This is the first entry in a 3-part series called, “Solving the World’s Energy Problem.”
The world has an energy problem. This energy problem began developing the moment that man invented fire. At first it developed very slowly, imperceptibly, when there were very few people in the world and humans were relatively uncivilized. At that time, much of the energy expended by humans was energy spent on activities for survival.
Times changed, and humans grew in numbers and in technological prowess. Eventually, mankind learned how to burn fossil fuels – coal, natural gas, and petroleum – to produce energy in ever-increasing amounts. These fossil fuels were plentiful and could be extracted from the ground cheaply. To this day, civilization on earth runs largely on the burning of fossil fuels.
It is useful to put into perspective how these fossil fuels came about. Coal, gas, and petroleum are all the result of long-dead plants and animals that were converted during millennia into the deposits of fossil fuels that remained buried under the ground until mankind discovered them.
So here is the all-important question. What was the source of the energy that produced these fossil fuels?
It was the sun. Continue reading “Solving the World’s Energy Problem – Part 1”
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