Chapter 4 - SOURCES OF ENERGY

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the sources of energy in use today—waterpower, fossil fuels, and nuclear fuels along with other sources that hold some hope for the future. The ultimate source of almost all the energy that is used today is radiant energy from the sun. All of our chemical fuels, wood, coal, oil, and natural gas, are derived from plant and animal life that grew because of the action of sunlight. The most important source of energy that is not derived directly from the sun is stored in nuclei and can be released through fission and fusion. Some other sources of nonsolar energy, such as geothermal and tidal energy, are also present but they are of little importance at present. In the future an increasing fraction of the world's energy will be obtained from nuclear fission reactors, and hopefully, during the next century, fusion reactors will be available to take over the major burden of energy production. Although the direct use of solar energy now appears to be a very costly operation, improved techniques can eventually reduce the costs relative to other sources and make solar power an important part of the overall energy picture. The widespread use of geothermal energy depends on how well new technological methods are developed.