Factors Threatening The Environment: Energy Production

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The limited supply of fossil fuels, coupled with their contributions to global warming, air pollution, and acid rain, makes it clear that alternative forms of energy will be needed to fuel industrial production and transportation. A number of energy alternatives are available, but many of these options are unlikely to replace fossil fuels in the foreseeable future because they cost more, produce less energy than fossil fuels, or pose safety risks.

A handful of countries produce a portion of their electricity using nuclear energy. But many people oppose nuclear energy because an accident can cause massive devastation. The 1986 accident at the Chernobyl’ nuclear power plant in the Ukraine scattered radioactive contamination over a large part of Europe. Approximately 200,000 people were evacuated, and human health has been dramatically affected. Studies in 1999 found that the rate of thyroid cancer in young Ukrainian children was ten times higher than was the norm prior to the accident.

One reasonable solution combines conservation strategies with the increased use of solar energy. The price of solar energy relative to traditional fuels has steadily dropped, and if environmental concerns were factored into the cost, solar power would already be significantly cheaper.

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