Energy, Nature and Technology
Solar Electron Energy
Life existence on Earth depends on plants and the Sun to provide food, energy and oxygen, Electrons play a major role in growing plants. Electrons bind atoms together to form the many chemical compounds required for food, shelter and leisure. The natural mechanisms of photosynthesis progress automatically, without human intervention. Plants, trees and algae existed and thrived on our planet for millions of years. Today, human intelligence has enhanced the natural processes with technology to provide food for an expanding population and other societal needs. Furthermore, we have learned to propel electrons in wires to provide power for a multitude of devices with motors and machines. In fact, we now live in an electronic world based on television, radio and smart phones where electrons are the carriers of information and data. Programmed electric circuits guide automobiles, planes and robots. Electric lights and digital images are commonplace.
Energy comes from the Sun, as photon particles. The photons interact with molecule electrons to end up as chemical energy in growing plants and thermal energy in the climate. The incident solar varies with location and time throughout the year. Most of the solar energy income returns to space as heat, moderated by clouds and atmospheric content. About a quarter the incident solar energy remains is stored on Earth as climate and in plants. The ancient stored energy in fossil fuels has greatly nourishes our economy.
Storage Clouds
Nature uses About a quarter of incident solar energy to maintain the environment on Earth. Most goes for water evaporation from the ocean and the land to eventually store energy and water vapor in clouds. Clouds are similar to water towers from an energy point of view only; they are not contained but mobile free in the atmosphere. Clouds release energy and water as rain to create steams, rivers and lakes. The atmosphere plays a major role in clouds and weather, taking on many forms such as rain, thunder, lightning, tornadoes and hurricanes. The results are not always beneficial to the human biosphere,
Plants and Trees
Solar photosynthesis splits water molecules into hydrogen ions and free oxygen. The hydrogen goes on to form organic molecules by absorbing CO2. The free oxygen, available everywhere on Earth, is necessary to recover energy in combustion. The reacting molecules reform back into tightly electron molecules of CO2 and H2O, releasing energy. This is the energy sourse of physical systems like turbines and motors and for animals in food. Solar energy from past eons is stored in the electron structures of coal, gas and oil. Fossil fuels account for 90% of world technical energy applications.
Energy Calories
Getting food is a lifetime pursuit for all living creatures on earth. Most species spend their whole lives searching for food.
The preparation of food has become an art. Thousands of cook books published each year on every aspect of the culinary techniques regardless of the cultural origins. Professional cooks and restaurants In every city specialize in cuisine preparation from around the world. Most essential for living organism is consuming food like lettuce and milk, or a steak of meat from grass eating animals to get magic calories. Organized agriculture, fisheries and markets deliver manufactured energy products for the human and animal consumption.
Arts and Sports
Not hunting and searching for food and shelter, allows human society time to enjoy other pursuits like making music, the theater and sports.
Economic Welfare
Human welfare and economic development depend on the applications of human energy technology. Fossil fueled engines and machines enable the construction of buildings and the transport of goods and people. Meanwhile, the negative impact of human activities on the environment has been neglected. Given that the environment is vital to human existence , there is a growing world focus on slowing down it's deterioration.
Electric Power
Most modern day delivered energy is in the form of electricity. End use electric energy powers all sorts of functions and mechanical devices in the home and in manufacturing plants. Electric energy is used to build structures and modify land terrains. Electronic devices communicate by Radio-TV and phones. Home power activates all sorts of food preparation devices as well as air-conditioning. Electric devices control and fabricate objects in manufacturing, like shaping, drilling, fastening and welding. In the future, Electricity will continue to be the primary energy delivery mode.
Renewable Energy
A renewable-energy future depends on photovoltaics (PV) and wind turbine technology development. PV is a technology for making electricity directly From the Sun without firing fossil fuels. The process to generate electricity is based on using semi-conductor panels to capture solar photons to transmit energy to electrons. From the time of the Vikings and Columbus, wind power was used to travel on the oceans. Wind is essentially stored kinetic energy from solar heating pressure differences.
Trains and Planes
Human need to travel from place to place for personal and economic reasons. Mass human travel and trade by trains, trolley’s and the subway using electric engines and controls provide excellent inexpensive mass community transit with no undesirable emissions. However, wires and rails are required to transmit electric power which imposes major installation plans and finance. Air and ocean travel today uses fossil fuels for traveling energy. A sustainable alternate source is from biomass.
Electric Automobiles
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The autumobile future approach is based on using electric motors with traveling stored energy by chargeable batteries. Lithium ion is the backbone of the new wireless revolution in iphones and electric cars. Fuel cells electric generators using hydrogen is being considered for long distances.
New Energy Concepts
The movement away from fossil fuels emissions means the application of new energy concepts and Improved efficiency of a current use patterns. Past experience with artificial lighting is a good example of how technology could affectively improve use and even change our economics. In ancient times, artificial lighting was based on torches using flammable liquids. In 1900, electrical incandesce lightbulbs, using filaments in a vacuum, that generated 90% more heat than light, became popular. Later, fluorescent lighting using electron interactions with interior glass coatings improved energy efficiency to 75%. Today LED-light based on electroluminescence, is 95% efficient with lifetimes of 20 years or more.