2010 Essay Contest Finalist

Entry by Benjamin Hughes

“The Natural Power Plant”

Energy powers the planet in many ways. The Earth system produces energy through natural processes that occur within the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere. The interaction between these processes is critical to our planet’s survival.

Examples of the types of energy produced by these natural processes include the following: (1) hydroelectricity is power created by the movement of water, (2) fossil fuels are raw materials mined from the Geosphere that are then refined to created petroleum products and electricity, (3) the main energy producer in the atmosphere is the Sun. Not only does the Sun power the processes in the atmosphere, it also helps power the other natural energy producing processes that occur on the earth.

The fact that people live on the earth places a strain on the earth’s supply of energy. Some forms of energy are being used quicker than they can be replaced. People use too many fossil fuels and those are hard to replace. Fossil Fuels include Coal, and Oil or Petroleum. Additionally, the use of some types of energy can hurt the earth by harming the atmosphere or polluting the land and water.

Renewable energy offers a better solution. The sun and wind are inexhaustible resources so they never run out. Because they can never disappear, solar and wind power can create energy that doesn’t hurt the earth.

In addition to using renewable types of energy there are many things people can do to reduce the strain on the earth. One way is to drive more fuel efficient vehicles. This reduces the amount of gasoline and diesel in the atmosphere. Another way that we can reduce the amount of fossil fuel on the earth is by using public transportation and not wasting electricity by leaving the lights on when they are away from home.