Alternative Sources of Energy Petroleum, Commonly Referred

Alternative Sources of Energy

Petroleum, commonly referred to as oil, is the main source of energy for the entire planet, but as it is a finite resource, there exists only so much of it. As a result of its becoming scarce, oil has become a precious commodity that is the source of much competition among nations. In the 21st century the world is frantically searching for alternative sources of energy other than oil and can perhaps turn to either biomass or magnesium as a possible substitute. Biomass is one of the oldest forms of energy and has been used ever since the invention of fire, while the energy potential of magnesium has only recently been discovered. But with some ingenuity and new technologies both of these forms of energy may be a successful alternative to petroleum.

Biomass as a fuel source can be utilized from the combustion of organic material such as "wood products, dried vegetation, crop residues, and aquatic plants." ("Biomass Energy") As plants can be re-grown biomass is a renewable form of energy which comes from the sun and, through the process of photosynthesis, is converted into "complex compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen," called carbohydrates. ("How Biomass Energy Works") The easiest way to generate energy through biomass is to burn it. From the earliest times mankind has burned wood and other biomass fuels in order to make heat. The heat from burning wood can be used for a number of processes from heating water to smelting ore. The most common use of biomass for transportation was the use of wood to fire steam engines which could power anything from trains to ships. More recently, "biomass fired steam power has been used to generate electricity [which] & #8230;can have numerous environmental and air-quality advantages over burning fossil fuels." ("How Biomass Energy Works") But biomass has other uses than just the generation of electricity, it can also be converted into liquid form and used as a fuel for automobiles. In this form biomass produces less emissions and particulates than traditional gasoline.

The main advantage of biomass is it's ability to sustain itself; plants can simply be replanted; and in some cases plants can be harvested without their destruction. Short rotation trees, for example, can be harvested every few years by a process known as "coppicing," or cutting the of a plant low to the ground so that it can re-grow. Low carbon organic crops, the type of biomass that produces the least amount of carbon emissions, can then be grown in large quantities and in a manner that doesn't interfere with food production. Another advantage of biomass is that is can come from the waste products of other processes. For instance, crop residues and forest residues, which normally would be discarded, can be converted into biomass and used to generate energy. However, it also has its disadvantages as well. The very nature of biomass energy requires that it be burned and even if the organic material is low-carbon, it will still emit some pollution and carbon emissions. Another disadvantage is that biomass is neither as economical or efficient as the burning of fossil fuels. In other words it does not generate as much energy as coal or oil and is more expensive. As long as it is cheaper to use coal and oil, biomass will always be a second choice for the production of energy.

While biomass may be the oldest form of energy is use, the potential of magnesium to generate power has only recently been investigated. Magnesium is a highly reactive metal that has the ability to store a great deal of energy. The burning of magnesium ribbons, for instance, can generate a great deal of heat which can be used as a source of power. Magnesium can also be mixed with water which also produces heat and can be used to boil water, produce steam, and drive a turbine to generate electricity. The by-products of this process are water and magnesium oxide, which itself can be recycle back into magnesium by the use of a solar laser. But this is an expensive and inefficient means of generating power. Instead, researchers have recently developed a power cell that uses magnesium as a one of the main components. Called the "Magnesium Air Fuel Cell," it is essentially a "magnesium-based version of the lithium ion rechargeable cell." And uses water and ambient air to react with an anode composed of magnesium to generate electricity. (Messina, 2010) The automobile manufacturer Toyota is also currently researching the use of a magnesium-sulfur batteries which would be available to power their automobiles. Supporters of the magnesium air fuel cell claim that it is better than hydrogen-based fuel cell because it has the advantage of using simple salt water as an electrolyte, and has "increased power efficiency, lower cell resistance, and the reduction or elimination of pressure and/or volume increase due to hydrogen gassing." (Messina) Another advantage of magnesium in the generation of power is the fact that is it extremely abundant, particularly because it can be found in seawater. According to Dr. Takashi Yabe of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, "there is enough magnesium to meet the world's energy needs for the next 300,000 years." (Messina, 2010)

However, the use of magnesium as a source of energy also has its disadvantages. Firstly, magnesium may be abundant, and there are various means by which it can be extracted, but it is extremely expensive to produce. In effect, it costs more to produce than the amount of money that can be earned from using it in the production of energy. Secondly, one must also not forget that the processes for extracting magnesium are enormously messy and produce a great deal of waste products. It is estimated that it requires at least 10 kg of coal to produce a single kilogram of magnesium, which means that there will be 10 kg worth of carbon emissions from the production of 1 kg of magnesium. This is currently not the most environmentally friendly means of producing energy, however, if new technologies are developed to make magnesium cheaper and cleaner to produce, it can become a useful means of energy production.