Alternative Energy Sources: Sustainability Management - Term Paper Example

Name Professor Course Date Alternative Energy Sources: Sustainability Management Abstract Environmental sustainability is a practice, which emphasizes on the preservation of the natural environment. One of the strategies that are effectively used in environmental sustainability is the alternative energy sources. With this regard, the environmental sustainability is achieved under three pillars. These include the social, economic and environmental pillars. The various alternative sources of energy that could be used include ocean, hydrogen, geothermal, biomass, hydroelectric, wind and solar energy. Various approaches should be observed in the environmental sustainability implementation. These include the use of renewable sources of energy, energy efficiency and conservation, as well as carbon pricing. Table of Content Table of Contents Introduction 3 Literature Review: Alternative sources of energy 3 The pillars of sustainability 4 Alternative energy sources sustainability management 6 Solar Energy 7 Wind Power 7 Hydroelectric Energy 7 Biomass Energy 8 Geothermal Energy 8 Hydrogen Energy 8 Ocean Energy 9 Discussion 9 Alternative energy sources 10 Renewable energy 10 Nuclear Power 10 Natural gas 10 Energy efficiency and energy conservation 11 Carbon Pricing 11 Conclusion 12 Work Cited 13 Introduction Environmental sustainability is the practice of making decisions, and taking actions, which are in the interest of protection of the natural world. The particular emphasis is paid to the protection and preservation of the natural environment, as well as its capability of the environment to support the human life. Currently, there is a significant interest in the world, regarding the impact individuals and businesses, could have on the environment. Concerning the business and individual stakeholders, the environmental sustainability implies the making responsible decisions, which will reduce the negative impacts of the business and individuals to the environment. More specifically, it is about the reduction of the waste emitted, use of less energy as well as the development of effective strategies, which will lead to environmental stakeholders becoming completely sustainable in the future. One of the effective strategies for ensuring environmental sustainability is the alternative sources of energy. The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive analysis of the application of alternative sources of energy, as a technique of environmental sustainability. The scope of the discussion will cover the theoretical discussion regarding the alternative energy sources. It will also present an application of this theory, as well as the discussion of the expected future developments. Literature Review: Alternative sources of energy Before performing a detailed analysis of the alternative energy sources, as a mechanism of environmental sustainability, it is significant to expound on some general aspects of environmental sustainability. As mentioned earlier, environmental sustainability implies the rate of harvest f the renewable resources, the creation of pollution, and the rate of depletion of the non-renewable resources. For the environment to be sustainable, these rates should continue indefinitely. If they cannot continue indefinitely, then the environment is not sustainable, (Angelakoglou and Gaidajis 730). As specified by Cho, there are three factors that vital to consider, concerning the environmental sustainability (76). These include the renewable resources, the pollution, and the nonrenewable resources. Renewable resources: for the environment to be considered sustainable, the rate of harvest of the renewable resources should be exceeding the rate of regeneration of the energy sources. It implies that there should be a sustainable yield (Hahn et al. 31). Pollution: for the environment to remain sustainable, the rate at which the wastes are generated from the projects should not be more than the assimilation capacity of the environment. Therefore, there should be a sustainable waste disposal. Non-renewable resources: the rate at which the nonrenewable resources are depleted should be compensated by a similar rate of development of the renewable substitutes for the resources. Therefore, there should perfect compensation (McMahon 76). The pillars of sustainability There are three main goals, which should be achieved by every strategy of environmental sustainability. As identified by the 2005 World Summit on Social Development, these sustainable development goals include environmental protection, the social development, and the economic development. As illustrated in the above diagram, there is a strong relationship between the three pillars of sustainability. In this case, the society and the economy are constrained by the environmental limits. These pillars, as illustrated by Nijaki, are not mutually exclusive (102). However, they can be mutually reinforcing. In the recent past, most of the sustainability standards and certification have been developed with regard to these pillars. In details, sustainable environment requires a perfect interaction of the social, environmental and economic aspects. It is built on improving the quality of human life, within the ecosystem's carrying capacity. Swaim et al. advised that this aspect should be observed in all strategies implemented to achieve environmental sustainability, including the alternative sources of energy (106). Alternative energy sources sustainability management According to Zhong and