How About New Energy Sources?

Last time, we talked about how the Earth is changing rapidly, mostly because of human behaviors and actions. Yet, it seems that a lot of people on this Earth are making decisions that move the struggle in the wrong direction. Firings are raging, ice is melting, and the human race is not changing. Today, I’m writing about one area that strides are starting to take shape, and hopefully can lead to bigger changes in the future: energy sources.

Now, I won’t hit on every new energy source, but rather on some that interest me and I think could have some real applications in the future of our ever-changing world.

First of all, a new device that is in the works because of some scientists from UCLA and Stanford that seems to be able to create energy from the dark and cold night sky. This device, which does not have an official name yet it seems, uses a thermoelectric generator that produces electricity when one side of the generator is cooler or hotter than the other. In this case of the night sky, the lack of heat it emits along with the device setup using a radiative cooler produces a difference in temperature between the two sides of the generator, thus creating electricity. Although the amount of electricity is little at this time, shaped down to a lightbulb, hopefully with furthering research and developments, technology similar to this device can be included as a renewable source of energy.

An additional source of clean energy that is taking off, specifically in California with plans to grow the infrastructure, is geothermal energy. This clean energy source requires a large plant that naturally taps into heated underground reservoirs to create steam and turn turbines. Although the technology can create renewable electricity around the clock, unlike wind or solar, it has been difficult to implement because of its high costs. As more introspection has been done onto the topic, the overall benefits seem to be outweighing the large cost that were originally holding plans back. 

One final technology that may assist in renewable and clean energy in the future is harnessing the kinetic energy of raindrops. A natural occurrence, water droplets produce some force and energy as they travel down to Earth during a storm. A new device, which is really a polymer, called PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) seems to hold “piezoelectric” properties, which means that when it undergoes a force or stress (in this case a raindrop), an electric current is produced within the material. Although the amount of energy is small, large storms could produce a decent amount of energy in this manner. 

With scientists and others working around the clock to brainstorm and produce new renewable energy sources, the human race has hope it can change its actions in respect to climate change. However, a real effort is going to have to be made.