Introduction
Like what the Armstrong and
Hamrin say in The Renewable Energy Policy Manual "the fossil fuels are
sources of energy that occur naturally and are formed through processes that
include the anaerobic decomposition of dead organisms and can also be as a
result of the fossilization of the remains of dead plants through exposure to
higher temperatures and pressure in the crust of the earth over a long
period" (Armstrong,
J., & Hamrin, J).
Fossil fuels like petroleum, natural gas and coal have quite high carbon in it.
Fossil fuels are important in
several ways. These include: the running of different types of machines in
industries and are also important source of direct and indirect employment to
people who work as engineers, distributors and retailers. Fossil fuels are also
important sources of revenues to the nations that produce them. They are useful
in the transport industry in the transportation of goods to various markets
across the world
The extraction and use of
fossil fuels presents numerous economic, social and environmental challenges.
Environmentally, fossil fuels are the main causes of pollution that either
occurs during the extraction and use of the by-products. Oil spills are
frequent occurrences at the oilrigs that are located on seas. The combustion of
the by-products has often resulted in the discharge of dangerous gases such as
sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere. These gases are the causal factors for
various conditions affecting individuals who inhale them. The greenhouse
effects of gases such as carbon dioxide and CFC’s have also been connected to
the use of fossil energy. The excessive use of fossil energy has, therefore,
been considered as the key cause of climate change and global warming.
Socially, the sighting of fossil fuels has resulted in the displacement of
people and has led to major conflicts. Lastly, fossil fuels are economically
expensive due to their non-renewable nature and higher taxes placed on them.
Renewable sources of
energy
Armstrong and Hamrin define renewable sources of energy as resources and
technologies that are either non-depletable or replenishable. The wind, solar,
hydroelectric power, nuclear, solar, biomass and geothermal energy sources fall
under this category. Conserve Energy Future notes that renewable energy sources
such as nuclear energy have the advantage of low emission of greenhouse gases.
Nuclear energy is also powerful, efficient and reliable compared to other
sources of energy. The cost of production materials such as uranium has been
noted as cheap compared to the materials used in the extraction and refining of
energy sources such as coal and petroleum. Nuclear energy also has low fuel
costs because it requires lower amount of uranium to produce enough power
compared to the fossil fuels
Alternative
Energy Sources
Other important renewable energy sources comprise geothermal energy which
is harnessed through the drilling of geothermal wells. The geothermal energy is
created by the vapor that comes from the bottom layer of the earth.
Nevertheless, geothermal energy has the benefit of being a dependable source of
energy that is not influenced by alterations in the weather patterns and is
available all through the year. Geothermal energy also does not require special
energy storage facilities and requires less capital for development and
maintenance. Other benefits include the fact that the source of energy has no
solid contaminants and requires a less amount of land to generate.
Another notable source of renewable energy is the hydroelectric energy.
This is a form of energy that is got from water in motion and is harnessed
using turbines. Hydroelectric energy is considered as green energy because it
does not cause any form of pollution to the environment and is renewable because
of the fact that the water cycle process ensures that the resource (water) is
constantly recycled. Although the solar energy is yet another source of
renewable energy that is assembled and generated using solar boards to transfer
sun light to power. Hydroelectric energy is beneficial as it contaminate the
atmosphere and the materials used in harnessing the energy are inexpensive, and
have low maintenance fee compared to other sources of energy. However, solar
panels may be affected by adverse weather conditions in that; in the absence of
sunlight no energy can be generated (Droelectric
energy).
The
Use of Nuclear Energy in Italy
In Mundi reports that "in 2010 that the total amount of fossil fuel
consumption in Italy stood at 87% while it was 94.5% in 1973"(Mundi 2013).. The report further indicates "that 1960 recorded the lowest rate
of fossil energy use in Italy’s history. The rate was 85.6%". The recent
rates are a clear projection of the country’s high dependency on fossil fuels
for various activities (Mundi 2013). Reuters UK (2007) edition observes that the high rate of fossil fuel
consumption in Italy puts the country at a risk of depleting its fossil fuel
energy sources in less than twenty years' time. The report further notes that
over 80% of fossil fuel consumed in Italy are imported from other nations (Reuters.2007,
July 7). The World Nuclear Association (2012) further this
argument through a report that "indicated that the total electricity
generation in Italy stood at over 300billion kilowatts with 47% of this amount
being generated from gas, 6% from petroleum, and 16% from hydroelectric sources
while 17% was from coal". The total annual electricity consumption per
household stood at 4950 kilowatts. The
report indicates that the amount of fossil energy consumed in the country is
likely to rise in the near future (Guarascio,
F., & Kovalyova, S. 2011).
The World Nuclear Association (2012)
Italy has four operational nuclear power reactors,
and two of these were shut down as a precaution after the Chernobyl incidence.
The last nuclear facility in the country was closed down in 1990. As at
current, the association report "indicates that the country uses about 10%
of nuclear energy all of which is exported from other countries". However,
the 2008 government proposal to increase the usage of nuclear energy to 25% was
rejected during a referendum that was carried out in 2011. It is also worth
noting that Italy was among the initial countries to utilize civil nuclear
power. Italy is also the first country to develop a scientific body charged
with the responsibility of pursuing nuclear energy. According to the Reuters
(2011), US edition, Italy and France had plans of constructing a nuclear plant
in the country in 2013. This was, however, rejected in a referendum in 2011 and
was greatly affected by the Japanese nuclear accident (Italian Nuclear Power 2011, November 9).
References
Nuclear Energy in Italy : Italian
Nuclear Power. (2011, November 9). World Nuclear Association. Retrieved
May 17, 2013, from