Wu, one of the effective strategies for ensuring environmental sustainability is using alternative sources of energy (452). The use of energy contributes a significant amount to the environmental degradation. The contribution, as presented by Bohl, Martin, Kaufmann and Siklos, are two-fold (201). First, there is the environmental pollution caused by the most of the non-renewable sources of energy, such as fossil fuel. These leads to the emission of harmful gases to the environment. These include the CO2, which leads to the formation of the ozone layer, and the resultant global warming. The other concept is through depletion of the non-renewable sources of energy. Most of the widely used sources of energy, such as fossil fuels are non-renewable. Their usage leads to their depletion, which is a significant contribution to the environmental degradation. To counter the two effects, Schmitz indicated that the most effective way is the use of renewable sources of energy, as a mechanism of environmental sustainability (367). Alternative sources of energy imply all those other sources of energy, which do not consume the fossil fuels. These sources are referred to as alternative since they are environmentally friendly, and widely available. It implies that they have no adverse consequences, which are inherent in the fossil fuels. These consequences include the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, which contributes significantly to the global warming. According to Hahn et al., these energy sources cause little or no environmental pollution (38). As a result contributes significantly to the environmental sustainability. Over many countries, in the recent past, there have been several alternative energy projects, which are focused on replacing the dependence on the fossil fuels. These are discussed below: Solar Energy It is the most promising alternative source of energy, which is received from the sun (Hahn et al. 31). The reason is that it will be available to humankind for centuries. The energy is, and could be generated through a series of photovoltaic cells, where the solar rays are converted into electricity. The energy could be applied with the help of other devices, such as the solar water heaters, solar power bulbs, solar cookers, among others. Solar energy could be used to generate electricity in large and small amounts. Currently, it is being used extensively as a strategy of reducing the electricity bills and dependence on the fuel based economy. Wind Power It is another natural alternative source of energy, which is renewable and has a significant potential to solve the energy crisis. To generate power, the wind power is harnessed to propel the blades of the wind turbine, which are attached to an electric generator that produces the wind energy. As illustrated by Komerath and Komerath, the wind energy is quite an effective alternative source of energy and applies to areas where the wind flow velocity is high, as well as consistent (460). As an alternative source of energy, wind energy is clean and has no pollution, in addition to requiring quite a little capital. Hydroelectric Energy It is the potential energy of water, which are held in dams and waterfalls. It is created by the kinetic energy, present in the flowing water. The falling water is made to spin the turbines and motors, which in turn generates electricity. As illustrated by Roberts et al., hydroelectric energy is currently the most highly adopted alternative (171). In this case, it has warranted the installation of small scale energy projects, in remote areas and villages. It has been estimated that this alternative energy source could offer a perfect cover-up of the growing world population, and the electricity deficit. Biomass Energy It is an alternative source of energy, which is developed from various animal and human activities. These include the wastes and by-products from agricultural yields, timber industries, municipal and solid wastes, among other products. It is the only alternative source of energy, which takes into account the waste material utilization. It is, therefore, more consistent with environmental sustainability (Hahn et al. 31). An example includes ethanol, which is derived from sugar fermentation. Another one is the biogas, which is obtained by the decomposition of organic fuels, in the absence of oxygen. These gases are flammable and a source of clean energy. Geothermal Energy It is the energy, which is tapped from the heat on the core of the earth. The hot rocks that reside at the core of the earth heat the water, which is emitted to the surface of the earth, in the form of steam and pressure. This steam and hot water are then used to generate electricity, which provides natural heating for offices and homes. Geothermal energy is considered as one of the cleanest alternative sources of energy since it is generated by the natural process of the earth. As illustrated by Kerdsuwan and Laohalidanond, it is currently used in industries, to replace the machines that are run by a heater (129). Hydrogen Energy Hydrogen is one of the most common elements on earth. Hydrogen is available in water, which makes approximately 70% of the earth. Once hydrogen is separated from water, then it could significantly be applied in the generation of electricity. This energy is renewable, in abundant supply and has not toxic gases. However, its implementation requires high technology, which has limited its application. Ocean Energy From the fact that more than 70% of the surface of the earth is covered by water, ocean energy becomes