional power sources (such as
substitute—if any—is the right one? batteries) available.
Some scientists think the solution to this

Solar 30
problem can be found in space—which they
say is the ideal place to gather energy from
the sun. With no clouds and no nighttime, a
10 Solar panels catch energy directly from the
space-based solar power station could operate
sun and convert it into electricity. One of the
constantly. These stations would send the
world’s largest solar power stations is located
power back to Earth, which could then be
near Leipzig, Germany, where more than
turned into electricity for consumption.
33,000 solar panels generate enough energy
15 to power about 1,800 homes. But unlike the 35 Advocates of solar space stations say this
burning of fossil fuels, the process used to technology would require a lot of money
create all that solar energy produces initially, but eventually it could provide
no emissions. continuous, clean energy that would be
40 cheaper than other fuels. Also, unlike other
Today, however, solar provides less than
energy sources, solar power from space will
20 one percent of the world’s energy, primarily
last as long as the sun shines and will be able
because the cost of the panels is still very
to guarantee everyone on Earth all the energy
high. And price is only one issue. Clouds and
they need.
100   Unit 7 Global Addictions
 A solar park near Leipzig,
Germany, with more than

Wind
33,000 panels, is one of
the world’s largest.

45 Wind—the fastest growing alternative energy

source—is another way of collecting energy
from the sun. Unlike solar power, however,
it works well on cloudy days.
making this a reality. On the plus side, both
All over Europe, incentives designed to
wind and solar enable people to generate their
50 decrease the dependence on oil and coal have
80 own energy where they live: people can have
led to a steep increase in wind-powered energy.
their own windmills or solar panels,
Today Europe leads the world in wind power,
with batteries for calm days.
with almost 35,000 megawatts,1 the equivalent

Nuclear
of 35 large coal-powered plants. North
55 America remains a distant second, with just
over 7,000 megawatts.
In the 1970s, nuclear was the energy
Despite its successes, some oppose wind-power
85 alternative. Nuclear power produces vast
development, saying the turbines are both
amounts of electricity more cheaply than gas
noisy and ugly. Just outside England’s Lake
or coal, with no carbon emissions. For a
60 District, a protected national park, 27 wind
number of years in the 1980s and ’90s,
towers are planned, each about 40 meters
however, use of nuclear power declined due
(130 feet) tall. Many locals are protesting.
90 to accidents, concerns about nuclear waste
“This is a high-quality landscape,” says one
storage and disposal, and high
local home owner. “They shouldn’t be
construction costs.
65 putting those things in here.”
Today, though, times are changing. Worldwide
There are other challenges too. If the wind
about 440 plants now generate 16 percent of
doesn’t blow, the turbines don’t have the 95 the planet’s electric power, and some countries
capacity to produce sufficient energy. As a
have invested heavily in nuclear energy. France,
result, other power sources are needed. In
for instance, gets 78 percent of its electricity
70 contrast, a strong wind can create too much
from nuclear power. China has started to
power. In cases like this, the energy company
build one or two new plants a year, and Japan
must sell the extra power at a much-reduced 100 and India have also begun to utilize nuclear
rate, which is not good for business.
energy on a large scale. Though there are still
What’s needed for both wind and solar is a concerns about the safety of nuclear power,
75 way to store a large energy surplus2 so that it many now believe it may be one of the future’s
can later be turned into electricity. However, greenest energy alternatives.
most systems are still decades away from
105 In the end, are any of these sources alone the
answer to our current energy problems? The
A worker descends short answer is no, but used in some
from a new cooling combination—along with other power
tower at a nuclear
power plant, sources—we may find ways to reduce and
Pennsylvania, U.S.A. 110 eventually eliminate our dependence on
fossil fuels. 1
 megawatt is a unit of power.
A
2
If you have a surplus of something, you have
more of it than you need; you have extra.      

7B Addicted to Fossil Fuel? 101