27 July 2011

Infographic: Renewable Sources of Energy

Over the last decade, environmental issues, like climate change and global warming, have been a favourite of the GDPI panelists at India's top B-Schools; loads of essay and GD topics on these issues have been administered.

Global Warming and climate change have dominated media space for several years now. We are constantly reminded of the impeding doom that is waiting to visit us unless we stop pumping carbon dioxide and other poisonous fumes into the atmosphere.


Some say climate change is natural, i.e. part of the Earth's climate cycle. However, leading climatologists blame the rapidly changing global climate patterns on
 anthropogenic global warming, i.e. they attribute the rise in the earth's surface temperature to man's ruinous and exploitative activities. The chief culprit, among other reasons, is the use of fossil fuels, like oil and gas.

Let us not get into this never-ending debate; deniers and conformists have entrenched positions on this controversial issue.


However, there is one thing that environmentalists, climatologists, (most) governments, businesses (though reluctantly, of course) and the society at large agree on - use of alternate sources of energy, i.e. renewable sources of energy. 


There are a lot of renewable sources of energy, like solar, hydro, ocean, and geothermal. It is generally agreed that these so-called clean technologies are expensive and have notoriously large gestation plan (i.e. return on investment period) to yield tangible benefits for the users in the short run.


Find below an infographic that details the importance and benefits of the different types of renewable sources of energy. I found this here.


While most of the data here relate to the United States, I suggest that you look at the larger picture and extract valuable understanding of the issue under focus.


If you wish to copy this infographic, please acknowledge this blog!





(Please select your reaction to this post; see below.)

1 comment:

3gp Movies for u said...

U Missed Thorium Thorium powered nuclear reactors are more efficient and produce less than 1% of the waste of today's uranium nuclear reactors.
Thorium reactors are safer, less expensive, smaller and can be configured to eliminate the possibility of melt downs or accidents.
Thorium does not produce plutonium and thus, could effectively eliminate further weapons production in volatile regions and reduce proliferation on a global scale, thus ending stalemate arguments over dubious nuclear programs such as exist in Iran and North Korea.
Proprietary thorium technology, capable of safely and efficiently dismantling nuclear stockpiles and eliminating spent uranium, now exists.