Green Energy

April 2023

Angelina Chu Kim

Since we entered the 21st century, countries around the world have been developing and prospering gradually. In this new era, there are still many problems that need to be solved, such as the energy problem. Now the energy shortage is serious in some areas, and there is an urgent need to develop new, sustainable energy sources. So what new energy will appear in the future?

Solar energy: solar energy can be irradiated on the earth on a massive scale. In about 40 minutes, solar energy can supply the energy consumption of human beings all over the world for one year. It can also be said that solar energy is a truly inexhaustible energy source. It’s absolutely clean and does not produce any pollution, so solar power has the potential to be an ideal energy source. For now, the use of sun energy by our humans is still in its infancy, mainly including solar heat collection, solar water heating systems, solar greenhouses, and sun power generation.

Wind energy: Wind energy is defined as the kinetic energy produced by the movement of large volumes of air over the Earth's surface. In nature, the wind is a renewable, non-polluting resource, and provides huge reserves of energy. Wind energy resources are determined by the wind energy density and the annual cumulative hours of available wind energy. The use of wind energy is mainly in the form of wind energy as power and wind power generation, among which wind power generation is the main form. It is estimated that the total wind energy in the world is about 130 billion kilowatts, and the total wind energy in China is about 1.6 billion kilowatts. Using wind energy as power is to use the wind to directly drive various mechanical devices. In many countries with abundant wind resources, scientists use wind engines to lift water, cut grass, grind flour, and process feed.

Tidal energy: Changes in the gravitational force of the moon cause tidal phenomena, causing the sea level to rise and fall periodically, and the energy generated by seawater fluctuations and tidal currents becomes tidal energy. Tidal energy is an inexhaustible renewable energy source that consumes no fuel, is pollution-free, and is not affected by floods or dry water flows.

Since there are so many inexhaustible energy sources, can we use them with confidence? No, excessive use of these energy sources may not be exhausted, but it will also cause temporary energy shortages, so it is still necessary to use energy reasonably and economically. Turning off lights as you leave rooms, delaying the time of the day at which you turn on the air conditioning, and switching to energy-saving light bulbs are seemingly menial, but effective actions to combat the overconsumption of energy. I hope that in the near future, the problem of energy shortage will be solved, and a blue planet will shine forever in the sky.