Why Solar Should be Energy's Future

WHY SOLAR SHOULD ENERGY S FUTURE BE Current U.S. Energy Use by the Numbers 23 Petroleum Natural Gas Nuclear Solar Other 35.4% 28% 8.5% 0.4% 27.7% Petroleum is Definitely Not the Answer for a Sustainable Future 6.97 billion barrels consumed by the U.S. in 2014 19.11 million barrels per day at an average of $108 Worldwide Conflicts: Enviromental Concerns: When demand is high- prices skyrocket - economical conflicts between nations ensue Supply is limited and reserves are decreasing Mining and burning petroleum creates awful greenhouse gasses Only 1 of 2 trillion barrels left Adds to the global warming problem Countries may fight over scarce petroleum as supply dwindles Oil spills destroy oceans and kill precious marine life James Bond villains often use oil in their evil schemes A Future With Natual Gas Stinks Not Worth The Trouble Bad for the Enviroment Silent but Deadly 2$ - Prices have skyrocketed since the '9os from $8.50 per Mcf to $11.98 in 2009 - Consumption has diminished over the past 11 years - Infrastructure and distribution is pricey - Limited, non-renewable resource Releases carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere Contributes to global warming Drilling makes a trip to the dentisit seem pleasant Extremely toxic when inhaled Underground leaks are nearly impossible to detect Nuclear Power Will Melt Down the Future 61 30 Power Plants Nuclear Reactors States Long Wait, High Cost: Unhappy Neighbors: Plants take 5 to 10 years to build Nuclear accidents present a danger to anyone in the surrounding area Huge initial investment cost Small leaks can cause fatigue, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting Eutrophication disrupts local aquatic life Waste Storage Issues: Nonrenewable & Scarce: Radioactive waste has to go somewhere Uranium is needed for nuclear reactions Waste can give off radiation for 100s of years Like fossil fuels, uranium must be mined Reactive radicals contaminate nearby sand and Supply is limited and once it's gone, it's gone water Could create a super-villian if someone fell into a vat of radioactive acid Solar is the Superior Choice for a Sustainable Future 2x(8 22,700 MW of solar and climbing There's already enough solar capacity to power 4.6 million homes Solar is expected to double by 2017 40% of all new electricty was solar in the 1st half of 2015 Many Applications for Solar: Low-Mainenance Good for Mother Earth: Residential Energy: Electricity: photovoltaics Clean and renewable energy source Little to no maintenance or repairs Heat: solar thermal 20 to 25 year warranties are typical No greenhouse gases Water distillation Helps fight global warming Power space satellites Only the inverter needs to be changed every 5 to 10 years A solar leak is just "a nice day" Grid-less energy ELEMENTS CAPITAL GROUP https://www.eia.gov/pub/oil_gas/natural_gas/feature_articles/2010/ngtrendsresidcon/ngtrendsresidcon.pdf http://www.tc.umn.edu/-~dama0023/naturalgas.html http://occupytheory.org/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-petroleum/ http://apecsec.org/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-petroleum/ https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id%=33&t=6 http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/Disadvantages_NuclearEnergy.php http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/Advantages_SolarEnergy.php http://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/2014/08/5-advantages-and-5-disadvantages-of-solar-energy http://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-industry-data http://instituteforenergyresearch.org/topics/encyclopedia/solar/