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Energy – Fuelling the Future
Whether or not you’re environmentally aware (or environmentally interested!), it’s likely that you know about the debate surrounding fossil fuels and our need for new sources to provide power in the future. It’s certain that the world will run out of fossil fuels before the century is over. So what are we going to do once they’ve completely gone? Live in cold, dark homes as if we’re back in the stone ages? No – something will be providing our houses with electricity as if fossil fuels never existed.
So what could be powering our world of the not-so-distant future? We already know about nuclear power stations, hydroelectricity, wind farms and solar panels – but these sources are not suitable for everyone. People living in the rainiest place in Scotland wouldn’t benefit from solar power like those in London would, for instance. Due to this, ideas are constantly being thrown around and diagrams constantly being drawn to show what the future of our electrical world could look like. And, dare I say it, some of them are actually quite exciting.
Take this idea from NASA, for instance. You’ll look up into the sky to see something that looks a bit like a kite, way up in the air. However, it’s actually a remote wind turbine, connected to the National Grid via cables which also act as ropes, securing the turbine to the earth. Having turbines working on a remote basis like this would settle a great deal of arguments surrounding the current design of wind farms – the noise would be reduced, and the turbines’ blades would be smaller, so they would cause less damage to birds and bats, and the energy sources wouldn’t take up as much floor space. So many positives!
While solar power is clean, green and totally renewable (making it a big thing), in Britain, we don’t get too much sun. But this doesn’t mean disregarding solar power completely. In fact, it means quite the opposite – it simply suggests that need to put more thought into how we can use this fantastically-viable source in small doses. Solar-powered calculators have been around for a while, but how about solar-powered MP3 players or mobile phone chargers? And, here’s a thought, typing on solar-powered computer keyboards? That’s the latest development from Logitech, and it would take the hassle (and the need for batteries!) out of recharging your wireless keyboard.
Of course, these measures are developments on sources we have already harnessed. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing wrong with using solar, wind or water power anywhere in the world – it just has to be adapted to suit its location.
Article by Connor Sephton, 23rd November 2011. Content correct at the date of publication.
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