Energy Conversion of Energy Within the Ecosystem

¶ … Energy

Conversion of energy within the ecosystem

Within the ecosystem, there are laws of thermodynamics that guide the circulation and conversion of the energy in the ecosystem. There are basically two laws that govern this cycle of energy. It is worth knowing that Thermodynamics is the study of energy.

First law of thermodynamics; this law states that energy cannot be created nor destroyed but can be transformed from one form to another with an aim to accomplish some work. It also indicates that the total amount of energy in the universe basically remains the same and constant, the only thing that happens is that it changes from one form to another. It further indicates that energy is always conserved since it cannot be created or destroyed. This happens in the farm where we eat fruits and meat fro the animals that we slaughter and then we conserve this energy in the form of potential energy.

The second law of thermodynamic indicates that in an energy cycle, assuming that no energy gets into or departs from that closed cycle of energy system, then the potential energy of the state will always be lesser that that of the initial or original state, an occurrence referred to as entropy. One classic example to illustrate this is when a car runs out of gas, it will not run until the owner walks to the gas station and comes back with fuel to refill, this whole process involving conversion of energy. Here, once the potential energy that is locked in the carbohydrates is converted into the kinetic energy when the driver is walking, there will be no more energy until he inputs again by eating. It is worth noting that in the process of this conversion within the driver, some of the heat will be dissipated as heat (M.J. Farabee, 2001).

It is the flow of energy that maintains order and life otherwise when entropy overcomes the flow, then an organism dies since it ceases to take in energy.

Within the ecosystem that I live in, there is a full cycle of energy flow with various conversions taking place. The sun shines upon the crops giving them the biological energy that they absorb, convert through the chlorophyll and store it in the form of potential energy. This is energy stored in the cord and the fruits in the farm as well as the grass all over. We eat these fruits and store that energy within our systems, and consequently use it for walking up and down as we carry out our duties in the farm. The animals also eat grass and store the energy within them as potential energy, the energy that they convert to kinetic energy use for walking across the farm fields.

Fossil energy

Fossil energy or fossil fuel is any kind of energy that is carbon based and used by mankind to generate energy for their daily operations. They are commonly referred to as fossil since they are formed from the remains of animals as well as other organisms. The fossil fuels that are commonly known are coal, natural gas and crude oil. These are the most famous sources of energy that are fond within the society today (Tega Jessa, 2010).

There are various reasons why people prefer the fossil fuel as compared to the alternative energy sources that are more environment friendly. One advantage that they have is the capacity to generate large amounts of electricity within a single location that doesn't have to be big. The fossil fuels have also been noted to be quite easy to find as compared to the alternative energy sources. The use of coals has also bee observed to be very cost effective and it is abundant in supply as well. The transportation of the fossil source of energy to the power stations has also been observed to be relatively easier as oil and gas can be transported through pipes. The power plants that use gas are also observed to be very efficient. The construction of power stations that use the fossil sources of energy can also be constructed in almost any location as long as the required quantities of fossil fuels can be transported to the location for utility (Alternative Energy Secret, 2012).

Alternative energy refers to the energy sources that have no undesired impact and they are renewable since they are generated by fuel sources and they restore themselves over a short period of time and do not diminish and are not derived from fossil fuels (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, 2010). They include solar energy, wind energy, geothermal, biomass, biogas and hydro electric power. These types of energy have a significant potential to reduce emission of carbon dioxide which raises the amount of warmth in the atmosphere hence leading to global warming (Alternative Energy, 2011).

Alternative energy is most preferred compared to other sources of energy which are derived from fossil fuel such as oil, coal and natural gas which are non- renewable.

Benefits of using the alternative sources of energy are vast, for example, they are renewable, affordable, cheap to maintain and they are available everywhere, are not harmful to the environment, e.g. solar energy (Alternate Energy Sources, 2010).

Solar energy

Solar energy is the most preferable source of energy and is being embraced by many people as a clean and safe source of energy in homes .This is one of the most resourceful source of energy since sunlight is free. Advantages of solar energy include:

Solar energy does not lead to urban pollution of any kind in our environment since solar panels only utilize the photons from the sun rays to convert it into electricity without emitting any form of harmful gasses in the air.