Energy Sources and Possibilities
Posted : July 23, 2005 at 7:15 pm [IST]
The whole world is concerned about the depleting fossil fuels reserves. In 20 years, the world will consume 40% more oil than it does today. And many of the world’s oil and gas fields are maturing. China and India are racing to catch up in vehicle populations and so are becoming the biggest consumers for crude oils too. The other developing countries are also moving ahead fast. Energy consumption per capita has become the measure of development. Many think most of the problems from the new terrorists’ fear originate somewhere in oil countries and are because of oils directly or indirectly. How the world is going to face the situation? You may be surprised but there are so many other sources of energy that are still unexplored. Three most potential energy sources are: fusion power, tar sands of Canada, and undersea gas hydrates.
Fusion Power may replace fossil fuels one day. Fusion power uses hydrogen as fuel and produces minimum radioactive waste that is the biggest drawback of traditional nuclear power. Fuel in fusion power is deuterium (an isotope of hydrogen)- available in oceans in large quantities. Even if the world’s population grows to 20 billion (about the three times the present number) and over, say in the next one million years, it would consume only less than 5% of the available deuterium in the oceans’ waters.
The Tar sands of Canada: The Canadian Athabascan tar sands contain more than twice as much oil as the entire Saudi Arabian reserves. The oil is mixed in with sand and requires substantial processing to turn it in to useful petroleum. In 2003, 300 million barrels were extracted.
Undersea Gas Hydrates are made up of methane gas compressed in to solid ice under the enormous pressure of the oceans’ waters. As per one estimate, there is enough of this fuel waiting to be harvested at the bottom of the sea to meet the entire world’s energy needs for at least the next five hundred years. Recent discoveries indicate that additional hydrate deposits are frozen in the ice packs.
These three options are only some from the long list of potential energy sources believed to be available for the future generations. So instead of worrying about the depleting fossil fuels’ reserves, the scientists and technocrats are to get themselves more seriously engaged in exploring those new sources. Is it not the task before our scientists and technocrats of India too? Would not have been better if our PM could have asked for collaboration for exploring these new sources with US along with its assistance for our nuclear plants his recent ’so called’ historic visit to US?
- Indra
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