a massive potential source of energy. As a result, the energy produced can be used to a wider scale, than any other source of energy. The ocean energy could be harnessed in three ways. These include the tidal energy, wave energy, as well as the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC). Tidal energy is produced from rise and fall of tides while the wave energy is produced by the waves. They are renewable and clean sources of energy. Hence, they are effective in the environmental sustainability. Discussion From the above literature, it is evident that there are several alternative sources of energy, which are renewable, natural, and clean. With proper strategic planning, these alternative sources of energy can offer a perfect substitution of the fossil fuels, which are the major cause of the environmental pollution. As a result, their use could significantly enhance the environmental sustainability efforts. Practically, companies, individuals, governments, organizations and other stakeholders within the economy should take part in the environmental sustainability marketing. Environmental sustainability should e a combined effort from all the stakeholders concerned (Roberts et al. 172). Through this, several strategies could be applied. These strategies are discussed below. Alternative energy sources As illustrated earlier, there are several alternative sources of energy, which could be used as a mechanism for achieving environmental sustainability. These include ocean, hydrogen, geothermal, biomass, hydroelectric, wind and solar energy. In its application, it could be categorized into three categories. Renewable energy These are the energy sources that can generate energy, without being exhausted. All the above-mentioned alternative sources are renewable sources of energy. According to Ugurlu and Ozuna, there has been an increase global total electricity generation, currently standing at 18% (11181). The wind power provides a significant share of electricity in many parts. There are also increases in the use of the renewable biofuels for transportation. These include biodiesel and ethanol fuel. Nuclear Power It is an alternative source of energy, which has been greatly embraced in several countries. As illustrated by Yimer, nuclear power contributes approximately 14% of the electricity used in the world (183). However, this proportion is minimal, and efforts need to put to increase its usage. Kerdsuwan and Laohalidanond advised that the government and large companies should take a vital part in the generation of this electricity (130). Natural gas Natural gas in another alternative source of energy, which could be significant, is preferred as compared to the fossil fuel. According to Roberts et al., Natural gas produces 30% fewer greenhouse gases, as compared to the oil (173). Though it is better, it is not highly recommended for environmental sustainability. Energy efficiency and energy conservation As a mechanism of environmental sustainability, efficient use of energy, and energy conservation should be emphasized. Concerning the efficient use of energy, cost effective strategies should be implemented. These include the production of products, which are energy efficient. For instance, manufacturing vehicles emitting less GHGs. The process of production should use renewable sources of energy, as a mechanism for conserving the nonrenewable sources of energy. Further, as illustrated by Zakhidov and Lutpullayev homes should e insulated, as a mechanism for conserving energy (50). The energy conservation would involve the application of various strategies, which reduces the amount of energy used. These include using less energy as possible. This would require the behavior change by individuals. The practical activities that could be associated with this behavior change include less heating of the rooms, driving less, using public transport vehicles, and working in a less brightly lit room. Carbon Pricing These are environmental sustainability strategies, which are and should implement by the governments of various countries. They involve restriction and monitoring of the amount of carbon gases, which are being emitted to the air. The most common technique is placing a price on carbon, where a certain amount of emission carries a certain price. Another strategy would be an offering of subsidies by the government. These would include the fossil fuel subsidies, which would play a significant part in conserving the non-renewable sources. According to the recommendations by scientists, there should be a transfer of subsidies to the renewables. Carbon taxation is another strategy, which would hasten the adoption of alternative sources of energy. The government should impose a tax on the amount of carbon emitted. According to Roberts et al., it would be an effective measure to speed up the transition to renewables (174). Another environmental sustainability strategy is the use of emission trading. In this case, permit markets may be applied, where the emission permits could be sold at a higher price, as compared to the cost, the organization could incur to reduce the emission internally. Application of these strategies, as suggested by Kerdsuwan and Laohalidanond, would significantly enhance the environmental sustainability currently and in future (128). Conclusion From the discussion above, it is evident that environmental sustainability marketing is very significant to sustain our environment. One of the strategies used is the alternative sources of energy. 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